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Business Administration at Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Business Administration, Management and Operations
79 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
80
Optimistic
79
Base Case
73
Pessimistic
Earnings $57,106/yr (22% vs median)
AI Risk High (47% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (1,753,300 openings/yr)
ROI 17.1x earnings multiple (5.9x out-of-state)
Ranked #31 of 1,169 Business Administration programs Top 5%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Business Administration graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $701K $684K $602K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 17.5x 17.1x 15.1x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.1x 5.9x 5.2x
Probability of Field Employment 47% 43% 32%
DegreeOutlook Score 80 79 73

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$39,968
Out-of-state: $115,176 (5.9x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$55,780
-40% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$19,500
4.1 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$85,223
49% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $57,106/yr, edging above the $46,892 national average for Business Administration — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.

The 17.1x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 47% task exposure — and the 14% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $19,500 in median debt against $57,106 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

Ranked #31 out of 1,169 programs, Purdue University-Main Campus's Business Administration program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $57,106 to $85,223 shows 49% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

About Purdue University-Main Campus

With a 50% acceptance rate, Purdue University-Main Campus is moderately selective, serving a student body of 39,637 in West Lafayette, IN.

See all programs and financial aid at Purdue University-Main Campus →

Top Career Paths

Chief executives $206,420/yr
Computer and information systems managers $171,200/yr
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
View all 42 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 1169 schools offering Business Administration →

Business Administration at Other Schools

Manhattan College ($113,777) Bismarck State College ($100,668) Maine Maritime Academy ($98,743) Carnegie Mellon University ($95,891) University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ($93,674) University of Pennsylvania ($91,443) University of California-Berkeley ($90,008) Emory University ($85,682)

Other Majors at Purdue University-Main Campus

Computer Science ($94,786) Computer Engineering ($89,965) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($84,300) Industrial Engineering ($81,379) Chemical Engineering ($81,105) Mechanical Engineering ($80,374) Materials Engineering ($78,265) Construction Engineering ($76,966)

Consider the Trade Route?

Compare Business Administration trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Purdue University-Main Campus's Business Administration program score?
A score of 79/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Purdue University-Main Campus's Business Administration graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
How vulnerable is Business Administration to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Business Administration careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 47% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Why does Purdue University-Main Campus rank so high for Business Administration?
The #31 ranking out of 1,169 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →