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2024 Best General Business/Commerce Schools

470 Colleges in the United States
56,042 General Business Degrees Awarded
$43,399 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #16 in popularity, general business/commerce is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual reviewed 470 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of general business/commerce. Combined, these schools handed out 56,042 degrees in general business/commerce to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Business/Commerce School

Best General Business/Commerce Schools Your choice of general business/commerce school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for general business/commerce schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your General Business/Commerce Degree Level

Associate Degrees in General Business
Bachelor's Degrees in General Business
Master's Degrees in General Business
Doctor's Degrees in General Business

The general business school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best General Business/Commerce Schools. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for General Business/Commerce in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the general business degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in General Business

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 General Business Degrees Awarded
$162,478 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Northwestern University if you wish to pursue a degree in general business/commerce. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 114 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce major at Northwestern University make $119,079 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Northwestern University

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
16th Most Popular In PA
32 General Business Degrees Awarded

It's hard to beat University of Pennsylvania if you wish to pursue a degree in general business/commerce. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 32 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from University of Pennsylvania

3
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
432 General Business Degrees Awarded
1.2% Growth in Graduates

New York University is a good option for students pursuing a degree in general business/commerce. Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 432 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce degree program at New York University earn $34,388 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from New York University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 General Business Degrees Awarded
$170,089 Median Starting Salary

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in general business/commerce. Located in the city of Cambridge, MIT is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means MIT is a great school overall.

There were about 53 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at MIT in the most recent year we have data available. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology make $126,690 more than the standard general business student.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3,071 General Business Degrees Awarded
$85,921 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in general business/commerce has to check out Indiana University - Bloomington. IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 3071 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce degree program at Indiana University - Bloomington earn $42,522 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Indiana University - Bloomington

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
120 General Business Degrees Awarded
31.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 120 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. General Business/Commerce degree recipients from University of Notre Dame receive an earnings boost of about $20,871 over the average income of general business/commerce majors.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from University of Notre Dame

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
312 General Business Degrees Awarded
$109,954 Median Starting Salary

Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were roughly 312 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from Johns Hopkins University earn $66,555 more than the average general business student.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Johns Hopkins University

7
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were approximately 6 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from Emory University make $90,593 more than the typical general business grad.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Emory University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In IL

Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 14 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from University of Chicago

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,021 General Business Degrees Awarded
$85,212 Median Starting Salary

Northeastern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #59 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1021 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent data year. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from Northeastern University receive $41,812 more than the average general business student.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Northeastern University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
783 General Business Degrees Awarded
$67,205 Median Starting Salary

Mizzou is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Columbia. This university ranks 4th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were about 783 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent year we have data available. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from University of Missouri - Columbia receive $23,806 more than the typical general business student.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from University of Missouri - Columbia

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
221 General Business Degrees Awarded
$112,390 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 221 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce degree program at University of Wisconsin - Madison make $68,991 above the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from University of Wisconsin - Madison

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In MA
40 General Business Degrees Awarded

WPI is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Worcester. A Best Colleges rank of #53 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WPI is a great school overall.

There were roughly 40 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at WPI in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Worcester Polytechnic Institute

13
Gonzaga crest
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
337 General Business Degrees Awarded
$61,320 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 337 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Gonzaga in the most recent data year. General Business/Commerce degree recipients from Gonzaga University receive an earnings boost of around $17,921 over the average income of general business/commerce graduates.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Gonzaga University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 General Business Degrees Awarded
$70,044 Median Starting Salary

Tulane is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New Orleans. This university ranks 1st out of 29 schools for overall quality in the state of Louisiana.

There were approximately 92 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Tulane in the most recent data year. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from Tulane University of Louisiana receive $26,645 more than the standard general business student.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Tulane University of Louisiana

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
238 General Business Degrees Awarded
$66,151 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Denver, DU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 33 colleges for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 238 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at DU in the most recent data year. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from University of Denver earn $22,752 more than the typical general business graduate.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from University of Denver

16
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
270 General Business Degrees Awarded
87.8% Growth in Graduates

Texas Tech is a fairly large public university located in the city of Lubbock. This university ranks 9th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 270 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent data year. General Business/Commerce degree recipients from Texas Tech University get an earnings boost of around $18,443 above the average earnings of general business/commerce majors.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Texas Tech University

17
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
204 General Business Degrees Awarded
$75,069 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 109 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 204 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Drexel in the most recent year we have data available. General Business/Commerce degree recipients from Drexel University earn a boost of about $31,670 above the typical income of general business/commerce graduates.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Drexel University

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
100 General Business Degrees Awarded
$62,010 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Waltham, Brandeis is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 14th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 100 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Brandeis in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce degree program at Brandeis University earn $18,611 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Brandeis University

19
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
163 General Business Degrees Awarded
$52,588 Median Starting Salary

SMC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Moraga. This college ranks 30th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 163 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at SMC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce degree program at Saint Mary's College of California make $9,188 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Saint Mary’s College of California

20
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
201 General Business Degrees Awarded
1.5% Growth in Graduates

KU is a very large public university located in the small city of Lawrence. This university ranks 1st out of 47 schools for overall quality in the state of Kansas.

There were roughly 201 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce major at University of Kansas make $25,857 above the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from University of Kansas

21
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 General Business Degrees Awarded
28.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Bethlehem, Lehigh is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 6th out of 109 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 53 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Lehigh in the most recent data year. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from Lehigh University make $19,300 more than the standard general business graduate.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Lehigh University

22
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$67,467 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were roughly 8 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce major at Virginia Tech make $24,068 above the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Virginia Tech

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
448 General Business Degrees Awarded
0.2% Growth in Graduates

UK is a very large public university located in the large city of Lexington. This university ranks 1st out of 38 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were roughly 448 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at UK in the most recent year we have data available. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from University of Kentucky receive $10,028 more than the typical general business student.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from University of Kentucky

24
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
144 General Business Degrees Awarded
$52,146 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 77 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 144 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent year we have data available. General Business/Commerce degree recipients from Florida State University get an earnings boost of about $8,746 over the average income of general business/commerce majors.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Florida State University

Rest of the Top Best General Business/Commerce Schools

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29
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
30
31
Montgomery College crest
Montgomery College
Rockville, MD
32

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34
35
36
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
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39
40
41

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45
46
47
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
48
49
Skidmore crest
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY
50

Remaining Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best General Business/Commerce Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 470 different United States general business/commerce schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 South Texas College McAllen, TX
52 Bellevue University Bellevue, NE
53 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH
54 Baylor University Waco, TX
55 Normandale Community College Bloomington, MN
56 Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO
57 Columbia College Columbia, MO
58 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
59 Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids, MN
60 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
61 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
62 SUNY Empire State College Saratoga Springs, NY
63 University of North Texas Denton, TX
64 Belmont University Nashville, TN
64 Seattle University Seattle, WA
65 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
66 California Baptist University Riverside, CA
67 Widener University Chester, PA
68 Montana State University Bozeman, MT
69 Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, UT
70 Wartburg College Waverly, IA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for General Business/Commerce students that almost earned our Best General Business/Commerce Schools award.

Rank College Location
71 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
72 Boise State University Boise, ID
73 Mount St Mary’s University Emmitsburg, MD
74 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
75 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
76 Century College White Bear Lake, MN
77 Strayer University - Global Region Washington, DC
78 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
79 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
80 Truckee Meadows Community College Reno, NV
81 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
82 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI
83 Dordt University Sioux Center, IA
84 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
85 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
86 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
87 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
88 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
89 Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA
90 North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN
91 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
92 San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX
93 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
94 Davenport University Grand Rapids, MI

General Business/Commerce by Region

View the Best General Business/Commerce Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 21 majors within the Business, Management & Marketing area of study, General Business/Commerce has other similar majors worth exploring.

General Business Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Business/Commerce 56,042

View All General Business Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Business Administration & Management 416,590
Accounting 99,265
Finance & Financial Management 57,778
Marketing 52,916
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 43,382
Human Resource Management 28,787
Business Support & Assistant Services 19,119
Hospitality Management 17,689
Management Information Systems 13,680
Entrepreneurial Studies 11,319

View All General Business Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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