The Best Bachelor's in Business Administration Programs, Ranked for 2027

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's business administration degree, housed in the Orfalea College of Business, is accredited by AACSB and built around a "Learn by Doing" model. Students complete shared foundational coursework in accounting, finance, marketing, organizational behavior, information systems, and management, then choose one of nine concentrations: Accounting and Law, Consumer Packaging, Entrepreneurship, Financial Management, Information Systems, Management and Human Resources, Marketing, Quantitative Analysis, or Real Estate Finance. The program page notes that Accounting concentration graduating classes often reach 100% employment, and lists alumni placements at Adobe, Apple, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Oracle, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

A Program Score of 98.5, fourth in this set, rests on an 86% graduation rate and the most open admissions among the top four, a 31% admit rate. Tuition is the standout number: $6,084 a year in-state, the lowest of any program here, and $18,684 out-of-state. Four years in-state costs about $24,336 total against $74,736 out-of-state, a $50,400 gap that makes California residency the single biggest lever on total cost in this degree. Cal Poly fits a cost-conscious student who wants AACSB accreditation and a concentration-driven, applied curriculum, with the tradeoff being the most open admit rate and the lowest graduation rate among the top four.

The Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration in General Studies at the University of Florida's Warrington College of Business is a stackable, customizable degree built around eight core business classes in economics, accounting, finance, management, marketing and operations. Students then choose from nearly 80 specializations spanning 70 disciplines, from retailing and wealth management to sport management and pre-law tracks. The degree runs 120 credits over four years full time, split between full-length semesters and 8-week modules, delivered in person, online or hybrid; UF also runs a dedicated Online BABA track for students who need to study remotely.

Warrington ranks #5 nationally in our 2027 business administration rankings, with a Program Score of 98.4. A 91% graduation rate against a 24% admit rate shows the program is selective and reliably gets admitted students to the finish line; the school also reports a #14 ranking among U.S. public undergraduate business programs and #24 nationally from U.S. News & World Report's 2026 rankings. In-state tuition is $4,477 a year, or $17,908 across four years; out-of-state tuition is $25,694 a year, nearly 5.7 times as much and $102,776 over four years. The BABA program enrolls 2,151 students on campus and online, inside a university of 56,311 total.

The degree fits students who want breadth: a business foundation paired with a specialization in almost any field, including law-school or med-school prep built on business fundamentals. It's a weaker fit for someone who already knows they want one narrowly defined business major, since the general-studies design is deliberately broad rather than deep.

The Bachelor of Business Administration at University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business is an on-campus-only program built on a demanding core: calculus (Math 408Q), two semesters of economics, Management Information Systems, a two-course accounting sequence, statistics, and upper-division classes in legal environment of business, finance, marketing and management, plus a required professional experiential-learning course. Students declare one of nine majors, including Accounting, Business Analytics, Business Honors, Finance, International Business, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Every BBA candidate must also demonstrate foreign-language proficiency equivalent to one year of college study, an uncommon requirement for a business degree.

McCombs ranks #6 nationally by Program Score (97.9). The program pairs a 27% admit rate, admitting fewer than three in ten applicants, with an 89% graduation rate. In-state tuition runs $11,688 a year, or $46,752 over four years; out-of-state tuition is $44,908 a year, a gap of $33,220 annually and $132,880 across four years. Texas residents get a rigorous, quant-heavy business core at a fraction of the out-of-state sticker price.

This program fits students set on a specific business major who are comfortable with a math- and statistics-heavy core and willing to commit to on-campus study, since McCombs offers no online BBA pathway. It's a poor fit for anyone who needs a remote or hybrid option.

Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration built around analytics, economics and management. First-year students take a foundational course called Business Science alongside math, economics and liberal-arts coursework; sophomore and junior years cover the business core, electives and a declared minor; senior year culminates in a capstone course. Students choose one of 11 concentrations, including Accounting, AI and Business, Business Analytics and Technologies, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Global Economics and Business, Islamic Business Management, Marketing Management, Operations Management, Product Management and Strategic Management, and the school reports one of the lowest student-to-faculty ratios among the top 10 undergraduate business programs.

