Strong return on investment a hallmark of Rutgers MBA program

One of the significant strengths of Rutgers Business School continues to be the high return on investment graduates achieve in their careers. According to the Financial Times 2022 Global MBA Rankings survey, Rutgers Full-Time MBA alumni averaged 166 percent salary increase three years after graduation, ranking No. 1 among public business schools in the U.S. for salary percentage increase.

Overall, Rutgers Business School was ranked No. 14 among public business schools, No. 38 in the U.S. including both public and private business schools, and No. 69 globally, the third biggest jump in the rankings, up +17 places from a year ago [see Financial Times report].

“Building a strong public business school takes many years and requires strong teamwork,” said Lei Lei, professor and dean of Rutgers Business School. “One of the most important benefits of getting a business degree in today’s society is earning potential."

"As this report shows, Rutgers Business School is making measurable contributions toward providing a strong return on investment for our students,” Lei said. The Financial Times report ranked Rutgers Business School the No. 1 public MBA program in the Northeast U.S.

With 20 ranking criteria, Financial Times publishes one of the most comprehensive reports on business schools, measuring everything from employment outcomes to alumni satisfaction [see methodology]. In the report, Rutgers Business School was ranked No. 3 in employment outcomes overall in the nation (employed 3-months after graduation). 

Dean Vera, director of the Rutgers MBA Office of Career Management, and Melinda Lawson, the assistant director, have steadily helped raise Rutgers Business School's ranking by advising MBA students on how to differentiate themselves as job candidates and to land jobs in highly competitive fields.

“We’re not a placement office – students place themselves. We are here to teach them how to conduct a self-directed job search,” said Vera. “We work one-on-one with students on resume and cover letter writing, networking and interviewing skills, and salary negotiations."

“If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” is Vera’s salary negotiations adage. “Just make sure what you ask for is backed up by data,” he tells students.

Poets & Quants, an online publication that covers the business school world, picked up on the Financial Times data in an in-depth analysis, “Ten Biggest Surprises in the Financial Times 2022 Ranking” [see story]. The report highlighted Rutgers Business School as one of the “surprising hidden gems among U.S. schools,” high up the list for salary increases achieved by alums over their pre-MBA salaries. “You don't have to go to HBS, Stanford or Wharton for the MBA degree to payoff,” wrote Poets & Quants in their report.

Douglas Miller, associate professor, and associate dean for MBA Programs, said he was proud to be recognized as one of the world’s top MBA programs that are preparing leaders for current business challenges. “The Financial Times makes the effort to survey MBA alumni, so we believe this ranking indicates that our graduates find great value in our program even as they move up in their careers,” Miller said. 

Poets & Quants also reported that Rutgers Business School was one of seven schools that were able to swim against the strong current of downturns in the rankings. Three out of every four schools that participated in the Financial Times rankings last year suffered a decline. However, Rutgers Business School had the third biggest jump in the rankings, up +17 places from a year ago [see report].