Businessweek ranks Foster #16 of Best Business Schools in the U.S.

Foster MBA Challenge for Charity team

Foster MBAs celebrate their 2019 Challenge for Charity win of the coveted “Golden Briefcase” at Stanford. To triumph in this Olympics-style competition for business schools, Foster MBA students raised more than $165,000 and volunteered more than 4,400 hours for nonprofit organizations

The Foster School of Business ranks among the elite schools in the U.S., continuing at #16 overall and #4 among public schools in Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2019-20 Best Business Schools Rankings. Based on 26,804 survey responses from recruiters, MBA students, and alumni, Foster was recognized for high performance in learning environment (#10), and networking (#14) of the top 94 schools selected, moving up on both measures from last year.

“At the Foster School we are dedicated to nurturing community, building connections, and bringing diverse thought leaders together to creatively solve real-world problems,” remarked Frank Hodge, Orin and Janet Smith Endowed Dean of the Foster School of Business. “I think our strong performance in the Businessweek Rankings reflects our continued success in achieving these objectives.”

Better together: building a culture that empowers students to excel

Achieving outstanding career results for graduates starts before the first day of class, with an inclusive culture that helps MBAs leverage their unique strengths. A series of professional development and leadership sessions help students map their career aspirations and forge relationships with colleagues, professors, and staff who will help them achieve their goals.

#10 for learning environment, #1 in the West

Ranking #1 in the West, above Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA and USC, Foster was in the top 10 nationwide for the academic quality of its learning environment. Surveys explored whether the curriculum is applicable to real-world business situations; the degree of emphasis on innovation, problem-solving, and strategic thinking; the level of inspiration and support from instructors; class size; and collaboration.

Students and alumni responded positively to the continuous improvements in the learning experience, moving Foster’s ranking from #20 last year to #10 in 2019. Standout features of the active learning environment include the Foster Advantage immersion series with topics such as machine learning and cybersecurity, as well as a high level of relevance boosted by guest speakers from industry and real-world projects. One student remarked that the best thing about Foster is “The supportive, collaborative environment built by the world-class faculty, and students that drive extensive learning.”

#14 for networking, #4 in the West

Businessweek queried students, alumni, and recruiters about networking opportunities, including the quality of student networks; students’ interactions with alumni; successes of the career-services office; quality and breadth of alumni-to-alumni interactions; and the school’s halo, or brand power, from recruiters’ viewpoints. Foster’s quality of network rated #14 nationally, moving up from # 17 last year. Among schools in the West, Foster ranked #4, just after UCLA, Stanford, and UC Berkeley.

Survey results noted the targeted attention that students received from career services, program support staff, faculty and the alumni engagement team. Students touted the advantages of the tight-knit class: “I am leaving Foster with the feeling that I can reach out to any single person in my class for professional advice or help going forward.”

Better tomorrow: 99% job placement and competitive earnings

Known for its high job placement rate, Foster continued to connect graduating MBAs to desirable careers. The MBA class of 2018 reported 99% of alumni secured jobs within 3 months of graduation with average salaries of $118,355 and an average signing bonus of $38,695. The majority of Foster MBA graduates accepted positions in technology, consulting, and financial services industries and 76% received a signing bonus.

MBA Class of 2019 average earnings by industry

Foster MBA earnings by top industries compared to other business schools. Source: Businessweek

The importance of return on investment

Data from a Businessweek survey of more than 10,000 MBA graduates from the class of 2018 indicate that nearly half the students at some of the best business schools are borrowing at least $100,000 to finance their MBAs – nearly as much as their median salaries at graduation ($125,000 – $130,000 at top schools). Thanks to high bonuses and competitive tuition, Foster MBAs achieve high returns – $119,000 – $135,000 median salaries in the top three industries – with some of the lowest levels of debt among highly ranked schools, averaging $28,968.

Latest Businessweek rankings included in MBA Rankings Calculator

MBA Rankings CalculatorRankings data from Businessweek, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, and The Financial Times can be used to research up to 64 U.S. business schools across 10 different metrics of performance. The Best-fit MBA Rankings Calculator empowers prospective students to compare schools on diverse rankings measures including salary, job placement, networking, learning experience, return on investment, low debt, average GMAT scores, research, and more.

Learn more about the Full-time MBA Program and Career Management at the Foster School of Business.

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Related stories:

Economist ranks Foster MBA #20 in the world, #1 for job placement in U.S.
Foster tops elite schools with 99% job placement, moves to #21 in U.S. News MBA ranking
Foster #1 of MBAs with highest return for grads earning $100,000+
Tech industry’s favorite B-School for MBA recruitment: Foster

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