College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California

101 Colleges in California
64,206 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
$57,033 Avg Early-Career Salary
Business Administration & Management is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #2 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 101 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 64,206 degrees in business administration & management during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Business Administration & Management School

Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California Your choice of business administration & management school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Business Administration & Management School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Business Administration & Management Degree Level

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

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Business Administration & Management in California

The schools below may not offer all types of business administration degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

15 Top California Schools in Business Administration

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,866 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
7.9% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in business administration & management needs to look into University of Southern California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1866 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Those business administration & management students who get their degree from University of Southern California make $33,296 more than the average business administration graduate.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from University of Southern California

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
415 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
$120,108 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Berkeley is a good decision for students interested in a degree in business administration & management. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 415 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the business administration & management program at University of California - Berkeley get $63,074 more than the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from University of California - Berkeley

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
802 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
14.7% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo if you wish to pursue a degree in business administration & management. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo. A Best Colleges rank of #95 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a great university overall.

There were about 802 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent year we have data available. Business Administration & Management degree recipients from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo get an earnings boost of around $9,462 over the typical earnings of business administration & management majors.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

4
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
221 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
24.0% Growth in Graduates

Santa Clara University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in business administration & management. SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Santa Clara. A Best Colleges rank of #50 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 221 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent year we have data available. Business Administration & Management degree recipients from Santa Clara University get an earnings boost of about $68,610 over the average income of business administration & management majors.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from Santa Clara University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
665 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
1.1% Growth in Graduates

Pepperdine is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Malibu. A Best Colleges rank of #94 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Pepperdine is a great university overall.

There were roughly 665 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at Pepperdine in the most recent year we have data available. Those business administration & management students who get their degree from Pepperdine University earn $20,096 more than the average business administration student.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from Pepperdine University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
$150,028 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 38 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Those business administration & management students who get their degree from University of California - Los Angeles make $92,995 more than the typical business administration graduate.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from University of California - Los Angeles

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3,265 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
5.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of San Diego, UAGC is a private for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 50th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 3265 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at UAGC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the business administration program state that they receive average early career earnings of $53,351.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from The University of Arizona Global Campus

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
$96,339 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 30th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 131 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at SMC in the most recent data year. Those business administration & management students who get their degree from Saint Mary's College of California receive $39,306 more than the standard business administration grad.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from Saint Mary’s College of California

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,839 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #161 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means San Jose State is a great university overall.

There were about 1839 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at San Jose State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the business administration & management program at San Jose State University make $14,242 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from San Jose State University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
266 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
13.5% Growth in Graduates

Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of San Francisco. A Best Colleges rank of #181 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a great university overall.

There were roughly 266 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at Golden Gate University - San Francisco in the most recent data year. Business Administration & Management degree recipients from Golden Gate University - San Francisco receive an earnings boost of approximately $35,681 above the typical earnings of business administration & management graduates.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from Golden Gate University - San Francisco

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
560 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
11.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were approximately 560 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Business Administration & Management degree recipients from University of California - Irvine get an earnings boost of about $19,249 over the average income of business administration & management majors.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from University of California - Irvine

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
299 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
8.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of San Diego, USD is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 29th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 299 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at USD in the most recent year we have data available. Business Administration & Management degree recipients from University of San Diego receive an earnings boost of around $14,070 over the average earnings of business administration & management graduates.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from University of San Diego

13
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
232 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
$81,560 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #164 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USFCA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 232 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at USFCA in the most recent year we have data available. Business Administration & Management degree recipients from University of San Francisco earn a boost of about $24,526 over the average earnings of business administration & management majors.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from University of San Francisco

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
554 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 32nd out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 554 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the business administration & management program at Chapman University make $4,849 more than the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from Chapman University

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,903 Business Administration Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1903 business administration & management students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available. Business Administration & Management degree recipients from San Diego State University get an earnings boost of about $4,542 over the average income of business administration & management majors.

More information about a degree in business administration & management from San Diego State University


 

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California award.

Rank College Location
16 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
17 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
18 Coastline Community College Fountain Valley, CA
19 Cerritos College Norwalk, CA
20 University of Redlands Redlands, CA
21 National University San Diego, CA
22 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
23 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
24 California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA
25 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA

Best Business Administration & Management Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Business Administration & Management Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 300 4,090
Oregon 266 2,523
Nevada 192 1,084
Hawaii 164 939
Alaska 119 356

View All Rankings >

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

Business Administration Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Business Administration and Management 58,661
Interior Design Management 1,807
Organizational Leadership 1,709
Supply Chain Management 494
Office Administration 438
Project Management 387
Retail Management 300
Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management 124
Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions and Contracts Management 115
E-Commerce 80

View All Business Administration Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Accounting 6,896
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 4,566
General Business/Commerce 3,103
Business Support & Assistant Services 2,490
Human Resource Management 1,824
Finance & Financial Management 1,542
Real Estate 1,389
Marketing 1,368
Business/Managerial Economics 1,248
Hospitality Management 1,094

View All Business Administration Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options