by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Small Business Administration/Management covers Small Business Administration/management. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Develop And Manage Independent Small Businesses. Includes Instruction In Business Administration; Enterprise Planning And Entrepreneurship; Start-Up; Small Business Operations And Problems; Personnel Supervision; Capitalization And Investment; Taxation; Business Law And Regulations; E-Commerce; Home Business Operations; And Applications To Specific Sectors, Products, And Services. Continue reading for the key facts every small business administration/management major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering small business administration/management programs.
In the U.S., small business administration/management is a popular field of study, with 3,118 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Small Business Administration/Management Schools ranking analyzes these 196 schools to determine the best overall colleges for small business administration/management students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of small business administration/management programs later in this article.
Coursework for Small Business Administration/Management develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations small business administration/management graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a small business administration/management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a small business administration/management major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several small business administration/management degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 296 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 416 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 329 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 1,772 |
People currently working in careers related to small business administration/management tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 52.2% |
| Master’s degree | 17.2% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 10.3% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 6.5% |
| Some college courses | 4.0% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2.0% |
| Doctoral degree | 0.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.3% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in small business administration/management careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying small business administration/management opens doors to many career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to small business administration/management.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to small business administration/management.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Fitness and Wellness Coordinators | 403,205 | 4.2% |
| Personal Service Managers, All Other | 320,819 | 2.9% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | 206,415 | 9.9% |
| Spa Managers | 184,703 | -2.2% |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | 128,884 | 5.2% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of small business administration/management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $51,538 |
| 4 years | $61,024 |
| 5 years | $67,263 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for small business administration/management graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers small business administration/management grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Personal Service Managers, All Other | $176,674 |
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Spa Managers | $143,396 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
With 196 different small business administration/management programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased small business administration/management school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in small business administration/management, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies | 10,661 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, Other | 437 |
| Social Entrepreneurship | 77 |
| Franchising and Franchise Operations | 13 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
