Best colleges for Business Administration in California
Ranked by graduate earnings
University of California-Berkeley, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo and University of Southern California are the top bachelor's Business Administration programs in California by graduate earnings. University of California-Berkeley leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $90,008, College Scorecard. San Diego State University, California State University - Fullerton and San Jose State University award the most Business Administration degrees in California: 2,439, 2,268 and 1,853 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 224 California colleges offer Business Administration and award 60,546 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Business Administration program, officially titled Business Administration, Management and Operations, equips students with essential skills for managing and leading organizations. This program is ideal for individuals seeking to…
Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley Public · Bachelor's degree | $90,008 | 430 | 93% | — | $12,195 |
| 2 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo Public · Bachelor's degree | $71,876 | 817 | 86% | — | $17,000 |
| 3 | University of Southern California Los Angeles Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $71,668 | 535 | 92% | $26,873 | $17,375 |
| 4 | Pepperdine University Malibu Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $69,751 | 596 | 83% | $41,986 | $28,000 |
| 5 | Dominican University of California San Rafael Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $65,611 | 101 | 78% | $48,448 | $27,000 |
| 6 | California Baptist University Riverside Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $64,987 | 404 | 62% | $26,940 | $49,129 |
| 7 | National University San Diego Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $61,299 | 650 | 43% | $31,817 | $26,818 |
| 8 | University of Redlands Redlands Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $60,755 | 291 | 67% | $22,706 | $27,000 |
| 9 | Vanguard University of Southern California Costa Mesa Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $58,539 | 65 | 57% | $18,716 | $26,500 |
| 10 | Cal Poly Maritime Academy Vallejo Public · Bachelor's degree | $57,265 | 38 | 60% | — | $20,500 |
Top 10 certificate and associate programs
Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerritos College Norwalk Public · Certificate | $56,738 | 2,325 | 31% | — | $8,021 |
| 2 | San Diego Mesa College San Diego Public · Associate degree | $40,642 | 266 | 35% | — | $8,000 |
| 3 | Sacramento City College Sacramento Public · Associate degree | $33,689 | 199 | 33% | — | $7,500 |
| 4 | San Diego City College San Diego Public · Associate degree | $33,350 | 92 | 30% | — | $10,625 |
| 5 | Riverside City College Riverside Public · Associate degree | $32,537 | 360 | 37% | — | $5,500 |
| 6 | Coalinga College Coalinga Public · Associate degree | $31,708 | 36 | 43% | — | $12,000 |
| 7 | Lemoore College Lemoore Public · Associate degree | $30,880 | 142 | 49% | — | $9,800 |
| 8 | Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto Public · Associate degree | $30,839 | 394 | 36% | — | — |
| 9 | Santa Ana College Santa Ana Public · Associate degree | $30,315 | 284 | 31% | — | $7,500 |
| 10 | Cuesta College San Luis Obispo Public · Associate degree | $29,983 | 195 | 48% | — | — |
Colleges awarding the most Business Administration degrees in California
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego State University San Diego Public | 2,439 | $46,275 |
| 2 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton Public | 2,268 | $48,256 |
| 3 | San Jose State University San Jose Public | 1,853 | Not reported |
| 4 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach Public | 1,679 | $45,751 |
| 5 | California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona Public | 1,328 | $46,581 |
| 6 | California State University - Sacramento Sacramento Public | 1,228 | $48,492 |
| 7 | California State University - Northridge Northridge Public | 1,223 | $43,714 |
| 8 | University of California-Riverside Riverside Public | 1,013 | $43,213 |
| 9 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles Public | 933 | $42,062 |
| 10 | San Francisco State University San Francisco Public | 918 | $48,184 |
ShowHide the other 214 California colleges offering Business Administration
Career outlook
What this program leads to: General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021).
Top skills
What General and Operations Managers earn in California
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Business Administration programs in California.
Which California colleges award the most Business Administration degrees?+
San Diego State University (2,439 graduates a year), California State University - Fullerton (2,268 graduates a year) and San Jose State University (1,853 graduates a year) award the most Business Administration degrees in California, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 224 California colleges offer Business Administration.
What is the best college for Business Administration in California?+
By graduate earnings, University of California-Berkeley leads among bachelor's Business Administration programs in California, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $90,008, College Scorecard. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo and University of Southern California follow. By degrees awarded, San Diego State University is the largest, with 2,439 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Business Administration program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, University of California-Berkeley tops the list at $90,008. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do General and Operations Managers earn in California?+
The average annual wage for General and Operations Managers in California is $152,250 (median $124,390), across about 300,840 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Business Administration program?+
The Business Administration program, officially titled Business Administration, Management and Operations, equips students with essential skills for managing and leading organizations. This program is ideal for individuals seeking to…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, monitoring, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for General and Operations Managers?+
The national job outlook is about +4.4% growth with around 308,700 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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