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Business Administration at California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Business Administration, Management and Operations
70 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
71
Optimistic
70
Base Case
65
Pessimistic
Earnings $42,062/yr (-10% vs median)
AI Risk High (47% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (1,753,300 openings/yr)
ROI 21.5x earnings multiple (7.8x out-of-state)
Ranked #218 of 1,169 Business Administration programs Top 25%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Business Administration graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $593K $585K $529K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 21.8x 21.5x 19.4x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 7.9x 7.8x 7.1x
Probability of Field Employment 47% 43% 32%
DegreeOutlook Score 71 70 65

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$27,252
Out-of-state: $74,792 (7.8x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$16,452
40% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$13,000
3.7 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$64,019
52% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $42,062/yr, roughly in line with the $46,892 national median for Business Administration. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The 21.5x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 47% task exposure — and the 11% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $42,062 far exceeding the $13,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

Ranked #218 out of 1,169 programs, California State University-Los Angeles's Business Administration program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

Earnings growth from $42,062 to $64,019 over five years (52% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

About California State University-Los Angeles

California State University-Los Angeles accepts 92% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, one of the larger campuses at 21,478 students in Los Angeles, CA. With 66% of students on Pell Grants, the campus draws from a broad economic spectrum. After financial aid, the average student pays $16,452 over four years — 40% below sticker price.

See all programs and financial aid at California State University-Los Angeles →

Top Career Paths

Chief executives $206,420/yr
Computer and information systems managers $171,200/yr
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
View all 42 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 1169 schools offering Business Administration →

Business Administration at Other Schools

Manhattan College ($113,777) Bismarck State College ($100,668) Maine Maritime Academy ($98,743) Carnegie Mellon University ($95,891) University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ($93,674) University of Pennsylvania ($91,443) University of California-Berkeley ($90,008) Emory University ($85,682)

Other Majors at California State University-Los Angeles

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($98,811) Civil Engineering ($73,178) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($63,981) Mechanical Engineering ($55,405) Food Science and Technology ($52,806) Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology ($50,428) Fire Protection ($48,289) Air Transportation ($46,267)

Consider the Trade Route?

Compare Business Administration trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does California State University-Los Angeles's Business Administration program score?
A score of 70/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. California State University-Los Angeles's Business Administration graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
How vulnerable is Business Administration to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Business Administration careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 47% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Why does California State University-Los Angeles rank so high for Business Administration?
The #218 ranking out of 1,169 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →