U.S. median for this major: $64,798.
College Scorecard field of study; 31 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 35% 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 $58,437. College Scorecard.
VU 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 VU'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 | $11,043 | $45,828 | 1.1 years |
| $30–48k | $12,055 | $50,028 | 1.2 years |
| $48–75k | $15,279 | $63,408 | 1.5 years |
| $75–110k | $22,311 | $92,591 | 2.2 years |
| $110k+ | $24,780 | $102,837 | 2.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (58% 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 ($78,163) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $42,629 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 Indiana colleges
Every Indiana 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 | Purdue University | $81,040 | $19,500 | $14,600 | 83% |
| 2 | Valparaiso University | $78,163 | $27,000 | $18,578 | 70% |
| 3 | Franklin College | $77,821 | — | $22,855 | 60% |
| 4 | Taylor University | $76,192 | $25,356 | $24,865 | 74% |
| 5 | Ball State University | $75,703 | $20,500 | $14,940 | 62% |
| 6 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | $75,533 | $42,138 | $22,866 | 67% |
| 7 | Saint Mary's College | $73,449 | $27,000 | $25,292 | 69% |
| 8 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | $72,282 | $26,000 | $11,668 | 54% |
| 9 | University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne | $70,794 | — | $18,196 | 55% |
| 10 | Indiana State University | $67,478 | $23,025 | $10,873 | 43% |
| 11 | Marian University | $66,959 | $27,000 | $24,018 | 67% |
| 12 | Grace College and Theological Seminary | $66,597 | $20,104 | $19,932 | 69% |
| 13 | Indiana Institute of Technology | $66,296 | $38,629 | $23,206 | 48% |
| 14 | Manchester University | $63,644 | $27,000 | $18,805 | 46% |
| 15 | Indiana University-East | $62,886 | $20,789 | $8,134 | 40% |
| 16 | University of Indianapolis | $61,006 | $27,000 | $21,602 | 56% |
| 17 | Purdue University Fort Wayne | $60,816 | $24,000 | $13,171 | 36% |
| 18 | Earlham College | $60,745 | $27,000 | $24,714 | 69% |
| 19 | Huntington University | $59,538 | — | $19,310 | 64% |
| 20 | Bethel University | $58,731 | $27,000 | $18,610 | 53% |
| 21 | Oakland City University | $58,663 | $25,875 | $15,210 | 66% |
| 22 | Purdue University Northwest | $57,191 | $28,000 | $6,079 | 43% |
| 23 | Trine University | $57,055 | $23,250 | $25,355 | 64% |
| 24 | University of Southern Indianabachelor's & associate | $56,804 | $21,602 | $12,923 | 48% |
| 25 | Anderson University | $55,736 | $27,000 | $25,021 | 54% |
| 26 | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College | $55,611 | $24,805 | $31,872 | 47% |
| 27 | University of Evansville | $53,964 | $25,000 | $18,499 | 64% |
| 28 | Calumet College of Saint Joseph | $46,551 | $25,000 | $22,451 | 23% |
5 more Indiana 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 VU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About VU
- Acceptance rate: 89% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 70% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $63,191
- Full cost breakdown · all 59 majors · overview
Related majors at VU
- Business—
- Finance$73,880
- Management Science / Analytics$86,317
- Accounting$71,848
- Marketing$66,773
- Economics—
VU Business Administration questions
How much do VU Business Administration graduates earn?
Business Administration graduates of Valparaiso University earn a median $78,163 four years after graduating and $44,100 one year after. The U.S. median for Business Administration graduates across 1104 colleges is $64,798.
How much debt do VU Business Administration graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Business Administration graduates of Valparaiso University is $27,000, about 35% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,808.
Is VU a good school for Business Administration in Indiana?
On pay, Business Administration graduates of Valparaiso University earn $78,163 four years out, $13,193 above the median for the same major across 32 Indiana colleges ($64,970) and $13,365 above the U.S. median ($64,798). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does VU rank for Business Administration in Indiana?
Of 28 Indiana colleges reporting Business Administration graduate earnings, Valparaiso University ranks 2nd. The highest is Purdue University at $81,040.
What jobs do Business Administration graduates get?
A common career is management analyst, with a median wage of $105,090 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 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: “Valparaiso University Business Administration: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/valparaiso-university/majors/business-administration (College Scorecard and BLS data).