Tepper ranks #7 nationally by Program Score (97.4). It is by far the most selective program in this set: a 12% admit rate against 24% to 45% at the three public schools here, paired with the group's highest graduation rate at 94%. Tuition is flat at $64,596 a year regardless of residency, since Carnegie Mellon is private; that is $258,384 in sticker-price tuition over four years, with no in-state discount to offset it. Enrollment across the university is 15,888, far smaller than the public flagships in this group.

Tepper fits students chasing the most selective, most analytics-driven undergraduate business program in this group who can finance a private-school sticker price or qualify for aid. It is not the right fit for a cost-conscious student prioritizing price over selectivity, since the three public programs here cost a fraction of Tepper's tuition to attend.

The BBA in Business Administration: Management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is delivered fully online through UW-Madison Online and built specifically for transfer students with at least 12 college credits, or for re-entry students; it is not open to incoming freshmen. On top of the School of Business core curriculum (financial and managerial accounting, finance, marketing management, operations and supply chain management, business law, and two semesters of data analysis for business), the Management major itself is a lean 15 credits: three required courses, Leading Teams, Strategic Management and Negotiations, plus six credits of Management and Human Resources electives. The program is accredited by AACSB International, with its next accreditation review set for 2026-2027.

UW-Madison ties for #8 nationally with a Program Score of 97.4. It posts a 90% graduation rate and a 45% admit rate, the most accessible admit rate of any program in this group by a wide margin (12% to 27% elsewhere). In-state tuition is $10,006 a year, or $40,024 over four years; out-of-state tuition is $40,506 a year, a gap of $30,500 annually and $122,000 over four years. The school points to finance and insurance, health care and social assistance, professional and scientific services, and manufacturing as top hiring industries for graduates, with roles ranging from business owner to talent acquisition manager and compensation analyst.

This program fits transfer students or career-changers who want an AACSB-accredited BBA completed entirely online, particularly Wisconsin residents given the tuition gap. It does not fit a first-time freshman, since the pathway is built for students arriving with transfer credit.

The Robert H. Smith School of Business grants a B.S. in Business Administration built on eight AACSB-accredited majors: Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, International Business, Management, Marketing, Operations Management & Business Analytics, and Supply Chain Management. Admission runs in two stages. Freshmen who post a 2.0 GPA and clear three gateway courses, Principles of Accounting I, Business Statistics, and Calculus, move forward on a space-available basis; transfer students face a second, competitive review at 45 credits, where a 3.0 to 3.599 cumulative GPA triggers a full committee review and a 3.6 or higher earns direct admission. The program also runs at a second site, the Universities at Shady Grove in Montgomery County.

Smith's numbers back up its Program Score of 97.2, ninth nationally among bachelor's business programs in this ranking. 89% of students graduate, and the university admits 45% of applicants overall, wide enough that the real gatekeeping happens later, at the gateway-course review into the major itself. Tuition is where the program separates itself: Maryland residents pay $10,087 a year, non-residents pay $39,464. Run four years of each and the totals are $40,348 versus $157,856, a $117,508 gap for the same AACSB-accredited degree. This fits Maryland residents, and transfer applicants with a 3.0-plus GPA, who want a top-10 business program without top-10 pricing.

The BBA in General Business at University of Georgia's Griffin Campus, run through the Terry College of Business, is a degree-completion program built specifically for transfer students living or working within commuting distance of Griffin, Georgia. Coursework spans finance, statistics, marketing, and management, aimed at graduates headed into a corporation, small business, or family business rather than a single specialist track. To apply, a student needs a high school diploma at least 12 months old, one year of prior college coursework, 60 or more transferable semester hours, a 3.00 transfer GPA as calculated by UGA's admissions office, and program-coordinator sign-off that General Education Areas I through VI of the BBA core curriculum are complete.

