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Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California

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2023 Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California

107 Colleges
$57,033 Avg Salary
$19,081 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Business Administration & Management School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, business administration and management was the most popular one in California. In total, 61,617 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in California.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 107 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Business Administration & Management Colleges.

Top 15% Best Business Administration & Management Schools

Our analysis found University of California - Berkeley to be the best school for business administration and management students who want to pursue a degree in California. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Berkeley.

The average amount in student loans that business administration majors at UC Berkeley take out is $12,449. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $361.

Full Business Administration & Management at University of California - Berkeley Report

Out of the 107 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the # 2 spot on the list. UCLA is a very large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.

While working on their degree, business administration majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo accumulate an average of around $17,500 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $319.

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#4

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Santa Clara University is a great place for business administration and management students. Located in the midsize city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

Business Administration majors at USC take out an average of $17,750 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $652.

Full Business Administration & Management at University of Southern California Report

University of California - San Diego did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for business administration and management students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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Golden Gate University - San Francisco ranked #7 on this year’s Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California list. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.

On average, business administration graduates from Golden Gate University - San Francisco take out $35,417 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Business Administration & Management at Golden Gate University - San Francisco Report

#9

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

With a ranking of #9, University of San Francisco did quite well on this year’s best schools for business administration and management students. Located in the large city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

After completing their degree, business administration graduates from USFCA carry an average student debtload of $25,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $462.

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With a ranking of #10, California State University Maritime Academy did quite well on this year’s best schools for business administration and management students. Located in the midsize city of Vallejo, Cal Maritime is a public college with a fairly small student population.

On average, business administration graduates from Cal Maritime take out $20,000 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $184, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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University of California - Irvine ranked #11 on this year’s Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California list. UC Irvine is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Irvine.

While working on their degree, business administration majors at UC Irvine accumulate an average of around $13,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $157.

Full Business Administration & Management at University of California - Irvine Report

#12

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA

Pepperdine University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best business administration and management programs. Located in the suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Business Administration majors at Pepperdine take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $705.

Read full report on Business Administration & Management at Pepperdine University

Saint Mary’s College of California did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for business administration and management students. It came in at #13 on the list. SMC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Moraga.

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#14

Coastline Community College

Fountain Valley, CA

Coastline Community College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best business administration and management programs. Located in the small city of Fountain Valley, Coastline Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

While working on their degree, business administration majors at Coastline Community College accumulate an average of around $12,083 in student debt.

Full Business Administration & Management at Coastline Community College Report

#15

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA

Loyola Marymount University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

Full Business Administration & Management at Loyola Marymount University Report

Fresno Pacific University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Business Administration & Management Schools in California list. Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno Pacific is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Business Administration majors at Fresno Pacific take out an average of $24,171 in student loans while working on their egree.

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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
17 California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA
18 Evergreen Valley College San Jose, CA
19 Cerritos College Norwalk, CA
20 Chapman University Orange, CA
21 University of Phoenix - California Costa Mesa, 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 Degrees Awarded
Washington 4,125
Oregon 2,584
Nevada 1,087
Hawaii 939
Alaska 369

One of 21 majors within the area of study, business administration and management has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Business Administration

Related Major Annual Graduates
Accounting 99,265
Finance & Financial Management 57,778
General Business/Commerce 56,042
Marketing 52,916
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 43,382

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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