BYU MBA Remains Best Buy in Business Week

PROVO, Utah — Oct 28, 2002 — In spite of a tough placement environment and dipping salaries for new graduates, Brigham Young University's MBA program held on to the best buy title in Business Week's 2002 ranking of top business programs. BYU's Marriott School had the best return on investment with only 4.1 years to payback, including the two years at school. Pennsylvania State University came in second at 4.4 years and Purdue was third at 4.5 years.

The Marriott School's fast payback is primarily the result of low tuition and strong salary gains. BYU graduates on average increased their pre-MBA salaries by nearly 98 percent in 2002 — down from the 120 percent increase graduates posted in 2000 but still the highest in the country. The overall average starting salary for MBAs across the nation dropped this year for the first time since Business Week began tracking data in 1988.

"Our students graduate with the knowledge, skills and abilities to make a significant difference in their professions, communities and churches," says James Stice, Marriott School MBA program director. "And, they don’t have to pay a lot of money to acquire or enhance those skills. We're fortunate to attract very bright students which makes giving them a competitive edge that much easier."

Such was the case with recent BYU MBA graduate, David Hunter. "Two years ago, David Hunter, a former Towers Perrin Co. health-care consultant, checked out MBA programs, looking to make a move to the banking business. He considered applying to pricier schools like Wharton or Columbia, but Brigham Young's combination of a great finance faculty and enticingly low tuition led him to apply only there," wrote Brian Hindo in a recent issue of Business Week. "Smart move: Now Hunter has his dream job working with Bear, Stearns & Co.'s private client services in San Francisco and says he'll be loan-free after a year or two. That's a huge relief for Hunter, whose wife, Kate, is expecting their first child in just a few weeks."

Aside from retaining the best buy title, BYU's MBA program advanced in the publication's overall rankings from the third to the second tier, edging back into the top 50. Business Week's 2002 Best B-Schools report is found in the October 21, 2002 issue of the magazine.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems, organizational behavior and entrepreneurship. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled at the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.