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Business/Commerce, General at Texas Southmost College

Brownsville, TX · Public · Associate Degree

a smaller institution with 3,453 students in Brownsville, TX.

Program Analysis

Starting salaries of $25,873/yr fall 30% below the $36,982 national median for Business/Commerce, General. The financial case depends heavily on whether tuition compensates.

With a 43.0x return on tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.

The 0% 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 $10,179 in median debt against $25,873 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance quickly — a hallmark of affordable trade programs.

A #113 ranking among 130 Business/Commerce, General programs places Texas Southmost College in the lower half. Price, proximity, and personal fit become the stronger arguments.

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

63 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
59
Low End
63
Score
65
High End
Earnings $25,873/yr (-30% vs median)
AI-Proof Moderate (54% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (832,900 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$271K
1.0% annual growth
Earnings Multiple (In-State)
43.0x
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)
$6,296
Out-of-state: $9,896
Median Debt at Graduation
$10,179
4.7 months of Year 1 earnings

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

View all 130 schools offering Business/Commerce, General →

Business/Commerce, General at Other Schools

Thomas More University ($83,571) Indiana University-Bloomington ($71,550) Empire State University ($62,409) Davenport University ($49,530) Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion ($49,463) Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global ($49,463) Lehigh Carbon Community College ($47,276) James A. Rhodes State College ($45,238)

Other Majors at Texas Southmost College

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($61,406) Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants ($46,052) Criminal Justice and Corrections ($25,923) Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities ($22,111) Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies ($20,461) Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($10,576)

Considering a 4-Year Degree Instead?

Compare Business/Commerce, General degree programs on DegreeOutlook →

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolOutlook Score for Business/Commerce, General at Texas Southmost College?
This program scores 63/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Business/Commerce, General programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.
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 $270,690 in decade earnings vs $270,690 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Can you still earn well with Business/Commerce, General from Texas Southmost College?
Starting salary is one data point. If Texas Southmost College's tuition is significantly below average, the ROI calculation can still work — lower earnings paired with lower costs can be a reasonable trade.
Can I learn Business/Commerce, General through an apprenticeship instead?
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.
Is there demand for Business/Commerce, General workers?
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 →