Business/Commerce, General: Bellevue University vs California State University-San Marcos

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
Bellevue University
Bellevue, NE
In-State
16.7x
$35,544 tuition
19.6x
$30,956 tuition
Out-of-State
16.7x
$35,544 tuition
7.7x
$78,476 tuition
$592,119 10-yr earnings · Private nonprofit
$605,400 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

Bellevue University California State University-San Marcos
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 16.7x 19.6x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 16.7x 7.7x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $35,544 $30,956
Year 1 Earnings $58,128 $46,958
10-Year Earnings $592K $605K
Median Debt $22,875 $20,951
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 4.7 months 5.4 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 74/100 73/100

Both programs have high AI automation risk (46% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Business/Commerce, General graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Business/Commerce, General graduates.

Bellevue University California State University-San Marcos
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $35,544 $30,956
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $35,544 $78,476
10-Year Projected Earnings $592K $605K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 16.7x 19.6x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 16.7x 7.7x
5-Year Salary Growth +19% +45%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Business/Commerce, General (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

Bellevue University California State University-San Marcos
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $601K $592K $537K $616K $605K $547K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 16.9x 16.7x 15.1x 19.9x 19.6x 17.7x
DegreeWorth Score 75 74 68 74 73 68

For the full AI analysis of Business/Commerce, General career paths, see the Bellevue University or California State University-San Marcos program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Business/Commerce, General graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$4,588
California State University-San Marcos saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$11,170/yr
Bellevue University grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
16.7x / 19.6x
Out-of-state: 16.7x / 7.7x

Career Paths

Business/Commerce, General graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Chief executives $206,420 22,200 +4.3% 56%
Sales managers $138,060 49,000 +4.7% 45%
Managers, all other $136,550 106,700 +4.5% 47%
Industrial production managers $121,440 17,100 +1.9% 34%
Administrative services managers $108,390 23,200 +4.6% 39%
Construction managers $106,980 46,800 +8.7% 44%
Facilities managers $104,690 13,200 +3.8% 48%
General and operations managers $102,950 308,700 +4.4% 48%
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Business/Commerce, General: Bellevue University or California State University-San Marcos?
Bellevue University scores 74/100 while California State University-San Marcos scores 73/100. California State University-San Marcos has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Business/Commerce, General?
Bellevue University has an in-state earnings multiple of 16.7x vs California State University-San Marcos's 19.6x. That means California State University-San Marcos grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition.
How do Bellevue University and California State University-San Marcos compare on Business/Commerce, General earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $58,128 at Bellevue University vs $46,958 at California State University-San Marcos. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $592,119 vs $605,400 — a difference of $13,281.
How much does Business/Commerce, General cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $35,544 at Bellevue University and $30,956 at California State University-San Marcos. Median debt at graduation is $22,875 vs $20,951. Both programs lead to the same Business/Commerce, General career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.