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Business · Business Administration Rank #121 of 1169

Business Administrationat University of Iowa

Graduates earn $46,264/yr in their first year — about 1.0% below the national Business Administration average. Base-case 10-year earnings $686K; scenarios range from $604K to $704K depending on AI disruption.

Iowa City, IA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
74 STRONG
75
Optimistic
68
Pessimistic
Earnings
$46,264
1-year post-graduation
ROI
17.5x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$686K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
52% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Iowa

Graduates earn $46,264/yr, roughly in line with the $46,892 national median for Business Administration. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The 15.6x 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.

With first-year pay of $46,264 far exceeding the $21,399 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

A #121 ranking out of 1,169 Business Administration programs nationally puts University of Iowa in the top 10% — a strong but not elite position.

Earnings growth from $46,264 to $80,929 over five years (75% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

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
$604K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score68/100
Earnings Multiple13.8x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$686K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score74/100
Earnings Multiple15.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$704K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score75/100
Earnings Multiple16.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Business Administration 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
Chief executives
+4.3% 10-yr growth · 22,200 openings/yr
$206,420/yr
High
2
Computer and information systems managers
+15.2% 10-yr growth · 55,600 openings/yr
$171,200/yr
High
3
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
4
Financial managers
+14.8% 10-yr growth · 74,600 openings/yr
$161,700/yr
High
5
Natural sciences managers
+3.7% 10-yr growth · 8,500 openings/yr
$161,180/yr
High
6
Compensation and benefits managers
+0.2% 10-yr growth · 1,500 openings/yr
$140,360/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 Administration

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

Highest earnings
Manhattan College
NY · Private nonprofit
77
DW Score
$114K
1-yr earn
4.5x
ROI
Top score
Bismarck State College
ND · Public
89
DW Score
$101K
1-yr earn
61.8x
ROI
Maine Maritime Academy
ME · Public
73
DW Score
$99K
1-yr earn
15.7x
ROI
Carnegie Mellon University
PA · Private nonprofit
77
DW Score
$96K
1-yr earn
5.2x
ROI
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
MI · Public
86
DW Score
$94K
1-yr earn
19.4x
ROI
Also at University of Iowa

Other top programs at University of Iowa

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

Consider the trade route

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

Compare Business Administration trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Business Administration at University of Iowa

How does University of Iowa's Business Administration program score?

A score of 74/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. University of Iowa'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.