Intelligence Brief Business Sector
Entrepreneurship
Bachelor's · 4 years
C-
Scorecard
- $76,850
- Median salary
- 6%
- Projected growth
- 48/100
- Difficulty
- 6
- Career paths
AI Resilience 60
Overall Score 49
CollegeRanker Degree Outlook Score™
54
out of 100 · B-
Solid Outlook
Composite of earnings, projected growth, demand gap, AI resilience, career breadth, and remote flexibility — CollegeRanker's proprietary degree outlook model.
Supply vs Demand
BalancedMarket Demand48
Graduate Supply52
Supply and demand roughly aligned — projected 6% occupational growth (faster than average).
Salary Trajectory
~1.8%/yrModeled from BLS median wage and occupational growth. Dashed bars are forecast. Illustrative, not a guarantee.
Where Graduates Work
Common Employers
- Deloitte
- PwC
- EY
- JPMorgan Chase
- Goldman Sachs
- McKinsey
- Bank of America
- Accenture
Representative employers that commonly hire Business graduates — illustrative of where graduates concentrate, not a guarantee.
Industry Mix
- Financial Services 31%
- Consulting 22%
- Technology 16%
- Retail & Consumer 12%
- Manufacturing 10%
- Other 9%
Estimated distribution of Business graduates across hiring industries.
Executive Summary
- Entrepreneurship scores 49/100 (C-), reflecting a challenging profile among bachelor's programs.
- Median salary of $76,850 reflects moderate earning potential.
- Projected growth of 6% is below the national average.
- AI resilience score of 60 indicates moderate disruption risk across associated careers.
Entrepreneurship scores 49/100 — C-. The strongest dimension is remote potential (70/100), followed by salary (38/100). The biggest challenge: growth (21/100).
Research Insights
- Conditional Future-proof
Entrepreneurship is conditionally future-proof (51/100). The degree offers solid fundamentals but growth in some career pathways is slower than average. Strategic specialization can strengthen long-term positioning.
Score 51 /100 - Limited ROI
Entrepreneurship offers a challenging ROI profile (49/100). Median earnings of $76,850 are below many peers.
Score 49 /100 - Moderate Career Breadth
Entrepreneurship offers moderate career breadth (58/100). The 6 identified career paths provide options, but mobility across fields may require additional credentials or experience.
Score 58 /100
Decision Intelligence
Entrepreneurship presents a more complex risk/reward profile. Outcomes are less predictable and depend heavily on specific career targeting and graduate school plans.
Who Benefits Most
Students who value career stability and meet the academic prerequisites. Students who pair this degree with internships and networking outperform peers. The moderate AI risk makes it important to specialize.
Who Should Think Twice
Individuals who thrive in structured environments or prefer stable, traditional career paths should reconsider pursuing this degree. Additionally, those who are risk-averse or lack resilience in the face of failure may struggle in this field.
Student Archetypes
- The Aspiring Entrepreneur Recommended
This student is eager to start their own business and is passionate about innovation and problem-solving. They thrive on challenges and are willing to take risks.
Economic Importance
The Entrepreneurship degree plays a critical role in driving innovation and economic growth across various industries. The market values entrepreneurial skills for their ability to create new businesses, generate jobs, and foster competitive dynamics in established sectors.
Scorecard Analysis
Our proprietary scorecard evaluates degrees across five dimensions from BLS wage and growth data, O*NET work context, and standard education requirements.
Below-average earning
Below-average growth
Moderate barrier
Moderate remote compatibility
Less competitive
Difficulty Score
48/100
Composite reflecting the combined demands of salary, growth, barrier, remote compatibility, and competition.
AI Resilience Assessment
Automation risk for careers linked to this degree.
Entrepreneurship faces moderate AI disruption risk (60/100). While AI will automate routine components within many associated careers, core responsibilities still require human oversight and strategic thinking. Upskilling in AI collaboration tools is recommended.
- Domain expertise from this degree provides some protection against full automation.
- AI can handle routine reporting, data aggregation, and first-pass analysis in many associated careers.
- Risk factor: entry-level roles in fields linked to this degree may face headcount reduction as AI handles more data processing.
Intelligence Deep Dive
-
Reality Check
While the Entrepreneurship degree promises excitement and potential rewards, many graduates face significant challenges in securing funding and market success for their ventures. The degree's value is often overstated, as success in entrepreneurship heavily depends on external factors beyond academic training.
-
Hiring Market Signal
Currently, the hiring market for entrepreneurship graduates is competitive, with many startups and established companies seeking innovative talent. Job seekers should focus on building a strong portfolio and networking to enhance their job prospects.
-
Risk Factors
- High student debt
- Saturation in startup markets
- Economic downturns affecting funding
- Geographic concentration of opportunities
- Dependence on personal networks for job placement
-
ROI Timeline
Typically, it takes about 3-5 years to recoup the investment in this degree, depending on starting salary and personal financial circumstances. Graduates who enter higher-paying industries or roles may see a quicker return, while those with higher debt loads may experience delays.
What You'll Study
This curriculum combines practical skills in new venture creation, marketing, and finance with a focus on social entrepreneurship, preparing graduates to navigate the complexities of launching and managing startups.
