U.S. median for this major: $64,798.
College Scorecard field of study; 61 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 48% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,808.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $22,077. College Scorecard.
NSU Business Administration: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Business Administration nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses NSU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,762 | $48,214 | 2.3 years |
| $30–48k | $12,087 | $54,150 | 2.6 years |
| $48–75k | $15,293 | $68,513 | 3.3 years |
| $75–110k | $18,372 | $82,307 | 4.0 years |
| $110k+ | $17,933 | $80,340 | 3.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (32% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Business Administration graduates 4 years after graduating ($56,571) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SD (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,774 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Business Administration at South Dakota colleges
Every South Dakota college we cover that reports Business Administration graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dakota State University | $69,841 | $30,625 | $21,057 | 51% |
| 2 | Augustana University | $68,463 | $25,112 | $23,894 | 73% |
| 3 | University of South Dakota | $64,890 | $22,950 | $19,858 | 60% |
| 4 | Black Hills State University | $59,626 | $27,000 | $15,911 | 43% |
| 5 | Mount Marty University | $59,205 | $27,000 | $22,227 | 52% |
| 6 | Northern State University | $56,571 | $27,000 | $15,812 | 49% |
| 7 | Oglala Lakota Collegebachelor's & associate | $56,375 | — | $1,895 | 9% |
| 8 | University of Sioux Falls | $50,253 | $24,750 | $21,383 | 63% |
4 more South Dakota colleges offer Business Administration but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Business Administration graduates
Management analyst
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +10.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
General and Operations Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Project Management Specialists
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at NSU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About NSU
- Acceptance rate: 93% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 49% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $47,618
- Full cost breakdown · all 33 majors · overview
Related majors at NSU
- Finance$48,324
- Accounting$67,072
- Marketing—
- Economics—
NSU Business Administration questions
How much do NSU Business Administration graduates earn?
Business Administration graduates of Northern State University earn a median $56,571 four years after graduating and $43,667 one year after. The U.S. median for Business Administration graduates across 1104 colleges is $64,798.
How much debt do NSU Business Administration graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Business Administration graduates of Northern State University is $27,000, about 48% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,808.
Is NSU a good school for Business Administration in South Dakota?
On pay, Business Administration graduates of Northern State University earn $56,571 four years out, $2,845 below the median for the same major across 8 South Dakota colleges ($59,416) and $8,227 below the U.S. median ($64,798). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does NSU rank for Business Administration in South Dakota?
Of 8 South Dakota colleges reporting Business Administration graduate earnings, Northern State University ranks 6th. The highest is Dakota State University at $69,841.
What jobs do Business Administration graduates get?
A common career is management analyst, with a median wage of $83,620 in South Dakota and $101,860 nationally. Others include general and operations managers and project management specialists.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Northern State University Business Administration: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northern-state-university/majors/business-administration (College Scorecard and BLS data).