Updated March 2026 · College Scorecard data
Is Business/Commerce Worth It?
Business/Commerce holds a solid national average ROI Score of 77/100 across 41 reporting schools — Grade B territory, where repayment math works for most graduates at most institutions. Across the field, median debt is $27K against $65K in first-year earnings — a strong cushion — typical graduates carry less than half a year of starting salary in debt, leaving room to switch jobs or pursue graduate study without distress.
Business/Commerce ROI at a Glance
holds a solid national average ROI Score of 77/100 across 41 reporting schools — Grade B territory, where repayment math works for most graduates at most institutions. The graduation-weighted average across reporting institutions is the cleanest single number for the field, but it hides the spread — top programs like Central State University run far ahead of the bottom of the table. School choice within Business/Commerce matters because the major-level number is a starting point, not a prediction.
Earnings rise sharply from $65K in year 1 to $89K by year 5 — 37% growth in four years. That is a strong promotion curve, common in technology, engineering, and finance tracks where early-career skill compounding pays off fast. The five-year earnings trajectory is one of the strongest signals of long-run career fit; a flat curve suggests the major leads to roles where seniority does not pay off without graduate credentials, while a steep curve indicates fast skill compounding inside the field.
Best in field: Central State University leads the field with a 83/100 ROI Score (Grade A). Median debt at completion is $10K against $65K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.16x. Worst in field: Chowan University sits at the bottom of the field with a 74/100 ROI Score (Grade B). Median debt at completion is $36K against $65K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.55x.
Debt-to-Income at the Field Level
At a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41x, Business/Commerce shows a strong cushion — typical graduates carry less than half a year of starting salary in debt, leaving room to switch jobs or pursue graduate study without distress. Federal financial-aid research uses the “8% rule” — monthly student loan payments under 8% of gross monthly income — which translates to debt below roughly 0.75x annual earnings on a standard 10-year plan. Programs running above 1.0x typically need income-driven repayment to stay current; above 1.5x, the math rarely works without forgiveness mechanics or an unusually steep career ramp. For borrower-rights and repayment guidance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the most accessible federal source.
Debt vs Earnings by School
Business/Commerce by School
How Business/Commerce’s ROI Score Is Calculated
The Business/Commerce ROI Score is a weighted composite of five financial-aid signals: debt-to-income (35%), earnings premium over a high-school diploma (25%), 10-year BLS job-growth outlook (20%), graduation rate (10%), and debt vs. the national average (10%). Each school + major combination is scored individually, then aggregated up to the field level. The grade thresholds (A ≥ 80, B ≥ 65, C ≥ 50, D ≥ 35, F < 35) are calibrated so a typical break-even degree lands in the C range. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Business/Commerce degree worth it?
Business/Commerce holds a solid national average ROI Score of 77/100 across 41 reporting schools — Grade B territory, where repayment math works for most graduates at most institutions. The dominant signal is debt-to-income: at a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41x on average, the field shows a strong cushion — typical graduates carry less than half a year of starting salary in debt, leaving room to switch jobs or pursue graduate study without distress. Outcomes vary sharply by institution, so the school you choose within Business/Commerce usually matters more than the major label itself.
What is the average debt for a Business/Commerce degree?
Median debt at completion across the 41 U.S. schools reporting Business/Commerce data to the College Scorecard is $27K, against a national all-major average of $26K. The range across schools is wide — $10K at the top of the table to $36K at the bottom.
How much do Business/Commerce graduates earn?
Earnings rise sharply from $65K in year 1 to $89K by year 5 — 37% growth in four years. That is a strong promotion curve, common in technology, engineering, and finance tracks where early-career skill compounding pays off fast. National average first-year earnings across all 30,224 school + major combinations on the site is $58K — for context, Business/Commerce sits above that benchmark.
Which school has the best Business/Commerce program by ROI?
Central State University leads the field with a 83/100 ROI Score (Grade A). Median debt at completion is $10K against $65K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.16x. On the other end, Chowan University sits at the bottom of the field with a 74/100 ROI Score (Grade B). Median debt at completion is $36K against $65K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.55x.
Where does this Business/Commerce data come from?
Every figure on this page comes from federal public datasets — the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov) for debt and earnings, IPEDS (nces.ed.gov/ipeds) for graduation rates, and BLS Employment Projections for the job-growth outlook component of the ROI Score. Borrower-rights guidance: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov). The dataset was last refreshed March 2026.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. All federal datasets are public domain.
Last updated 2026-03-15 · 41 schools reporting for this major.