UA’s MBA Program Moves Up Seven Spots in Forbes 2015 Rankings

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama’s MBA program at the Manderson Graduate School of Business moved up seven spots from last year to number 49 in the Forbes 2015 MBA rankings.

The Manderson MBA also ranks 4^th among the 14 SEC schools and 25^th among all public schools. Other SEC schools in the top 50 rankings include Texas A&M, Georgia, Vanderbilt and Florida.

“We are excited to see this increase in the rankings for our MBA program,” said Dr. Brian Gray, interim dean of UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce. “I believe this ranking reflects the strong commitment of our faculty and staff to the program and hopefully shows the value of a Manderson MBA to our students and prospective students.”

Forbes ranked the MBA programs based solely on the return on investment for their graduates five years after graduation. The 2014 average salary for Manderson MBA graduates was $97,000.

The magazine collects its data for rankings from alumni, comparing earnings of graduates pre-MBA and five years after earning an MBA.

According to Forbes, the magazine garnered a 24 percent response rate on its surveys to 17,400 alumni at 95 schools. Schools with response rates lower than 15 percent were not included in the rankings.

Also according to Forbes, MBA graduates earned back their investment (tuition and two years of lost salary) in four years, on average, at the top 25 schools.

The Manderson Graduate School of Business falls under the umbrella of UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce.