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Business Statistics

Types of Degrees Business Statistics Majors Are Earning

Those studying Business Statistics have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	28
Associate’s Degree	90
Bachelor’s Degree	800
Master’s Degree	4,462
Doctor’s Degree	8

What Business Statistics Majors Need to Know

Studies in Business Statistics develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Business Statistics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Business Statistics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Business Statistics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Business Statistics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Business Statistics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Business Statistics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft SQL Server	Data base user interface and query software	—
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Teradata Database	Data base management system software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Business Statistics graduates include:

• Data Analyst
• Data Modeler
• Data Engineer
• Data Specialist
• Statistical Analyst
• Data Analytics Specialist
• Psychometric Consultant
• Statistical Consultant
• Applied Scientist
• Quantitative Methodologist
• Research Scientist
• Data Coordinator
• Business Systems Consultant
• Information Specialist
• Business Database Analyst

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Business Statistics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	48.3%
Master’s degree	29.7%
Doctoral degree	12.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.8%
Post-doctoral training	1.4%
Some college courses	0.9%
First professional degree	0.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Business Statistics?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 44.2% women and 55.8% men among Business Statistics graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,384	44.2%
Men	3,012	55.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Business Statistics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,555	28.8%
Asian	341	6.3%
Hispanic or Latino	245	4.5%
Black or African American	213	3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Two or More Races	93	1.7%
Race Unknown	117	2.2%
International Students	2,821	52.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Business Statistics Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Business Statistics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$88,001
4 years	$83,500
5 years	$95,189

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $95,189 — roughly 8% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Business Statistics Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Business Statistics. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	1
Bachelor’s	6	5
Master’s	21	13
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Business Statistics Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Business Statistics graduates earn a median of $83,500 four years after completion — roughly 120% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods	52.13
Actuarial Science	52.1304
Management Science	52.1301
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other	52.1399

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.