Business/Commerce, General: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Business/Commerce, General graduates earn a median $68,407 four years after finishing — $20,047/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 3.4 years. Federal data pools 370 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 24,113 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Business/Commerce, General ranks #71 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 65% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | VA | $142,113 |
| 2 | New York University | NY | $137,804 |
| 3 | Baylor University | TX | $124,434 |
| 4 | Wake Forest University | NC | $118,167 |
| 5 | Northeastern University | MA | $113,620 |
| 6 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $111,444 |
| 7 | Brandeis University | MA | $108,405 |
| 8 | Lehigh University | PA | $107,079 |
| 9 | George Washington University | DC | $107,023 |
| 10 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $105,583 |
| 11 | University of Rochester | NY | $93,367 |
| 12 | Skidmore College | NY | $93,229 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.