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2025 Best General Business/Commerce Schools

421 Colleges in the United States
56,779 General Business Degrees Awarded
$51,660 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 421 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of general business/commerce. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 56,779 degrees in general business/commerce annually.

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 20% 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
112 General Business Degrees Awarded
$188,890 Median Starting Salary

It is 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 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 112 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. General Business/Commerce degree recipients from Northwestern University earn a boost of approximately $137,230 above the average income of general business/commerce majors.

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

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

It's difficult to beat University of Pennsylvania if you want to pursue a degree in general business/commerce. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 38 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year.

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
439 General Business Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

New York University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in general business/commerce. Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 439 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 get $26,168 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3,205 General Business Degrees Awarded
4.2% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in general business/commerce has to check out Indiana University - Bloomington. IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the small city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 3205 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from Indiana University - Bloomington earn $40,745 more than the typical general business grad.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,124 General Business Degrees Awarded
9.2% Growth in Graduates

Northeastern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1124 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce degree program at Northeastern University get $35,803 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
717 General Business Degrees Awarded
$58,197 Median Starting Salary

Mizzou is a very large public university located in the city of Columbia. This university ranks 3rd out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 717 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from University of Missouri - Columbia receive $6,536 more than the average general business graduate.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
224 General Business Degrees Awarded
1.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were approximately 224 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. General Business/Commerce degree recipients from University of Wisconsin - Madison get an earnings boost of approximately $75,604 over the average income of general business/commerce majors.

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

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
121 General Business Degrees Awarded
0.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 121 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame earn $17,038 more than the average general business graduate.

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

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
172 General Business Degrees Awarded
5.2% Growth in Graduates

SMC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Moraga. This college ranks 20th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 172 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at SMC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the general business program report average early career wages of $46,958.

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

10
Gonzaga crest
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
337 General Business Degrees Awarded
$59,622 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 4th out of 50 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. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from Gonzaga University make $7,962 more than the average general business grad.

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

11
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
108 General Business Degrees Awarded
$133,992 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were about 108 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce degree program at Michigan State University make $82,332 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

12
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
154 General Business Degrees Awarded
14.9% Growth in Graduates

Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Winston-Salem. A Best Colleges rank of #76 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Wake Forest University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 154 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Wake Forest University in the most recent year we have data available. Those general business/commerce students who get their degree from Wake Forest University receive $25,062 more than the typical general business grad.

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

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
333 General Business Degrees Awarded
28.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Denver, DU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 31 colleges for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 333 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at DU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce major at University of Denver make $70,800 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

14
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
230 General Business Degrees Awarded
11.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 230 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Drexel in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce program at Drexel University earn $61,032 more than the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In VA
272 General Business Degrees Awarded

GMU is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 272 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available.

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

16
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In TX
340 General Business Degrees Awarded

Texas Tech is a very large public university located in the large city of Lubbock. This university ranks 8th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 340 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent data year.

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

17
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In MA
59 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 #52 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means WPI is a great school overall.

There were about 59 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at WPI in the most recent data year.

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

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 General Business Degrees Awarded
21.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Waltham, Brandeis is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 15th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 127 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Brandeis in the most recent year we have data available. General Business/Commerce degree recipients from Brandeis University receive an earnings boost of about $4,146 above the typical earnings of general business/commerce graduates.

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

19
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
158 General Business Degrees Awarded
$49,463 Median Starting Salary

Located in the rural area of Marion, IWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 158 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at IWU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the general business program report average early career income of $49,463.

More information about a degree in general business/commerce from Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global

20
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
535 General Business Degrees Awarded
13.1% Growth in Graduates

UO is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Eugene. This university ranks 1st out of 29 schools for overall quality in the state of Oregon.

There were approximately 535 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at UO in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, general business degree recipients typically earn about $46,897 at the beginning of their careers.

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

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 General Business Degrees Awarded
19.3% Growth in Graduates

Tulane is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New Orleans. This university ranks 1st out of 30 schools for overall quality in the state of Louisiana.

