Should you study data analytics or business analytics?
Table of Contents
By: James M. Tobin, Edited by: Mitch Jacobson
Published: January 13, 2025
Data analytics and business analytics have both drawn a great deal of interest in recent years. In casual conversation, people often use the terms interchangeably, but they technically refer to different things — and different professional paths. Explore data analytics vs. business analytics programs as you weigh your education and career options.
Data analytics vs. business analytics: what's the difference?
Data and business analytics overlap in multiple ways. Both use specialized quantitative analysis techniques to guide data-driven decision-making. They also share the common goal of helping companies identify opportunities to gain advantages and become more efficient and profitable. However, the two fields also differ in subtle but important ways.
First, data analytics deals only with data, while business analytics considers data alongside all other aspects of a company's operational profile.
Second, the two disciplines interact with data differently. In data analytics, the data itself is the end goal, and analysts typically do not go beyond it. In business analytics, data is an important piece of a larger analytical and interpretive puzzle with organization-wide implications.
Salary and career outlook for analyst professionals
The following tables use Bureau of Labor Statistics data to profile two career tracks from each specialization. Data scientists and statisticians are potential data analytics careers, while management analysts and operations research analysts are potential business analytics careers.
| Job Title | Median annual salary (May 2023) |
|---|---|
| Data scientist | $108,020 |
| Statistician | $104,110 |
| Management analyst | $99,410 |
| Operations research analyst | $83,640 |
Factors like your location, experience, and education level can impact earning potential.
| Job Title | Projected job growth (2023-33) |
|---|---|
| Data scientist | +36% |
| Statistician | +12% |
| Management analyst | +11% |
| Operations research analyst | +23% |
Earning a master's degree in either business analytics or data analytics can help you market yourself to employers and access these fast-growing careers.
Comparing master's in data analytics vs. business analytics
Data analytics programs explore quantitative analysis techniques, modeling strategies, and associated technologies.
Business analytics programs emphasize complex data analysis as a tool for solving specific real-world challenges that companies commonly face.
Both program types typically lead to master of science degrees, and both tend to cover the following:
- Data mining
- Data storytelling
- Quantitative and statistical analysis
- Multivariate testing
- Predictive modeling
Differences often emerge when directly comparing data analytics vs. business analytics programs. Data analytics programs typically offer deeper and more comprehensive academic coverage of specific analysis techniques. Meanwhile, business analytics programs often touch on key business management concepts not normally featured in core data analytics curricula.
Admissions
Both program types share similar admissions standards. You will likely need a bachelor's or master's degree, ideally in a STEM field, along with a strong academic record and undergraduate coursework in statistics.
Data science programs may prefer or require applicants with demonstrated knowledge of computer science. Similarly, some business analytics programs look favorably on candidates with business management or business administration coursework or experience.
In either case, you will likely need to supply:
- Academic transcripts
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal essay
Schools may also request or require an admissions interview, which usually occurs during the later stages of applicant vetting.
Program costs
A National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) analysis found that average graduate school tuition fees for all institution types was $20,513 in the 2020-21 school year. Private schools cost more on average ($28,017) than public institutions ($12,596). Tuition costs vary from program to program, but NCES figures can serve as a general guideline.
However, if you're trying to cut costs, consider the benefits of studying online. Some online programs offer lower tuition rates and scheduling flexibility that makes it easier to balance school with outside commitments like work.
Curriculum
Data analytics curricula tend to emphasize concepts including:
- Data structures and mining
- Data analysis methods
- Technical data science tools
- Programming languages
Business analytics programs also cover these topics. However, they often place less emphasis on programming and instead focus on business management concepts.
Specialization options also differ between data analytics and business analytics programs. Some concentration tracks available in data analytics programs include:
- Data engineering
- Data science
- Enterprise architecture
As a business analytics student, you might pursue concentrations in:
- Big data infrastructure
- Business intelligence
- Enterprise information technology governance
Finally, some business schools offer master of business administration (MBA) programs with data or business analytics concentrations. A concentrated MBA in either field is another option to consider.
Program outcomes
As with many other aspects of data analytics vs. business analytics, programs in both fields lead to similar outcomes with slight differences.
Data analytics
Graduates of data analytics programs can:
- Apply analytical techniques to structured and unstructured data sets of varying sizes.
- Use data modeling strategies to extract actionable insights from quantitative data.
- Arrange data to tell a compelling story.
- Manage complex data projects.
A data analytics degree can prepare you for roles like data scientist, market researcher, data architect, or data engineer.
Business analytics
Business analytics programs develop a similar set of competencies. However, they often go beyond data to consider how analytical insights impact specific business management situations.
These programs position graduates to work as strategic partners alongside senior managers and executives. Data analytics tends to have a narrower, more insular focus.
With a business analytics degree, you could become a:
- Business intelligence specialist
- Operations research analyst
- Management consultant
- Market researcher
Data analytics vs. business analytics: which degree is right for you?
In comparing data analytics vs. business analytics, understand that both disciplines share many similarities. They develop similar and cross-transferable skill sets.
That said, data analytics might be a better option if you prefer to work with and analyze raw data rather than understand the data's operational applications.
Conversely, business analytics could be a good fit if you're interested in or curious about data's role in operational management. Business analytics programs tend to take a broader, more holistic view of organizational function and how data-based insights can improve it.