Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 52.07. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,370 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 548 | 7,091 | $43,067 | $50,211 | $17,484 16 programs |
| Associate's degree | 199 | 967 | $35,157 | $40,095 | $23,506 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 347 | 4,597 | $47,020 | $61,027 | $21,500 64 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 14 | 0 | $93,418 | $76,065 | $26,000 1 programs |
| Master's degree | 137 | 1,137 | $86,563 | $97,366 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 5 | 2 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 2 | 1 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 118 | 511 | $99,692 | $79,275 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia GA · Public · 100 graduates measured | $67,416 | $91,825 | $13,191 |
| University of Delaware DE · Public · 38 graduates measured | $61,550 | Data unavailable | $25,000 |
| University of Iowa IA · Public · 135 graduates measured | $52,979 | $71,233 | $23,981 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 23 graduates measured | $52,511 | $69,908 | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WI · Public · 28 graduates measured | $50,229 | $63,688 | Data unavailable |
| Mid-State Technical College WI · Public · 22 graduates measured | $40,579 | Data unavailable | $10,900 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College IA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $40,551 | $49,753 | Data unavailable |
| Delgado Community College LA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $32,220 | $32,459 | $24,266 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive College of Technology-Chamblee GA · Private, for-profit · 18 graduates measured | $25,878 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Interactive College of Technology-Morrow GA · Private, for-profit · 18 graduates measured | $25,878 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Interactive College of Technology-Newport KY · Private, for-profit · 18 graduates measured | $25,878 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Interactive College of Technology-Gainesville GA · Private, for-profit · 18 graduates measured | $25,878 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College MA · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $95,921 | $132,903 | Data unavailable |
| Brown University RI · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $93,627 | $125,955 | Data unavailable |
| Brigham Young University UT · Private, nonprofit · 46 graduates measured | $79,011 | $97,085 | $8,500 |
| Texas Christian University TX · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $70,351 | Data unavailable | $20,247 |
| University of Arizona AZ · Public · 35 graduates measured | $67,051 | $99,722 | $19,500 |
| University of Dayton OH · Private, nonprofit · 57 graduates measured | $65,704 | $77,318 | $16,750 |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 44 graduates measured | $63,941 | $87,851 | $26,500 |
| Ohio University-Eastern Campus OH · Public · 21 graduates measured | $62,571 | Data unavailable | $21,500 |
| Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus OH · Public · 21 graduates measured | $62,571 | Data unavailable | $21,500 |
| Ohio University-Southern Campus OH · Public · 21 graduates measured | $62,571 | Data unavailable | $21,500 |
| Ohio University-Lancaster Campus OH · Public · 21 graduates measured | $62,571 | Data unavailable | $21,500 |
| Ohio University-Main Campus OH · Public · 21 graduates measured | $62,571 | Data unavailable | $21,500 |
| Ohio University-Zanesville Campus OH · Public · 21 graduates measured | $62,571 | Data unavailable | $21,500 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $62,105 | $78,476 | $23,298 |
| Baylor University TX · Private, nonprofit · 67 graduates measured | $61,927 | $86,363 | $17,075 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $134,369 | Data unavailable | $26,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 158 graduates measured | $207,964 | $252,729 | Data unavailable |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 50 graduates measured | $143,350 | $133,137 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 35 graduates measured | $138,103 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 35 graduates measured | $138,103 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Temple University PA · Public · 27 graduates measured | $112,339 | $117,753 | Data unavailable |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $92,077 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 80 graduates measured | $79,890 | $107,998 | Data unavailable |
| Texas A&M University-Victoria TX · Public · 17 graduates measured | $70,135 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of South Florida FL · Public · 17 graduates measured | $59,591 | $85,594 | Data unavailable |
| University of Utah UT · Public · 20 graduates measured | $47,489 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 33 graduates measured | $42,992 | $42,689 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief executives | $213,990 | +3.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| General and operations managers | $105,770 | +5.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Personal service managers, all other | $69,770 | +6.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Business teachers, postsecondary | $99,080 | +5.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (5)
- 52.0701 Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
- 52.0702 Franchising and Franchise Operations
- 52.0703 Small Business Administration/Management
- 52.0704 Social Entrepreneurship
- 52.0799 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, Other