There were roughly 114 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Tulane in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general business/commerce program at Tulane University of Louisiana earn $26,350 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

22
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
233 General Business Degrees Awarded
13.7% Growth in Graduates

KU is a very large public university located in the city of Lawrence. This university ranks 1st out of 44 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kansas.

There were approximately 233 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the general business program state that they receive average early career wages of $49,339.

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

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
484 General Business Degrees Awarded
7.4% Growth in Graduates

UK is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Lexington. This university ranks 1st out of 39 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were about 484 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 $3,852 more than the typical general business graduate.

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

24
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In PA
59 General Business Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Bethlehem, Lehigh is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Lehigh is a great university overall.

There were roughly 59 general business/commerce students who graduated with this degree at Lehigh in the most recent data year.

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

25
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
196 General Business Degrees Awarded

UA is a very large public university located in the city of Tuscaloosa. This university ranks 3rd out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Alabama.More information about a degree in general business/commerce from The University of Alabama

Rest of the Top 50 Best General Business/Commerce Schools

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27
28
29
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
30
31
32

33

34
SUNY Empire crest
SUNY Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, NY
35
St. Anselm College crest
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, NH
36
37
Skidmore crest
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY
38
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
39
40
41

42

43
44
45
46
Salt Lake Community College crest
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, UT
47
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, TX
48
Cosumnes River crest
Cosumnes River College
Sacramento, CA
49
Bellevue University crest
Bellevue University
Bellevue, NE
50

Remaining Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best General Business/Commerce Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 20% of the 421 different United States general business/commerce schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
52 Davenport University Grand Rapids, MI
53 Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA
54 Montana State University Bozeman, MT
55 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
56 Boise State University Boise, ID
57 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
58 Pace University - New York New York, NY
59 Community College of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA
60 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
61 University of North Texas Denton, TX
62 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
63 Columbia College Columbia, MO
64 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
65 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
66 City College of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
67 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
68 Cascadia College Bothell, WA
69 Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO
70 University of Georgia Athens, GA
71 LIM College New York, NY
72 Everett Community College Everett, WA
73 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
74 Austin Community College District Austin, TX
75 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
76 Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls, SD
77 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
78 Emerson College Boston, MA
79 Macomb Community College Warren, MI
80 Edmonds Community College Lynnwood, WA
81 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
82 Wartburg College Waverly, IA
83 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
84 Mount St Mary’s University Emmitsburg, MD

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
85 Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN
86 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
87 Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester, MN
88 Belmont University Nashville, TN
89 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
90 University of Baltimore Baltimore, MD
91 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
92 Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN
93 Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls, MN
94 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
95 Cabrillo College Aptos, CA
96 Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell, PA
97 Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ
98 Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA
99 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
100 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
101 Merced College Merced, CA
102 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA
103 Montgomery College Rockville, MD
104 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
105 Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX
106 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
107 Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR
108 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI
109 Oklahoma City Community College Oklahoma City, OK
110 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
111 Indiana University - South Bend South Bend, IN
112 SOWELA Technical Community College Lake Charles, LA
113 Westfield State University Westfield, MA
114 Chandler-Gilbert Community College Chandler, AZ
115 Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH
116 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA
117 Western New England University Springfield, MA
118 Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, NJ
119 Nichols College Dudley, MA
120 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
121 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
122 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
123 Georgia Military College Milledgeville, GA
124 North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN
125 John Brown University Siloam Springs, AR
126 Baker University Baldwin City, KS
127 Wright State University - Main Campus Dayton, OH
128 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
129 San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX
130 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
131 University of New Hampshire at Manchester Manchester, NH
132 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
133 Pima Community College Tucson, AZ
134 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown Johnstown, PA
135 Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg, PA
136 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
137 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA
138 Normandale Community College Bloomington, MN
139 College of Southern Maryland La Plata, MD
140 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL

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 56,779

View All General Business Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Business Administration & Management 403,753
Accounting 93,982
Finance & Financial Management 54,690
Marketing 52,078
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 48,037
Human Resource Management 27,074
Business Support & Assistant Services 19,686
Hospitality Management 16,015
Management Information Systems 12,429
Entrepreneurial Studies 12,241

View All General Business Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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