MBA recruiters rate Foster #2 for entrepreneurship, #5 for diversity, #8 for creativity
The Foster School of Business continues as the top school for job placement according to Poets and Quants, and U.S. News reports that Foster MBAs earned an average salary and bonus of $147,763. The majority of Foster MBA graduates accepted positions in technology, consulting, and financial services industries and more than two thirds received a signing bonus.
What drives recruiters to hire 99% of Foster MBA graduates at salaries and bonuses competitive with many of the top-20 schools? Recruiter surveys submitted to Businessweek provide some answers. Compared with 94 schools considered for the 2018 Best Business Schools ranking, recruiters rated Foster MBA graduates #2 for Entrepreneurship Reputation (after Stanford) and #5 for Excellent Entrepreneurial Skills and Drive. Foster was also recognized for Student Diversity – #5, Most Creative and Innovative Graduates – #8, School Brand Value – #12, and Graduates Better Trained than Other MBA Schools – #12.
#2 Entrepreneurship Reputation with MBA recruiters
Recruiters ranked schools based on whether graduates showed exceptional entrepreneurial skills and drive and students surveyed shared their interest in entrepreneurship training. The survey results illuminated Foster’s entrepreneurship ethos, which is integrated across the MBA curriculum, concentrated into a graduate certificate in entrepreneurship and realized in multiple business plan competitions through the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship and the Jones + Foster Accelerator.
| Rank | School | Score |
| 1 | Stanford | 4.57 |
| 2 | Washington (Foster) | 4.25 |
| 3 | UC at Berkeley (Haas) | 4.13 |
| 4 | Georgetown (McDonough) | 4.10 |
| 5 | Rice (Jones) | 4.03 |
| 6 | MIT (Sloan) | 4.02 |
| 7 | INSEAD | 4.01 |
| 8 | Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) | 4.00 |
| 9 | IESE Business School | 3.97 |
| 10 | Brigham Young (Marriott) | 3.96 |
For the complete ranking of schools, visit Bloomberg Businessweek
#5 Excellent Entrepreneurial Skills & Drive
“From day one, Foster MBA students tackle complex and ambiguous challenges that prepare them for long-term success in a disruptive global business environment,” says Naomi Sanchez, assistant dean for MBA Career Management. “Through rigorous academic and professional development programs, students learn to think on their feet,” she continues. “They understand the fast pace of technology and data analytics and are highly focused on the customer experience.” Recruiters apparently agree.
| Rank | School | Score |
| 1 | Stanford | 4.38 |
| 2 | UC at Berkeley (Haas) | 4.13 |
| 3 | Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) | 4.03 |
| 3 | Georgetown (McDonough) | 4.03 |
| 5 | Washington (Foster) | 4.00 |
| 6 | MIT (Sloan) | 3.98 |
| 6 | Yale | 3.98 |
| 8 | INSEAD | 3.96 |
| 9 | Rice (Jones) | 3.95 |
| 10 | IESE Business School | 3.93 |
For the complete ranking of schools, visit Bloomberg Businessweek
#5 Student Diversity
A Foster student responding to the Businessweek rankings remarked, “The best thing about Foster is the diverse group of students who work together and learn from each other in a collaborative environment.” Committed to increasing the enrollment of underrepresented minority, LBGTQ, women, and veteran students, Foster provides a community of support for diversity and inclusion, including partnerships with Management Leadership for Tomorrow, the Forté Foundation, Reaching Out MBA, and the Veteran’s MBA Conference.
| Rank | School | Score |
| 1 | Yale | 4.18 |
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) | 4.17 |
| 2 | INSEAD | 4.17 |
| 4 | IESE Business School | 4.15 |
| 5 | IMD | 4.08 |
| 5 | Washington (Foster) | 4.08 |
| 7 | Georgetown (McDonough) | 4.07 |
| 8 | Texas at Austin (McCombs) | 4.06 |
| 9 | Rice (Jones) | 4.05 |
| 9 | UC at Berkeley (Haas) | 4.05 |
For the complete ranking of schools, visit Bloomberg Businessweek
#8 Innovation and Creativity
Survey results measured how 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.
| Rank | School | Score |
| 1 | Stanford | 4.29 |
| 2 | Yale | 4.18 |
| 3 | Georgetown (McDonough) | 4.17 |
| 4 | UC at Berkeley (Haas) | 4.13 |
| 5 | Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) | 4.10 |
| 6 | Vanderbilt (Owen) | 4.09 |
| 7 | INSEAD | 4.01 |
| 8 | North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler) | 4.00 |
| 8 | Washington (Foster) | 4.00 |
| 10 | IESE Business School | 3.98 |
For the complete ranking of schools, visit Bloomberg Businessweek
#12 Graduates Better Trained than Other MBA Schools
Survey participants responded positively to the continuous improvements in the learning experience, including the Foster Advantage series that brings the latest topics such as machine learning and cybersecurity into the classroom, as well as a high level of relevance boosted by guest speakers from industry and real-world projects.
| Rank | School | Score |
| 1 | Brigham Young (Marriott) | 4.17 |
| 1 | Georgetown (McDonough) | 4.17 |
| 3 | Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) | 4.10 |
| 4 | North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler) | 4.01 |
| 4 | Yale | 4.01 |
| 6 | Columbia | 3.97 |
| 6 | INSEAD | 3.97 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania (Wharton) | 3.97 |
| 9 | IESE Business School | 3.95 |
| 10 | Chicago (Booth) | 3.94 |
| 11 | USC (Marshall) | 3.93 |
| 12 | IMD | 3.92 |
| 12 | Rice (Jones) | 3.92 |
| 12 | Washington (Foster) | 3.92 |
For the complete ranking of schools, visit Bloomberg Businessweek
#12 High Brand Value
Businessweek emphasizes that strong brand perception with recruiters gives graduates a big advantage in their careers. Foster’s high brand value among the country’s top schools, “Reflects strong satisfaction with the program experience overall and the program outcomes among current recruiters, students, and alumni,” responded Dan Poston, assistant dean of master’s programs.
That increase in brand perception may finally be catching up with reality. Since 2000, the Foster School of Business has advanced 94 places across U.S. News, Businessweek and Financial Times rankings, more than all other business schools in the nation.
| Rank | School | Score |
| 1 | Stanford | 4.69 |
| 2 | Harvard | 4.56 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania (Wharton) | 4.50 |
| 4 | Georgetown (McDonough) | 4.41 |
| 5 | MIT (Sloan) | 4.40 |
| 6 | INSEAD | 4.36 |
| 6 | Yale | 4.36 |
| 8 | IMD | 4.35 |
| 9 | Columbia | 4.27 |
| 10 | Chicago (Booth) | 4.26 |
| 11 | UC at Berkeley (Haas) | 4.18 |
| 12 | Brigham Young (Marriott) | 4.17 |
| 12 | Washington (Foster) | 4.17 |
For the complete ranking of schools, visit Bloomberg Businessweek
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