Business/Commerce, General at Community College of Vermont

Montpelier, VT · Public · Associate Degree

with a smaller student body of 3,093 in Montpelier, VT.

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $37,307 track close to the $36,982 national median for Business/Commerce, General programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

With a 60.1x return on tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.

The 10% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Business/Commerce, General career paths face changes, but the trade's physical demands provide a buffer.

At $8,696 in median debt against $37,307 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance quickly — a hallmark of affordable trade programs.

Community College of Vermont ranks #31 among 130 Business/Commerce, General programs, placing it in the top 5% nationally by our financial outcomes measure.

The limited growth from $37,307 to $42,524 over five years suggests earnings in this trade plateau relatively early in one's career.

The 8 apprenticeship pathways connected to Business/Commerce, General reflect strong industry infrastructure for this trade. Apprenticeships typically lead to journeyman-level wages.

75 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
70
Low End
75
Score
77
High End
Earnings $37,307/yr (1% vs median)
AI-Proof Moderate (54% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (832,900 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$434K
3.3% annual growth
Earnings Multiple (In-State)
61.0x
10-year earnings ÷ tuition
Viable Career Paths
16 of 16
Occupations with strong AI resilience

Projected 10-Year Earnings

Based on actual graduate salary data and Bureau of Labor Statistics growth projections.

Program Tuition (In-State)
$7,120
Out-of-state: $27,280
Median Debt at Graduation
$8,696
2.8 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$42,524
14% growth from Year 1

Top Career Paths

Top career paths for Business/Commerce, General graduates by median salary.

Career Path Median Salary Growth AI-ProofAI
Chief executives $206,420 +4.3% 44%
Sales managers $138,060 +4.7% 55%
Managers, all other $136,550 +4.5% 53%
Chief executives
$206,420
+4.3% growth 44% AI-proof
Sales managers
$138,060
+4.7% growth 55% AI-proof
Managers, all other
$136,550
+4.5% growth 53% AI-proof

View all 16 career paths with full salary data →

About Business/Commerce, General Careers

Your career in business often starts by mastering a specific function. You might begin as a project coordinator, using tools like Asana and Slack to keep teams on schedule, or as a management analyst, digging into spreadsheets and interviewing staff to pinpoint how a company can improve efficiency. Your days are a mix of collaboration, problem-solving, and communicating your findings to leadership. As you gain experience, you’ll progress from executing tasks to directing them, becoming an operations manager who oversees a department’s budget and staff or a sales manager leading a team to hit its targets.

Read the full Business/Commerce, General career guide →

Compare & Explore

Business/Commerce, General Overview

Business/Commerce, General at Other Schools

Other Majors at Community College of Vermont

Considering a 4-Year Degree Instead?

Compare how bachelor's degree graduates fare on earnings, ROI, and AI resilience.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Community College of Vermont's Business/Commerce, General program score?
At 75/100, this is a high-performing trade program. The TradeSchoolOutlook Score combines earnings, AI resilience, and ROI — and this program delivers on all three.
How vulnerable is Business/Commerce, General to AI automation?
With 46% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $390,313 in decade earnings vs $434,166 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
How affordable is Business/Commerce, General at Community College of Vermont?
Median debt of just $8,696 against $37,307/yr in starting salary means graduates can clear their loans in under 3 months. This is one of the more affordable paths in our dataset.
Why does Community College of Vermont rank so high for Business/Commerce, General?
The #31 ranking out of 130 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable, and the job market supports this trade.
What apprenticeship pathways exist for Business/Commerce, General graduates?
Yes — 8 registered apprenticeship programs are mapped to Business/Commerce, General career paths, including Health Information Management Business Analyst. Apprenticeships offer paid on-the-job training as an alternative or complement to certificate programs.
How many job openings are there for Business/Commerce, General graduates?
With approximately 832,900 annual openings across mapped careers, Business/Commerce, General offers a very large employment pool. Physical trades tend to have steady demand driven by infrastructure and construction cycles.
Data from College Scorecard, BLS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →