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Business Administrator Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a business administrator. Business administrators usually study business, accounting, or finance. 59% of business administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 7,060 real business administrator resumes to see exactly what business administrator education sections show.
The most common colleges for business administrators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online business administrator courses to help get the education required to be a business administrator.
There are certain business administrator certifications that you should consider. These business administrator certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
What education do you need to become a business administrator?
What degree do you need to be a business administrator?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Associate, 19%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a business administrator?
- Business, 44%
- Accounting, 11%
- Finance, 4%
- Management, 4%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for business administrators
Business Administrator Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 24.10% |
| University of Houston | 6.31% |
| DeVry University | 5.41% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 5.18% |
| New York University | 4.73% |
Best majors for business administrators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 43.5% |
| 2 | Accounting | 10.8% |
| 3 | Finance | 4.3% |
| 4 | Management | 4.1% |
| 5 | Psychology | 4.0% |
Best colleges for business administrators
The best colleges for business administrators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A business administrator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for business administrators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become business administrators.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Maine Maritime Academy
Castine, ME • Private
In-State Tuition
$13,478
Enrollment
979
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for business administrators
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4. Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training
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5. One Day Business Administration for Growth Hack
MBA, Finance, Accounting, Marketing, Management, Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Sales, Human Resource, Business English...
6. Payroll Accounting: Laws, Calculations, and Journal Entries
Master the complex world of payroll with practical examples, legislation insights, and comprehensive problems...
7. Financial Accounting & Excel-Comprehensive Accounting Course
Comprehensive accounting course to learn the accounting cycle in a practical way and pick up critical Excel fundamentals...
8. QuickBooks Online-Bookkeeping Business-Easy Way
Quick Books Online bookkeeping business plan and examples, walking through bookkeeping engagement & data entry...
9. QuickBooks Pro 2016 Training: Manage Small Business Finances
Learn how to manage the finances for a small business using our drop-dead simple method to mastering Quick Books Pro...
10. Human Resources (HR) as a Business Partner
This course provides valuable information on how Human Resource Business Partnering (HRBP) operates in practice...
Top 10 most affordable universities for business administrators
The most affordable schools for business administrators are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for business administrators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for business administrators.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Cost of Attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,942
Cost of Attendance
14,469
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,240
Cost of Attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business administrators
The hardest universities for business administrators to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for business administrators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for business administrators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business administrators
The easiest schools for business administrators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business administrator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for business administrators.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
70%
SAT Average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
1,061
Average business administrator salary by education level
| Business Administrator education level | Business Administrator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $85,474 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $69,417 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,294 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $70,685 |
Business Administrator Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025