Find Business Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

International Business Major

Find Schools Near

International Business

6,418 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
1,723 Master's Degrees Annually
#12 in Popularity
$123,880 Median Salary

Types of Degrees International Business Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many international business graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 6,418
Master’s Degree 1,723
Basic Certificate 507
Graduate Certificate 267
Associate Degree 141
Undergraduate Certificate 28
Doctor’s Degree 17

What International Business Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, international business majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for International Business Majors

International Business majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

undefined
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

Skills for International Business Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to international business:

undefined
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities for International Business Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a international business student include the following:

undefined
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a International Business Major?

People with a international business degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
General and Operations Managers 9.1% $100,930

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business?

6,418 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
55% Percent Women
38% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is one of the most frequently chosen business majors. It is the 12th most popular in the country with 6,418 students graduating with a bachelor’s in international business in 2021. According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 55% of the graduates are women, and 45% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of international business majors is as follows:

undefined
Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 412
Black or African American 360
Hispanic or Latino 1,485
White 2,712
International Students 1,068
Other Races/Ethnicities 381

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in International Business, too. About 16.6% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • India
  • Venezuela
  • Japan
  • South Korea

How Much Do International Business Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that international business students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $44,991 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $38,826 (25th percentile) and $51,131 (75th percentile).

undefined

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a international business degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $103,330 to $200,140 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to international business. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for an International Business Major  ( 103330 to 200140 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
0K
250K

Some careers associated with international business require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for international business careers below.

undefined
Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 5.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 3.5%
Some College Courses 8.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 4.8%
Bachelor’s Degree 24.3%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 11.8%
Master’s Degree 15.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 5.0%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.8%
Doctoral Degree 20.1%

Online International Business Programs

In 2020-2021, 587 schools offered a international business program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 20 1
Certificate (2-4 Years) 1 0
Associate’s Degree 55 12
Bachelor’s Degree 47 6
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 121 24
Post-Master’s 7 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 8 1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in International Business Worth It?

The median salary for a international business grad is $123,880 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 210% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,679,600 after 20 years!

undefined

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to international business.

Major Number of Grads
Business Administration & Management 416,590
Accounting 99,265
Finance & Financial Management 57,778
General Business/Commerce 56,042
Marketing 52,916
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 43,382
Human Resource Management 28,787
Business Support & Assistant Services 19,119
Hospitality Management 17,689
Management Information Systems 13,680
Entrepreneurial Studies 11,319
Real Estate 6,547
General Sales & Marketing 5,923
Business/Managerial Economics 5,667
Specialized Sales, Merchandising & Marketing 5,191
Other Business, Management & Marketing 4,822
Construction Management 3,846
Insurance 1,809
Taxation 1,547
Business/Corporate Communications 1,029
Telecommunications Management 55

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs.

Visit School

Find Business Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited business colleges across the U.S.