This is a junior-level completion track, not a four-year freshman-entry program, and the numbers reflect that. UGA's overall graduation rate of 90% and admit rate of 38% sit behind a Program Score of 96.9, 10th nationally in this ranking, alongside the lowest in-state tuition of any program in this set: $10,034 a year against $30,272 for non-residents. Run four years of each and the gap is $40,136 versus $121,088, an $80,952 spread, though most Griffin students pay only for their remaining junior and senior years rather than a full four. It fits a Georgia transfer student who already holds a 3.00-plus GPA and 60 transferable credits and wants the Terry College name without relocating to Athens.

Boston University's Questrom School of Business at Boston University offers a BS in Business Administration that starts management training in the first year rather than waiting for upper-division coursework. The curriculum is deliberately open-ended: students choose from a range of concentrations, minors, and dual-degree options, take on client-facing project work through the Action Learning@Questrom track, and can apply to an Honors Program or the Questrom Ascend Fellowship, a first-year community and mentoring structure. Questrom's own page cites a #38 national ranking and a #17 ranking among private universities from U.S. News & World Report, and a top-20 placement from Poets & Quants; these are the school's self-reported rankings, not figures this guide has independently verified.

Questrom is the most selective program in this group by a wide margin: an 11% admit rate against 29% to 45% at the three public schools in this set, while still graduating 89% of its students, matching Maryland's 89% and a point behind UGA's 90%. That selectivity comes at flat private-school pricing with no residency discount: $66,670 a year regardless of home state, or $266,680 over four years before aid. Its Program Score of 96.8 ranks it 11th nationally. This program fits students who want a project-heavy business degree in a major city and can absorb full private tuition or qualify for substantial need-based aid; on tuition alone it is the most expensive option in this set by tens of thousands of dollars a year.

The Paul Merage School of Business at University of California-Irvine offers a B.A. in Business Administration built on 11 required core courses covering accounting, finance, marketing, information systems, organizational behavior, and strategy, followed by five upper-division electives concentrated in one of six formal emphases: Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Operations and Decision Technologies, or Organization and Management. Every student must also satisfy an international business requirement, either through a designated course such as Multinational Finance or Global Marketing, or by completing a UC Education Abroad Program placement. Admission to the major is a separate, competitive step after lower-division prerequisites in calculus, economics, statistics, and two accounting courses; transfer applicants need at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA to be considered.

UC Irvine graduates 87% of its students and posts a Program Score of 96.7, 12th nationally in this ranking, with a 29% admit rate that sits between UGA's 38% and Boston University's 11%. Cost splits sharply by residency: California residents pay $12,260 a year, non-residents pay $44,148. Over four years that is $49,040 versus $176,592, a $127,552 gap, the largest residency premium of any program in this group. It fits California residents who want a defined-emphasis business degree with a built-in global requirement, and are prepared to compete twice: once for admission to UCI, and again for a seat in the Merage major itself.

The Bachelor of Science in Business (BSB) at George Washington University is the school's general management degree, with room to specialize. The degree requires at least 120 credits, including general education, School of Business requirements and 36 credits in business major courses. The business core covers financial and managerial accounting, marketing, financial management, operations, information systems, ethics and the legal environment, strategy, and international business. Students also complete Business Leader Foundations, Career Strategy and Launch courses. Every BSB student must choose a School of Business concentration by the second semester of sophomore year, from accountancy, business analytics, entrepreneurship and innovation, finance, international business, marketing strategy and analytics, real estate, sport, event, and hospitality management, and others. Students can also add a minor or second major, and about 34 elective credits are available to do so, 18 of which must come from outside the business school.