The academic experience in an Entrepreneurship program typically includes a mix of theoretical coursework and practical applications. Students engage in projects that simulate real-world business challenges, often collaborating with peers to develop business plans or launch prototype ventures. Internships or partnerships with local startups may be required, providing hands-on experience in a dynamic environment.
As students progress, they may face challenging courses in finance, marketing, and operations management, requiring them to apply their knowledge to solve complex problems. This rigorous curriculum encourages innovation and adaptability, key traits for any entrepreneur.
Typical Curriculum
- New Venture Creation
- Business Model Design
- Venture Finance
- Marketing for Startups
- Product Development
- Legal Foundations
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Pitch & Presentation
Career Pipeline
From entry to executive.
Entry-Level
- Startup Intern
- Business Analyst
- Sales Associate
- Marketing Coordinator
- Product Development Assistant
Mid-Career
- Business Development Manager
- Product Manager
- Venture Capital Analyst
Advanced
- Startup Founder
- Innovation Manager
- Consultant
Pipeline Insight
Graduates typically start in entry-level roles where they gain practical experience and industry insights. Those who advance effectively leverage their networks and demonstrate a strong capacity for innovation and strategic thinking.
Career Outcomes
Graduates with a degree in Entrepreneurship can pursue various career paths, including roles like Startup Founder, Business Development Manager, and Consultant. With a projected job growth of 6%, demand for entrepreneurial skills is increasing, particularly in sectors that prioritize innovation and adaptability. As businesses seek to remain competitive, the ability to think creatively and drive new initiatives will be highly valued.
- Startup Founder
- Business Development Manager
- Venture Capital Analyst
- Innovation Manager
- Product Manager
- Consultant
Compensation Context
The median salary of $76,850 reflects the demand for entrepreneurial skills in a growing market, but compensation can vary widely depending on the industry, geographic location, and the individual's ability to create value. High-performing entrepreneurs may earn significantly more, especially in lucrative sectors like tech.
Alternative Routes
Similar or competing pathways students consider alongside Entrepreneurship:
- Business Administration
- Marketing
- Finance
- Self-taught entrepreneurship
- Online entrepreneurship bootcamps
Getting In & Timeline
Typical time to complete: 4 years full-time
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Standardized test scores (SAT/ACT)
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal statement or essay
Advice
To succeed in this field, actively seek internships and networking opportunities throughout your studies, as real-world experience is invaluable.
Is This Degree Worth It?
This degree can pay off for individuals who are driven, innovative, and willing to take risks, particularly in high-growth industries. However, it may not be worth it for those who prefer stable employment or lack a passion for entrepreneurship.
Schools With Strong Outcomes in Business
Ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrollment. Schools grouped into tiers by outcome level.
Top Tier2schools
Strong Outcomes2schools
Explore More Degrees
Methodology & Data Sources
Every score, grade, and verdict on this page is built from a consistent framework designed to answer one question: what is the expected return on this degree?
Scorecard dimensions. We evaluate programs on five proprietary axes — Salary, Job Growth, Education Barrier, Remote/Online Compatibility, and Competition — each normalized to a 0–100 scale. The Overall Score is a weighted composite: salary (30%), job growth (20%), AI resilience (15%), barrier proximity (15%), competition inverse (10%), and career breadth (10%). Letter grades follow a standard scale from A+ (95+) down to F.
AI Resilience. Measures automation risk across the degree's associated career pathways. Each degree receives a category-level baseline adjusted upward for AI-adjacent fields (e.g., machine learning, computer science) and downward for fields with higher routine-task exposure. The score represents the degree's resistance to labor-market disruption, not a prediction of elimination.
Verdict scores. Future-Proof, ROI, and Career Breadth are secondary composites weighting AI resilience, growth, salary, barrier, and career count to answer specific decision questions: is this career durable (Future-Proof), financially worthwhile (ROI), and flexible (Career Breadth)?
Data sources. Salary and growth figures are drawn from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (O*NET) and the Occupational Outlook Handbook (2023–2033 projections). Education requirement data and work context scores come from O*NET 28.2. School-level earnings data is sourced from the Opportunity Insights Economic Tracker (median earnings 10 years after enrollment, based on federal tax records). Program rankings and school lists reflect CollegeRanker's proprietary classification and filtering methodology.
This page is built on disclosed, reproducible data. No affiliate bias, no survey-based rankings, no undisclosed weighting.
Data Behind This Page Updated 2025
Source datasets
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2023–2033 projections
- O*NET 28.2 — education requirements and work-context data
- Opportunity Insights — earnings 10 years after enrollment (federal tax records)
Methodology
Degrees are scored on five normalized axes — salary (30%), job growth (20%), AI resilience (15%), education barrier (15%), and competition (10%), plus career breadth (10%) — each on a 0–100 scale.
See the full methodology and weights →Confidence notes
- Salary and growth figures come from federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data — administrative wage records and official projections, not surveys.
- AI-resilience scores are computed from O*NET task and work-context data, applied consistently across every program.
- Every measure is normalized to a fixed 0–100 scale, so degrees are directly comparable.
Limitations
- BLS wage data reflect national medians; actual pay varies widely by region, employer, and experience.
- Job growth is a 2023–2033 projection, not a guarantee — labor markets shift with technology and the economy.
- AI-resilience is a directional estimate of automation exposure, not a prediction about any specific role.
- Figures describe typical outcomes for the field, not a promise for any individual graduate.
