As one of the largest cities in the United States, San Antonio is home to more than 1.4 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A hub of economic activity, five Fortune 500 companies are located in San Antonio: Valero Energy Corporation, Tesoro Corporation, USAA, CST Brands Inc. and CC Media Holdings, Inc. Some of the largest business industries in the area include the following:
- Health care and bioscience
- Aerospace
- Information technology and cybersecurity
- Renewable energy
The city offers a business friendly climate, one that has been ranked #16 in the nation by Forbes on its list of Best Places for Business and Careers. Some of the major employers include the following:
- H-E-B (Super Market): 20,000
- USAA (Financial Services): 16,000
- Bill Miller Bar-B-Q (Fast Food): 4,190
- Cullen/Frost Bankers (Financial Services): 3,982
- Valero Energy (Oil Refining): 3,700
As the city's economy continues to attract new investments and industries such as construction and manufacturing grow, prospective business school students should see a return on their educational investment.
San Antonio Business Programs
Regardless of a student's future goals, completing a business degree at a business school can position students for success in San Antonio's growing economy. Today, students can select from traditional, campus-based or online programs, which allow for a greater level of flexibility. Typically, students can select from one of three business degrees: an associate, bachelor's and master's. These degrees offer students the opportunity to further specialize in areas such as finance, accounting, project management, business management, marketing and more. The average cost of a business degree in San Antonio is approximately $6,085 for an associate, $19,505 for bachelor's degrees and $16,152 for master's degrees.
According to 2013 graduation data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)**, nearly 7,000 students graduated with business degrees from community colleges universities in San Antonio. At the degree level, bachelor's degrees were the most popular with 4,058 awarded, followed by master's (1,560) and associate degrees (1,344). By subject, areas of study were widely focused in three majors: business administration and marketing, finance and accounting. Below is a table with the number of degrees conferred by subject area and degree level in San Antonio in 2013:
| Subject in Associate Degree | Number |
| Business | 536 |
| Business Administration and Management | 250 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 28 |
| Subject in Bachelor Degrees | Number |
| Business Administration and Management | 589 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 298 |
| Marketing | 270 |
| Subject in Master Degree | Number |
| Business Administration and Marketing | 582 |
| Accounting | 115 |
| Finance | 42 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2013
The higher education institutions that awarded the most business degrees in San Antonio in 2013 included the University of Texas at San Antonio, University of the Incarnate Word and San Antonio College. The table below includes the universities and colleges that graduated the most students with business degrees in 2013.
| Rank | Institution | Degrees Conferred |
| 1 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | 2,698 |
| 2 | University of the Incarnate Word | 1,556 |
| 3 | San Antonio College | 442 |
| 4 | Northwest Vista College | 368 |
| 5 | Our Lady of the Lake University | 344 |
| 6 | Trinity University | 338 |
| 7 | St Mary's University | 312 |
| 8 | Palo Alto College | 296 |
| 9 | St Philip's College | 138 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2013
**NCES does not report data for online degrees, instead includes them in an aggregate total of degrees conferred.
Career Opportunities for Business Graduates in San Antonio
Research from Keith Phillips, Senior Economist and Research Officer, projects San Antonio's job growth to reach 3 percent in 2015, which is equal to 28,000 new jobs. That growth is expected to be heavily dependent on two sectors, health care and government. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the biggest growing industries between 2012 and 2022 are predicted to be in Natural Resources & Mining, Education & Health Services and Professional & Business Services. The table below includes a list of projected job growth by industry in the San Antonio region during that time:
| Industry | Projected Job Growth |
| Natural Resources & Mining | 32.8% |
| Education & Health Services | 28.9% |
| Professional & Business Services | 26.2% |
| Construction | 22.5% |
| Leisure & Hospitality | 22.3% |
| Other Services, Ex. Government | 21.5% |
| Financial Activities | 21.1% |
| Information | 19.0% |
| Trade, Transportation, & Utilities | 16.6% |
| Manufacturing | 11.3% |
As a major hub for manufacturing, construction, health care, energy and financial services, graduates of business schools in San Antonio can pursue a wide selection of career and industry paths. Below is a list occupations projected to experience the largest employment gains in San Antonio between 2012 and 2022, according to the Texas Workforce Development Commission:
| Occupation | Projected Job Growth |
| Market Research Analysts & Marketing Specialists | 41.4% |
| Meeting, Convention, & Event Planners | 39.5% |
| Logisticians | 38.3% |
| Personal Financial Advisors | 31.2% |
| Credit Analysts | 29.4% |
| Credit Counselors | 26.9% |
| Cost Estimators | 25.9% |
| Accountants & Auditors | 25.4% |
| Financial Examiners | 25.0% |
| Financial Analysts | 24.9% |
A review of employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows many business-related occupations in the region pay at least $60,000 annually. Below is a list of ten of the highest paying business careers in San Antonio in 2013, according to the BLS:
| Rank | Occupation | Average Salary |
| 1 | Financial Managers | $124,350 |
| 2 | Sales Managers | $122,170 |
| 3 | Actuaries | $106,120 |
| 4 | Human Resources Managers | $105,870 |
| 5 | Financial Examiners | $81,870 |
| 6 | Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $74,050 |
| 7 | Accountants and Auditors | $69,360 |
| 8 | Budget Analysts | $68,950 |
| 9 | Statisticians | $67,100 |
| 10 | Loan Officers | $66,870 |
Sources
"Texas, Occupational and Wage Estimates," U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2014, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_tx.htm
"Projections Central, Texas," Projections Central State Occupational Projections, February 2015, Projectionscentral.com
National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/
"S.A.'s 2015 job growth projected to exceed the state's," San Antonio Express-News, January 13, 2015, http://www.expressnews.com/business/business_columnists/david_hendricks/article/San-Antonio-s-2015-job-growth-will-exceed-the-6013199.php
San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, Major Employers, http://www.sanantonioedf.com/business-profile/major-employers/
"Profiles of top large employers in S.A. for 2014," mySA, October 27, 2014, http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/article/Profiles-of-top-employers-in-S-A-5822814.php
Texas Workforce Development Commission, http://www.tracer2.com/
"Fortune 500 Companies in Texas," Office of the Governor Economic Development and Tourism/Fortune Magazine, https://texaswideopenforbusiness.com/sites/default/files/11/14/14/texasfortune500.pdf
Forbes, San Antonio, http://www.forbes.com/places/tx/san-antonio/