What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations is tracked across 182 U.S. postsecondary institutions in the College Scorecard field-of-study file, which links CIP code classifications from IPEDS to Treasury earnings records. This profile covers the associate's credential level specifically, because the Department of Education reports program-level outcomes separately for associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards. The CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) taxonomy lets analysts roll up specialties into broader families, which is why earnings medians across schools can be compared on a common basis.
Across all reporting institutions, the mean of school-level medians is $36,371, calculated from 15 schools with published earnings data. The earnings distribution stretches from $26,292 at the low end to $46,674 at the top, with a 25th-75th percentile band between $31,581 and $40,671 around a median of $37,636. The top-reporting institution in this program is Southeast Technical College at $46,674. These numbers reflect earnings measured roughly a year after completion, using Social Security Administration tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants.
Variation across schools matters more than a single national figure. Completers counts reported per school indicate how many graduates’ earnings feed the median, which means small programs produce more volatile numbers. Median debt at the program level, when paired with earnings, yields a debt-to-earnings ratio that is the College Scorecard’s standard affordability signal — ratios under 1.0 indicate earnings exceed cumulative debt. Use the school-by-school table to spot institutions where Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations graduates out-earn peers at comparable cost, and to surface gainful-employment patterns that only become visible at the CIP-code level.
NUC University accounts for 14.7% of all Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations associate's credential graduates
That concentration — well above the 5% national median for largest-entity share — means Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. That school produced 27 graduates in the most recent cohort, anchoring a meaningful slice of national supply for this field. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.57 — near the typical range (US average ~1) — aligned with the typical 1:1 ratio that defines federal gainful-employment thresholds
debt-to-earnings ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: this ratio uses federal loan principal, not all education debt — private loans, parent PLUS loans not in the borrower’s name, and institutional debt are excluded Variation between sub-units within Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations is typically wider than the Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations-aggregate figure suggests.
How much do Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations graduates earn? ▼
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations graduates earn $36,371 on average across 182 schools. Earnings range from $26,292 to $46,674 depending on the institution.
Which school pays the most for Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations? ▼
Southeast Technical College has the highest reported median earnings for Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations graduates at $46,674, based on College Scorecard data.
What credential do you get in Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations? ▼
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations programs typically award a Associate's credential. Earnings vary by school and credential level.
Top Schools for Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
Closest schools offering this program — compare earnings side by side
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Median earnings represent graduates who received federal financial aid, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid applicants. Completers count and debt figures reflect program-level data reported through IPEDS. Data is updated annually.