Graduates of This Top Business Analytics Program See Major Salary Increases

Business analytics master’s graduates from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business saw a high return on their investment — to the tune of a 38% average salary increase.

Georgetown data shows an average base salary of $123,268 for the December 2023 graduates of its master of science in business analytics (MSBA) program. The average base salary for graduates with more than four years of work experience was $140,188 and $105,139 for graduates with less than four years of work experience.

Higher earnings put MSBA graduates on a path to get a hefty and swift return on their investment. Tuition for the fall 2024 cohort is $66,630 for the full program.

The December 2023 graduates also experienced career mobility, with 76% changing jobs within six months after graduation — compared to 64% who had said they intended to change careers at the beginning of the program.

The Georgetown program puts a heavy emphasis on both business skills and data analysis, and not all students who enroll in its diverse cohort have technical experience when they start the program, said Babak Zafari, academic director of Georgetown McDonough’s MSBA program.

“While some students enter the program with technical experience, many do not,” Zafari said in an emailed statement.

“The faculty recognize this and have created opportunities for students with less technical experience to build those skills, including one-on-one office hours and self-paced educational tools such as Datacamp.”

Zafari said the program kicks off with foundational courses on technical skills and then builds up to help students handle data and analytical models. The program has a highly hands-on approach that allows students to apply what they learn in real time.

The program features both synchronous and asynchronous learning, as well as in-person residencies. Zafari underscored the importance of real-world experience in the program.

“Our students also learn how to apply technical skills in a real-world context through group projects and the closing capstone, which helps them serve in the role of ‘translator’ in their careers as they help businesses understand and use data to solve key business challenges,” Zafari said.

“The transferable skills and experiences that students enter the program with may help them identify potential career pathways, but it does not limit what they can pursue after obtaining their MSBA degree.”

Those transferable skills, coupled with career coaching and networking, are part of why the MSBA cohort likely achieved such a high career change rate alongside the salary increases.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that business analytics graduates landed higher-paying jobs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects rapid growth in the employment of operations research analysts, financial analysts, and management analysts from 2023-2033 — and those are just a small sampling of the jobs graduates of business analytics programs can land.

Georgetown’s December 2023 MSBA graduates largely went into consulting, financial services, and technology, with each of those industries tied with 19.6% of the cohort. Government and nonprofit industries were other major draws for graduates.

Zafari said that even distribution across industries speaks to the widely valued analytical skills taught during a business analytics program.

“Increasingly, companies and organizations of all industry types are recognizing the importance of using data to make informed business decisions,” Zafari said.

“The Georgetown MSBA prepares students to add value to any industry through innovative coursework and group projects that focus on real-world challenges.”