The school's federal figures are strong. GW graduates 84% of its students and admits 47% of applicants, so entry is selective but not extreme. Tuition is $67,420, the same for in-state and out-of-state students. The program's Program Score is 96.7 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The degree fits students who want a broad business foundation first and a specialty second, and who value being able to pair business with a second major or minor from elsewhere at GW.

The University of Pennsylvania offers a B.S. in Management through Wharton, with a general track in its Management concentration. It lets students choose flexibly from the full set of department offerings, building a curriculum that covers managing the internal processes of firms and strategic advantage for both young and established organizations. The page says it prepares students for general management and leadership positions, or for advisory roles with leading consulting firms. The total is 37 course units, with four units of management courses beyond the foundation, a senior capstone, a Leadership Journey sequence and business fundamentals in accounting, corporate finance, marketing, operations and statistics. Students also complete liberal arts requirements, a foreign language requirement, three business breadth units outside their concentration and five unrestricted electives.

Federal data shows a 97% graduation rate and a 5% admit rate at Penn. Tuition is $60,920 in-state and $60,920 out-of-state, as a private school. The Program Score of 96.6 out of 100 is the basis of its ranking. The track suits students who want a broad business foundation with flexibility to choose among management topics, and who are prepared for extremely selective admission.

The Bachelor of Business Administration at Emory University is run by the Goizueta Business School. Emory undergraduates may matriculate into the BBA once they reach sophomore standing and finish the BBA prerequisites, while high school students apply to Emory through the main admissions office. Newly admitted students interested in business can meet one-on-one with the BBA matriculation team. Accepted students attend an overnight orientation retreat built around leadership skills such as resilience and interdependence. The school reports that BBA students receive coaching and professional development, and that many in the Class of 2025 completed a major or minor in Emory College. Entrepreneurship is a visible thread, with the Pitch the Professors competition, an annual Entrepreneurship Summit, the HackATL hackathon, and a Philanthropy Lab course that has awarded more than $400,000 in grants to Atlanta nonprofits. A reworked curriculum launched in 2023 with a data-driven emphasis.

Emory graduates 91% of its students and admits 11% of applicants, so the entry bar is high. Tuition is $63,400 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program has a Program Score of 96.5 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students already on Emory's campus, or admitted to it, who want a structured business degree with strong career coaching.

The United States Air Force Academy offers a management major that prepares cadets for leadership roles in a technologically complex, global Air Force. The curriculum covers organizational perspectives and theories, global organizations, complex human systems, financial and managerial accounting, managerial finance, human resource management, marketing, production and operations management, information systems and strategic management. Sample courses include Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, and Power and Influence in Organizations. The page lists service assignments such as pilot, acquisition manager, space operations, logistics readiness, contracting and financial management, along with civilian paths in human resources, marketing, accounting, financial analysis and supply chain operations. The Academy reports that the major is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and AACSB.

The Academy admits 14% of applicants, and 88% of students graduate. The management major earns a Program Score of 96.3 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a business and management education combined with military officer training, and who are prepared for the selective admission process and the service commitment that comes with it.

The Babson College Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), in the catalog version for students matriculating in Fall 2021 and forward, totals 128 credits, with most courses worth four credits. The core opens with Foundation of Management and Entrepreneurship and moves through financial and managerial accounting, business law and ethics, foundations of business analytics and predictive business analytics, technology operations management, digital technologies for entrepreneurs, marketing, finance, and micro and macroeconomics. Students also complete Socio-Ecological Systems and Strategic Problem Solving, an advanced experiential course, 12 credits of advanced liberal arts electives and 20 free elective credits, so the business core sits beside a broad liberal arts load.

Federal data show a 93% graduation rate and a 17% admit rate, so admission is selective. Tuition is $57,152 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program earned a Program Score of 95.8 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a general business degree with entrepreneurship at the center and plenty of elective space to build their own focus.

