If you are a student who has an interest in or would love to have a career in the business sector, California has some of the best business schools in the world.
The decision of where you would obtain a college degree is one of the biggest decisions you would make in your life.
Luckily, California is home to some of the best business schools in the nation. Which makes all the more sense to earn a bachelor’s degree in business in the state.
It has several universities one can choose from, so to make the process easier for you, this article will contain 19 of the best undergraduate business schools in California.
Now, remember to always do your research about the universities before you make your choice.
A business school is an institution that confers degrees in business administration or management. It can also be called a school of management, management school, school of business administration, etc.
These schools teach certain topics that would help students with their careers in Business. Topics such as accounting, administration, business analytics, entrepreneurship, public relations, real estate, logistics, marketing, etc.
A brief history about California; it is a state that is located in the Western United States. The state has nearly 39.2 million residents. It is the most populous and the third-largest U.S. state by area. It is the 34th most populous city in the world.
The capital of the state is Sacramento and the most populous city in the state is Los Angeles.
The state has a range of options for students who want to study business at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. But the focus of this article will be on the undergraduate business schools in California.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job prospects for business graduates in the United States have been excellent overall.
All business and financial occupations are expected to have an average prospective annual national growth of 9.22% through 2026. The fastest growth will be seen among marketing specialists and financial managers.
The projected growth rates for them are 22.8% for marketing specialists and 18.7% for financial managers.
A student who gets admitted into one of the best undergraduate business schools in California should expect a broad foundation in business operations, finance, and management, to mention a few.
You can also focus your studies on areas that interest you such as marketing, accounting, information systems, and international business.
The bachelor’s degree you will get will prepare you for several different careers in the field of business. Careers such as human resource specialists, management analysts, and administrative services managers.
The data from BLS also shows average annual salaries for business-related occupations in 2019 of $76,200, $97,170, and $115,050 for these careers respectively.
Undergraduate students studying business full-time in California can expect their bachelor’s degree in approximately four years. Although the timeline expectations for part-time students vary by the number of credits they decide to take each semester.
A bachelor’s degree in business requires students to have 120 credits of general education, including major core and elective courses.
The curriculum for the program has a mix of larger lecture hall courses with small class sessions that tend to focus on discussion, independent study, and group collaboration.
Students who live in the state get to engage in local internships and networking, which will boost their job prospects after they graduate.
On the other hand, students who are not in the state and would learn online also get to gain a competitive edge by placing a top business school on their resume after they graduate.
Admission Requirements
The admission requirements for students who would want to study business bachelor’s degrees in undergraduate schools in California should:The admission requirements for students who would want to study business bachelor’s degrees in undergraduate schools in California should:
- Possess a high school diploma with a minimum 2.5 – 3.0 GPA. The equivalent of this would work also.
- The high school transcripts should show that you have completed an adequate college preparatory curriculum. It should contain English, history, mathematics, laboratory science, performing arts, and foreign language.
- A college application has required components that must be filled out currently. Details such as personal information, academic history, activities, and awards. And then, there is the essay portion, this part involves short-answer responses to the questions there. The format of the application may vary from school to school.
- There is a non-refundable application fee that can cost between $70 – $85.
On a side note, if you plan on sending in applications to more than one school, you can streamline your application process by making use of the Common App, the UC system application, or the Cal State University system application.
The List of Undergraduate Business Schools in California
USC Marshall School of Business:
USC Marshall School of Business is the University of Southern California’s business school.
The school offers a bachelor of science in business administration. It is one-of-a-kind and the program develops its students into business professionals.
The program is ranked #10 among the best undergraduate business programs and it has accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
You can access Information about the tuition and fee here.
Cal Poly Pomona College of Business Administration:
Cal Poly Pomona College of Business Administration is the business college at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
The school offers a business program that educates students in both technical and managerial competence.
It provides students with the knowledge that enables them to succeed in business, industry, government, and education.
The cost overview for undergraduate programs can be viewed here. The school also awards annual scholarships based on merit and financial need.
CSULB College of Business:
CSULB College of Business offers a bachelor of science in business administration that prepares its students for their future careers.
The program covers topics in business ethics, international law, and the legal environment. You can check out the details concerning tuition and fees here.
Haas School of Business:
Haas School of Business is the business school of the University of California. It is ranked on the list of the best business schools in the world by The Economist, Financial Times, QS World University Rankings, U.S. News & World Report, and Bloomberg Businessweek.
Haas offers a plethora of options for undergraduate students of business administration to earn their bachelor of science in business administration.
The tuition and fees of Haas see state residents pay approximately $14,000/year while nonresidents pay approximately $43,000/year.
The Paul Merage School of Business:
The Paul Merage School of Business is the business school at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). This business school offers a bachelor of arts in business administration and a bachelor of science in business information management.
The primary focuses of these programs are economics, management, and accounting, while the business information management core focuses on building skills in programming, statistics, and management, to mention a few.
Information about the tuition is available here.
SDSU Fowler College of Business:
SDSU Fowler College of Business is one of seven academic colleges at San Diego State University. It offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Undergraduate students who get accepted into this business school get to make a choice between a bachelor of science in business administration and a bachelor of arts in international business.
The details about tuition and fees are available here.
UC Riverside School of Business:
UC Riverside School of Business allows students to learn from a curriculum that covers key competencies including management writing and communication, ethics and law in business and society, and organizational behavior.
The business school is home to the largest undergraduate business program in the University of California system. You can access the details about tuition and fees here.
Cal State East Bay College of Business and Economics:
Cal State East Bay College of Business and Economics offers a bachelor of science in business administration with a variety of concentration options.
The school also offers an online degree completion program for students who are also workers. An estimated cost of attendance is available here.
