U.S. median for this major: $64,798.
College Scorecard field of study; 529 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 39% 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 $48,780. College Scorecard.
NU 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 NU'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 | $25,700 | $107,683 | 3.1 years |
| $30–48k | $25,913 | $108,575 | 3.1 years |
| $48–75k | $25,906 | $108,546 | 3.1 years |
| $75–110k | $26,016 | $109,007 | 3.1 years |
| $110k+ | $28,224 | $118,259 | 3.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (51% 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 ($68,679) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $35,268 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 Michigan colleges
Every Michigan college we cover that reports Business Administration graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $144,654 | $19,000 | $13,138 | 93% |
| 2 | Michigan State University | $91,187 | $23,250 | $19,680 | 81% |
| 3 | University of Detroit Mercy | $89,540 | $22,735 | $15,232 | 67% |
| 4 | Oakland University | $84,052 | $26,000 | $9,120 | 58% |
| 5 | Cleary University | $81,341 | $23,000 | $22,143 | 41% |
| 6 | Grand Valley State University | $79,324 | $27,000 | $16,317 | 67% |
| 7 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | $76,606 | $31,000 | $9,492 | 58% |
| 8 | Western Michigan University | $75,143 | $27,000 | $15,273 | 58% |
| 9 | Aquinas College | $74,404 | $26,000 | $16,626 | 65% |
| 10 | Central Michigan University | $74,113 | $28,000 | $17,597 | 59% |
| 11 | Calvin University | $73,155 | $21,072 | $22,992 | 74% |
| 12 | Davenport University | $71,344 | $27,898 | $17,707 | 57% |
| 13 | Walsh College | $70,099 | — | — | — |
| 14 | Adrian College | $69,654 | $27,000 | $25,368 | 48% |
| 15 | Northwood University | $68,679 | $26,593 | $27,232 | 63% |
| 16 | Cornerstone University | $67,148 | $28,750 | $20,301 | 62% |
| 17 | Eastern Michigan University | $66,233 | $26,899 | $15,407 | 46% |
| 18 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | $65,787 | $27,625 | $32,811 | 48% |
| 19 | Hope College | $65,755 | $26,000 | $27,182 | 80% |
| 20 | Saginaw Valley State University | $65,594 | $25,557 | $10,775 | 48% |
| 21 | Baker College | $65,591 | $35,710 | $13,157 | 36% |
| 22 | Madonna University | $64,515 | $27,029 | $17,755 | 60% |
| 23 | Ferris State University | $64,131 | $25,384 | $8,624 | 47% |
| 24 | University of Michigan-Flint | $64,086 | $36,312 | $7,007 | 40% |
| 25 | The University of Olivet | $63,380 | $27,000 | $21,393 | 35% |
| 26 | Spring Arbor University | $62,928 | $27,000 | $19,353 | 64% |
| 27 | Rochester University | $60,312 | $31,250 | $21,456 | 44% |
| 28 | Siena Heights University | $57,316 | $23,437 | $17,124 | 39% |
| 29 | Alma College | $57,287 | $27,000 | $20,694 | 63% |
| 30 | Lake Superior State University | $53,396 | — | $12,822 | 51% |
| 31 | Northern Michigan University | $49,202 | $23,795 | $14,085 | 52% |
10 more Michigan 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 NU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About NU
- Acceptance rate: 65% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 63% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $63,075
- Full cost breakdown · all 20 majors · overview
Related majors at NU
- Finance$67,477
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Accounting$64,405
- Marketing$62,860
- Business Economics—
NU Business Administration questions
How much do NU Business Administration graduates earn?
Business Administration graduates of Northwood University earn a median $68,679 four years after graduating and $51,943 one year after. The U.S. median for Business Administration graduates across 1104 colleges is $64,798.
How much debt do NU Business Administration graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Business Administration graduates of Northwood University is $26,593, about 39% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,808.
Is NU a good school for Business Administration in Michigan?
On pay, Business Administration graduates of Northwood University earn $68,679 four years out, $1,531 above the median for the same major across 31 Michigan colleges ($67,148) and $3,881 above the U.S. median ($64,798). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does NU rank for Business Administration in Michigan?
Of 31 Michigan colleges reporting Business Administration graduate earnings, Northwood University ranks 15th. The highest is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor at $144,654.
What jobs do Business Administration graduates get?
A common career is management analyst, with a median wage of $99,590 in the Midland, MI area 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: “Northwood University Business Administration: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northwood-university/majors/business-administration (College Scorecard and BLS data).