BYU MBA Breaks into BusinessWeek’s Top Tier

The Best B-Schools are featured
in the Nov. 24 issue of BusinessWeek
available on newsstands beginning Nov. 17.PROVO, Utah – Nov 17, 2008 – Brigham Young University's MBA program is climbing the charts according to BusinessWeek's latest rankings that place BYU at 22nd in the nation - the program's highest ranking since the publication started grading MBA programs twenty years ago.

"We're very proud of the students who come through our doors," says Gary Cornia, Marriott School dean. "They're building a strong reputation around the world for their leadership, honesty and tremendous ability."

BusinessWeek's MBA rankings are published every two years and are based on a survey of graduating students and recruiters.  The magazine also looks at the number of articles published by each school's faculty in 20 top academic journals.

"It's very satisfying to see the school break into BusinessWeek's top tier. This is not only commendation for the quality of our students but also our excellent placement staff and the superb faculty at the Marriott School," adds Cornia.

According to BusinessWeek, BYU's MBA program is helped by a focus on ethics, values and leadership, which draws top recruiters to the school.

"Our students are known for their work ethic and integrity," says Craig Merrill, MBA director. "And our focus is on developing their leadership skills so they can quickly contribute to their employer's success."

The rankings mark the first time BYU has cracked BusinessWeek's top tier; in 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2006 the program was ranked in the second tier. Ranking No. 22 puts BYU's Marriott School in the top five percent of American schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

"I think recruiters value BYU students because they know they will get good, ethical employees," says Ryan Allred, a first-year MBA student from Greenville, N. C. "The alums who came before have gone out and done well and that makes recruiters want to come back."

The University of Chicago was at the top of the rankings followed by No. 2 Harvard, No. 3 Northwestern, No. 4 University of Pennsylvania and No. 5 University of Michigan. Rounding out the top 25 were No. 20 Notre Dame, No. 21 Texas - Austin, No. 22 BYU, No. 23 Emory, No. 24 Yale and No. 25 USC.

BYU was also ranked highly for return on investment, coming in fifth among U.S. Business schools. On average, BYU MBA graduates pay off their educations in less than four years. In addition to a relatively low total cost, BusinessWeek estimates BYU MBA graduates will gain an 80 percent salary increase over their pre-MBA salaries.

Finally, the publication's recruiter survey recognized functional areas and specialties within BYU's program. The rankings in the United States are: No. 4 Accounting, No. 9 Operations/Production (Global Supply Chain), No. 11 Marketing, No. 14 General Management and No. 16 Finance.

The Best B-Schools are featured in the Nov. 24 issue of BusinessWeek available on newsstands beginning Nov. 17.

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 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 in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.