Home Schools University of Arizona Business Economics
Business · Business Economics Rank #5 of 81

Business Economicsat University of Arizona

Graduates earn $56,114/yr in their first year — about 5.0% above the national Business Economics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $921K; scenarios range from $777K to $983K depending on AI disruption.

Tucson, AZ Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
71 STRONG
73
Optimistic
68
Pessimistic
Earnings
$56,114
1-year post-graduation
ROI
18.0x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$921K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Arizona

The University of Arizona's Business/Managerial Economics program stands out nationally, reflecting its strong curriculum and the university's reputation as a flagship public institution. This applied economics focus, deeply embedded within the Eller College of Management, provides you with a robust analytical toolkit highly valued by employers across various sectors. The program benefits from its location within a growing Southwest economy, with strong recruiting pipelines into Arizona's expanding finance, tech, and defense industries, and easy access to the broader Phoenix market. Your training in economic modeling and data interpretation prepares you for roles requiring strategic decision-making, like financial risk or management analysis. While the "Very High" AI risk indicates many analytical tasks are evolving, your future role will shift towards higher-level strategy and interpretation. Focus on developing strong communication and leadership skills alongside your quantitative abilities; these will be your greatest differentiators in an AI-augmented workplace.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$777K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score68/100
Earnings Multiple14.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$921K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple16.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$983K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score73/100
Earnings Multiple18.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Arizona's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Business Economics graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Economics teachers, postsecondary
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 1,200 openings/yr
$119,980/yr
Moderate
2
Economists
+1.2% 10-yr growth · 900 openings/yr
$115,440/yr
High
3
Financial risk specialists
+6.5% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$106,000/yr
High
4
Management analysts
+8.8% 10-yr growth · 98,100 openings/yr
$101,190/yr
Moderate
5
Survey researchers
-5.2% 10-yr growth · 700 openings/yr
$63,380/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Business Economics

How University of Arizona stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Washington University in St Louis
MO · Private nonprofit
55
DW Score
$107K
1-yr earn
3.2x
ROI
University of California-Los Angeles
CA · Public
77
DW Score
$84K
1-yr earn
20.5x
ROI
Villanova University
PA · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$82K
1-yr earn
4.8x
ROI
Lehigh University
PA · Private nonprofit
64
DW Score
$82K
1-yr earn
3.4x
ROI
Top score
Brigham Young University
UT · Private nonprofit
78
DW Score
$75K
1-yr earn
51.1x
ROI
Also at University of Arizona

Other top programs at University of Arizona

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Arizona, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Business Economics offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Business Economics trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Business Economics at University of Arizona

How does University of Arizona's Business Economics program score?

A score of 71/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. University of Arizona's Business Economics graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.

How vulnerable is Business Economics to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Business Economics careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 53% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.