undergradly.
Major · Business

A bachelor’s pipeline into data analytics and statistics

Business Statistics (CIP 52.1302) prepares students in applied statistics, forecasting, and data analysis for business contexts. About 843 students complete it across 55 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning around $86,961 in tracked five-year wages.

Schools offering
55
Annual completions
843
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$87k

About this major

Business Statistics (CIP 52.1302) is a quantitative-business credential preparing students in applied statistics, forecasting, and data-driven decision-making for business contexts. The CIP definition organizes coursework around the application of mathematical statistics to the description, analysis, and forecasting of business data — statistical theory and methods, computer applications, data analysis and display, long- and short-term forecasting methods, and market performance analysis. Programs blend statistics fundamentals (probability, distributions, regression, hypothesis testing) with analytics tools (R, Python, SQL, Excel, Tableau, Power BI) and applied case work in marketing, finance, operations, and supply-chain forecasting. The CIP cross-references both Statistics, General (27.0501) and Business Analytics (30.7102) directly.

The major fits students drawn to using data to answer business questions rather than to theoretical statistics or pure mathematics, comfortable spending hours in analytical software and learning to write production-quality code in R, Python, or SQL. It rewards quantitative aptitude, comfort with messy real-world data, and the patience to translate business questions into the right statistical methods and back into actionable recommendations. The career ladder runs from data analyst and business analyst into senior analyst and data-scientist roles, with movement into analytics-leadership and director-level positions at five to ten years.

One grounded observation about scale, school mix, and named destinations: 843 students complete this CIP across 55 institutions, with Southern New Hampshire University producing 256 graduates (30% of national output, mostly online/adult-learner) and University of Tennessee-Knoxville adding 177 (21%) through a strong public-research-university program. Bachelor’s graduates earn $86,961 in five-year tracked wages — well above general business majors. The named labor-market destinations form a strong stack: data scientists ($112,590, 33.5% growth, bachelor’s typical) is the standout, plus statisticians ($103,300, 8.5%, master’s) and adjacent forecasting and analytics analyst roles. Adjacent named CIPs — Data Science, General (30.7001, 2,068 completions), Business Analytics (30.7102, 1,032 completions), and Statistics, General (27.0501, 3,379) — cover overlapping ground with different curricular emphases.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Data scientists $113k +33.5% Bachelor's degree
Business teachers, postsecondary $97k +5.7% Doctoral or professional degree
Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary $79k +2.3% Doctoral or professional degree
Statisticians $103k +8.5% Master's degree
Survey researchers $63k -5.2% Master's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$87k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$54k

Bachelor's

$87k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you’re drawn to using data to answer business questions and comfortable spending hours in R, Python, SQL, and BI tools, you’re strategic about choosing a program whose curriculum matches contemporary analytics work (regression, time-series forecasting, machine-learning fundamentals, business-context case work), you’re building a portfolio of analyses, dashboards, or notebook projects alongside coursework, you understand the named data-scientist destination ($112,590, 33.5% growth) sits at the bachelor’s level for entry but typically requires three to five years of experience to reach the median, and the $86,961 bachelor’s wage matches your expectations.

Think twice if your interest is theoretical statistics or pure quantitative work — Statistics, General (CIP 27.0501, 3,379 completions) and Mathematics, General (27.0101, 18,758) provide stronger theoretical foundations and broader graduate-school optionality (actuarial, biostatistics, econometrics). Reconsider if your target school offers a more contemporary-named credential — Business Analytics (CIP 30.7102, 1,032 completions) or Data Science, General (30.7001, 2,068 completions) — with stronger machine-learning and big-data emphasis; the CIP code matters less than the named courses you’ll actually take. Also pause if your senior-data-scientist or machine-learning-engineer ambition assumes only a bachelor’s — those most competitive roles often expect a master’s or PhD plus experience.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Business Statistics

