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Business · Business Economics Rank #57 of 81

Business Economicsat Westmont College

Graduates earn $54,457/yr in their first year — about 2.0% above the national Business Economics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $789K; scenarios range from $682K to $833K depending on AI disruption.

Santa Barbara, CA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
56 SOLID
58
Optimistic
53
Pessimistic
Earnings
$54,457
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.3x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$789K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Westmont College

First-year earnings of $54,457 track close to the $53,330 national median for Business Economics programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

An earnings multiple of 3.8x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.

Some AI exposure exists in Business Economics's typical career paths, with 53% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 18% gap from the optimistic case.

At $25,000 in median debt against $54,457 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

Ranked #57 of 81 Business Economics programs, Westmont College falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Five-year earnings of $88,820 show a 63% jump from the $54,457 starting point — strong upward trajectory suggesting real career acceleration.

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
$682K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score53/100
Earnings Multiple3.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$789K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score56/100
Earnings Multiple3.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$833K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple4.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Westmont College'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 Westmont College 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
Same state (CA)
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 Westmont College

Other top programs at Westmont College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Westmont College, 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 Westmont College

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Business Economics at Westmont College?

This program scores 56/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Business Economics programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.

Will AI replace Business Economics careers?

With 53% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $681,932 in decade earnings vs $832,658 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.