Stanislaus State College of Business Administration:
Stanislaus State College of Business Administration offers one undergraduate degree program that has many concentration options.
The school had full accreditation by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Students who reside in California, live on campus, and study full-time will pay an estimated $23,620 while non-residents will pay an additional $396/credit as tuition.
Rady School of Management
Rady School of Management is the graduate business school of the University of California, San Diego. It also happens to be the second-youngest professional school at UC, San Diego.
It offers undergraduate courses including minors in business, accounting, supply chain, and entrepreneurship & innovation. Information about the fees can be viewed here.
SCU Leavey School of Business:
SCU Leavey School of Business is one of the professional schools at Santa Clara University. The business school was established in 1923.
The school serves over 2,000 undergraduates and graduate students and has six academic departments.
It also has accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The cost of attendance can be accessed here.
Pepperdine Graziadio Business School:
Pepperdine Graziadio Business School is the graduate school of business at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. It is also on the list of the largest graduate business schools located in California.
It was founded in 1969. The school offers a bachelor’s degree that is available both online and across the five California graduate campuses.
The school is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
You can access the tuition details here.
UMass Global School of Business & Professional Studies:
UMass Global School of Business & Professional Studies offer programs that are designed to develop and strengthen the skills of its students so they can be better prepared for their role in the business world.
The school offers several undergraduate programs in business administration. Details concerning the school’s tuition and costs can be accessed here.
PLNU’s Fermanian School of Business:
PLNU’s Fermanian School of Business offers an undergraduate business major that prepares students to become effective business professionals.
This undergraduate business education imbibes students with deep critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and innovation skills that prepare them for meaningful career opportunities.
The details of tuition and fees can be viewed here.
Saint Mary’s College – School of Economics & Business Administration:
Saint Mary’s College – School of Economics & Business Administration offers an undergraduate curriculum that helps students develop a top-notch business perspective.
The business education given to its students incorporates both liberal arts and business foundations into a comprehensive package.
Take a look at the tuition and fees here.
Menlo College:
Menlo College is located in Atherton, California. It is a private college that specializes in business.
The School of Business Administration (SBA) was established in 1949 and in 2009, Menlo College was accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
In 2014, the college earned another accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Check out the tuition and fee over here.
University of La Verne College of Business and Public Management:
University of La Verne College of Business and Public Management prepares its students to become effective leaders and managers in the business world.
The school offers an undergraduate program that teaches you how to strategize and make use of the latest technologies to solve real-world problems.
Take a glance at the fee of this school here.
Argyros School of Business & Economics:
Argyros School of Business & Economics offers several departments including accounting, business analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, and marketing.
The school is ranked #72 in the list of best business schools. Information concerning the school’s tuition and fee is accessible here.
California Baptist University:
California Baptist University is named in the top tier of universities in the West according to U.S. News & World Report, 2021.
Also, the undergraduate marketing program offered by the school is on the list of the top 50 marketing programs in the U.S., this is according to Intelligent.com, 2021.
Of course, these are among the reasons the school makes it into our list of best undergraduate business schools in California.
The School of Business has several programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
You can access the tuition and fees here.
Why Get A Business Bachelors In California?
When students pursue a bachelor’s degree in business in California, they get to obtain not just professional benefits, but also personal ones. Some of these benefits include:
- Career Flexibility:
Because this degree program possesses a plethora of skills that are transferable, it allows students to pursue careers in any industry.
- Earning Potential:
With just the right work experience and a little luck, we must add, graduates can secure promotion to management positions that will regularly pull in the six-figure checks.
- Job Security:
Employers will always prefer candidates who have broad, and well-rounded knowledge over ones who do not. Skilled business professionals possess broad, and well-rounded knowledge, which means they are almost always in demand. Upon completion of their degree program, they get to enjoy a high rate of job security.
Will You Need To Pursue Additional Business Education?
If you wish to. Ordinarily, a bachelor’s degree in business from a top business school in California will prepare you to take on several career pursuits in fields such as finance, management, and marketing.
This will help you naturally secure promotions as you add years of experience to the mix.
For others, they can decide to return to school for additional education like a master of business administration or an MBA.
The degree would help you develop advanced knowledge and skills in business administration, management, and sometimes, a focus area such as accounting, international management, or healthcare management.
Is A Business Degree Worth It?
Getting a business degree can increase your job prospects and create more advancement opportunities for you, which will, in turn, increase your salary and income.
All in all, a business degree is a worthwhile investment. You only have to find the business degree program that suits you.
Is Studying Business Hard?
The course load of a business major may be heavy and some students might find some courses harder than others.
A business major is a general business degree that provides students with broad exposure to some business-related subjects.
To answer the question, one can say studying business is not hard.
What Are The Courses One Will Study In A Business Degree Program?
This would depend on the school and the country in which the school is located. However, a typical business degree program will include several courses that will be spread out over four years and 120 credits or about 40 courses.
Some of those courses are:
- Accounting – Cost, Financial and Managerial.
- Business Administration, Analytics, Computing, Ethics, Information Systems, Business Law, Policy and Strategy, Writing, and Editing.
- Consumer Behaviour.
- Cross-Culture Business.
- e-Business Analysis and Administration.
- Entrepreneurship.
- Finance.
- Human Resource Management.
- International Business.
- Investment Fundamentals.
- Leadership.
- Macroeconomic Theory.
- Microeconomic Theory.
- Business Management.
- Marketing.
- Math.
- Negotiation.
- Operations Management.
- Organizational Behavior.
- Product Development.
- Project Management.
- Quantitative Methods.
- Retail Marketing.
- Statistics.
- Supply Chain and Logistics.
- Taxation.
