Ohio · Business/Commerce

Best colleges for Business/Commerce in Ohio

Ranked by graduate earnings

Ashland University, Wright State University and Bowling Green State University are the top bachelor's Business/Commerce programs in Ohio by graduate earnings. Ashland University leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $50,262, College Scorecard. Youngstown State University, Cleveland State University and Wright State University award the most Business/Commerce degrees in Ohio: 188, 48 and 38 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 39 Ohio colleges offer Business/Commerce and award 1,078 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Business/Commerce program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of business management, marketing, and related services. This program is ideal for those interested in pursuing a career in…

Institutions
39
offering CIP 52.01
States & territories
53
with a program page
Degrees / yr
1,078
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$48,597
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
20
College Scorecard
Median net price
$21,785
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
38%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · General and Operations Managers
$120,420
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 6 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.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Ashland University
Ashland Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$50,2623061%$21,785$30,625
2Wright State University
Dayton Public · Bachelor's degree
$46,5233842%—$22,375
3Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green Public · Bachelor's degree
$46,0183464%—$25,769
4DeVry University - Ohio
Columbus Private for-profit · Bachelor's degree Online Small program
$57,0201439%—$47,236
5Ohio State University - Lima Campus
Lima Public · Bachelor's degree Small program
$48,5971723%—$19,900
6Central State University
Wilberforce Public · Bachelor's degree
$29,47224523%—$31,569

Top 3 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.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1James A. Rhodes State College
Lima Public · Associate degree
$45,2388447%——
2Kent State University at Kent
Kent Public · Associate degree Small program
$38,8711664%—$20,565
3Bryant & Stratton College - Parma
Parma Private not-for-profit · Associate degree Small program
$30,0591919%$15,356$24,509

Colleges awarding the most Business/Commerce degrees in Ohio

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.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. * Campuses that share a federal aid ID report one College Scorecard figure.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Youngstown State University
Youngstown Public
188Not reported
2Cleveland State University
Cleveland Public
48Not reported
3Wright State University
Dayton Public
38$46,523*
4North Central State College
Mansfield Public
37Not reported
5Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green Public
34$46,018
6Ashland University
Ashland Private not-for-profit
30$50,262
7Wright State University - Lake Campus
Celina Public
25$46,523*
8Wittenberg University
Springfield Private not-for-profit
22Not reported
9University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati Public
21Not reported
10University of Rio Grande
Rio Grande Private not-for-profit
21Not reported
Show the other 29 Ohio colleges offering Business/Commerce

Career outlook

What this program leads to: General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.4%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~308,700
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$102,950
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingMonitoringCritical ThinkingActive Learning

What General and Operations Managers earn in Ohio

Jobs in Ohio
153,160
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$120,420
median $97,700
Best-paying metro
$130,510
Columbus, OH

Related careers

General and Operations Managers
$120,420 avg · 153,160 jobs
Project Management Specialists
$102,210 avg · 34,260 jobs
Management Analysts
$100,250 avg · 25,120 jobs
Sales Managers
$152,010 avg · 22,840 jobs
Construction Managers
$109,120 avg · 16,130 jobs
Industrial Production Managers
$119,910 avg · 14,290 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Business/Commerce programs in Ohio.

Which Ohio colleges award the most Business/Commerce degrees?+

Youngstown State University (188 graduates a year), Cleveland State University (48 graduates a year) and Wright State University (38 graduates a year) award the most Business/Commerce degrees in Ohio, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 39 Ohio colleges offer Business/Commerce.

What is the best college for Business/Commerce in Ohio?+

By graduate earnings, Ashland University leads among bachelor's Business/Commerce programs in Ohio, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $50,262, College Scorecard. Wright State University and Bowling Green State University follow. By degrees awarded, Youngstown State University is the largest, with 188 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Business/Commerce program in Ohio has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Ashland University tops the list at $50,262. 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 Ohio?+

The average annual wage for General and Operations Managers in Ohio is $120,420 (median $97,700), across about 153,160 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Business/Commerce program?+

The Business/Commerce program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of business management, marketing, and related services. This program is ideal for those interested in pursuing a career in…

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.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card