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH 59 197 256
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN 0 177 177
University of Denver Denver, CO 0 51 51
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY 0 46 46
University of Miami Coral Gables, FL 0 41 41
Bentley University Waltham, MA 0 39 39
Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH 0 37 37
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL 22 3 25
Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH 0 25 25
St. John's University-New York Queens, NY 0 16 16
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Mathematics, General

18,758 completions/yr

Econometrics and Quantitative Economics

15,101 completions/yr

Management Science

7,495 completions/yr

Statistics, General

3,379 completions/yr

Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other

3,245 completions/yr

Applied Mathematics, General

2,591 completions/yr

Data Science, General

2,068 completions/yr

Mathematics and Computer Science

1,125 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Business Statistics field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Business Statistics worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Business Statistics majors actually study?
The CIP definition organizes coursework around the application of mathematical statistics to the description, analysis, and forecasting of business data — statistical theory and methods, computer applications, data analysis and display, long- and short-term forecasting methods, and market performance analysis. Programs typically blend statistics fundamentals (probability, distributions, regression, hypothesis testing), business analytics tools (R, Python, SQL, Excel, Tableau, Power BI), and applied case work in marketing, finance, operations, and supply-chain forecasting.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
The named destination is data scientists ($112,590, 33.5% growth, bachelor’s typical) — strong pay and exceptional growth — plus statisticians ($103,300, 8.5% growth, master’s typical), business teachers and mathematical-science teachers postsecondary ($97,270 and $79,350, doctoral typical), and survey researchers ($63,380, -5.2% growth, master’s typical). Realistic bachelor’s destinations include data analyst, business analyst, marketing analyst, financial analyst, and supply-chain forecasting analyst. Bachelor’s graduates earn $86,961 in five-year tracked wages — well above general business majors.
Is data scientist really achievable at the bachelor’s level?
Yes for entry-level analyst and junior data-scientist roles, especially with strong portfolio work. The BLS lists “Bachelor’s degree” as typical entry for data scientists ($112,590), but the most competitive senior data-scientist and machine-learning-engineer roles often require a master’s or PhD plus industry experience. The realistic bachelor’s entry path runs through data analyst or business analyst roles into junior data scientist positions, with the named $112,590 median typically reached at three to five years of experience.
Why do Southern New Hampshire and Tennessee dominate this CIP?
Southern New Hampshire University produces 256 graduates (30% of national output) through its large online-and-residential business analytics programs, and University of Tennessee-Knoxville adds 177 (21%). Together they produce more than half of completions. The pattern reflects two distinct profiles: SNHU as a major online/adult-learner provider serving working professionals, and Tennessee as a strong public-research-university business-analytics program. Top private programs (Denver, Bentley, Miami Oxford, Bernard M Baruch) and St. John’s round out the recognized tier.
How does this compare to Statistics, General or Mathematics?
Statistics, General (CIP 27.0501, 3,379 completions) is roughly four times larger and the math-side credential focused on theoretical statistics, probability, and mathematical foundations. Mathematics, General (27.0101, 18,758 completions) is broader and theoretical. Business Statistics (52.1302) is applied, with explicit focus on business contexts and forecasting. Choose Statistics or Mathematics for maximum analytical and graduate-school flexibility (including paths into actuarial, biostatistics, or pure-quantitative work). Choose Business Statistics if your target is corporate analytics, forecasting, or business-side data work.
Should I pick this CIP or Business Analytics or Data Science?
Closely related credentials. Business Analytics (CIP 30.7102, 1,032 completions) and Data Science, General (30.7001, 2,068 completions) are the named contemporary credentials covering similar ground with stronger emphasis on programming, machine learning, and big-data tools. Business Statistics (52.1302) leans more toward forecasting, classical statistical methods, and business-context applications. Curricula overlap heavily — what your target school offers and how the program is structured matters more than the CIP code label. Compare named courses (regression analysis, machine learning, time-series forecasting, causal inference) at your specific options.