Business/Managerial Economics: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Business/Managerial Economics graduates earn a median $77,981 four years after finishing — $29,621/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 2.3 years. Federal data pools 243 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 4,745 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Business/Managerial Economics ranks #54 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 74% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington University in St Louis | MO | $162,355 |
| 2 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $129,425 |
| 3 | Villanova University | PA | $123,614 |
| 4 | Brigham Young University | UT | $117,015 |
| 5 | University of Miami | FL | $116,367 |
| 6 | Union College | NY | $114,064 |
| 7 | Lehigh University | PA | $113,630 |
| 8 | Bentley University | MA | $108,886 |
| 9 | Seattle University | WA | $102,249 |
| 10 | Miami University-Oxford | OH | $101,674 |
| 11 | University of Arkansas | AR | $97,743 |
| 12 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | $96,843 |
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.