Auburn University offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a business administration major through the Harbert College of Business. Coursework spans accounting, business analytics, marketing, finance and management, and students can focus or specialize their major electives around personal career goals. The page describes the major as flexible enough for graduate study preparation, added marketability or a specific interest. Students who still need to finish a business degree can apply to the online BSBA degree completer program, which the college says carries the same quality and support as the on-campus experience. Student organizations, including honor societies, associations and clubs, round out the experience.

The program's Program Score is 95.4 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. Auburn graduates 82% of its students and admits 46% of applicants, so entry is selective. In-state tuition is $11,016 a year against $33,048 for out-of-state students. The major fits students who want a broad business foundation and the freedom to shape electives rather than commit to a single functional area on day one, and it suits those finishing a degree online as well as traditional campus students.

Tulane's Bachelor of Science in Management (BSM) is the undergraduate business degree at Tulane University of Louisiana's Freeman School of Business. The page lists five majors: accounting, finance, legal studies in business, management and marketing. The management major is described as preparing students to make strategic decisions, manage people and bring new technologies and innovations to market in private, public and not-for-profit organizations. Students can add a business minor or certificate, and Freeman invites prospective students to sit in on a class. The school reports that the 2025 BSM graduating class achieved a 90% employment rate with an average base salary of $78,000, and it says all admitted students are considered for merit-based scholarships.

Federal data show an 86% graduation rate at Tulane and a selective admit rate of 14%. Tuition is $64,372 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program has a Program Score of 95.4 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits strong applicants who want a business degree with a choice of majors in New Orleans and a broad alumni network, and who can plan around the high price of a private nonprofit university or pursue its merit scholarships.

Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business offers the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), which the school reports is accredited by AACSB. Students complete the business core and then five to six courses in one of six areas of study: accounting, finance, international business, management, marketing, or operations and analytics. McDonough also offers two joint degrees. The Bachelor of Science in Business and Global Affairs is delivered with the School of Foreign Service and requires BGAF-1001 in the spring of the first year. The Bachelor of Science in International Business, Language, and Culture is delivered with Georgetown College, and students apply at the end of the first year. A minor in entrepreneurship is available. The school's mission is ethically responsible, effective global business leadership.

Georgetown graduates 95% of its students and admits 13% of applicants, so admission is highly selective. Tuition is $67,896, the same for in-state and out-of-state students. The program's Program Score is 95.3 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a general business degree with a chosen major and the option of pairing business with global affairs or languages.

Texas A&M University's BS in Business Administration at Mays Business School is a 120-credit-hour degree taught in person in College Station. Students complete core business courses and then build an area of focus from 12 to 18 credit hours of electives, through a minor, a certificate or BSB-approved courses. Options include minors in Spanish, economics, communication, artificial intelligence in business and real estate, and certificates in international business studies and internal audit. The degree requires an internship tied to the student's career interests and a professional development capstone. Advisors help each student build a customized degree plan, and all freshmen enter Mays as Business Administration majors.

Federal data show an 84% graduation rate and a 57% admit rate. In-state tuition is $9,092 and out-of-state tuition is $36,169. The program has a Program Score of 95.1 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a flexible business degree combined with another interest, such as a language, sport management or pre-med coursework, and who plan to enter work or graduate school.

Washington and Lee University offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration through the Williams School, with an entrepreneurship minor alongside the major. The school calls it one of its most popular majors and says classes are small, usually 16 to 22 students, and experiential. Students work through case studies in finance, marketing, organizational behavior, leadership, strategic management, law and ethics, analyzing real companies and making recommendations. The J. Lawrence Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship helps students build business plans, and the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics supports teaching on professional ethics. Typical interests the page lists include banking, investments, real estate development, branding, sustainability and consulting.

Federal figures show a 94% graduation rate and a 14% admit rate at Washington and Lee, so entry is competitive. Tuition is listed at $66,800 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program earns a Program Score of 94.9 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a liberal arts setting with close faculty contact and a business major that emphasizes judgment and ethics over narrow technical training, and who can plan around a private-college price.