US News Ranks Scranton MBA Among Top 5 Financial Values in Nation

          Looking for a good business investment? Consider a University of Scranton MBA.

         The University’s MBA ranked No. 5 in the nation for having the best financial value at graduation according to U.S. News & World Report list released Jan. 21.

         The ranking compared the average salaries at graduation to the average student loan debt for MBA programs across the country. The U.S. News listing of the top “10 MBA’s with the Most Financial Value at Graduation” included the University with an average starting salary for a Scranton MBA graduate of $75,983 and an average student debt of $18,303. The report is based on data reported by class of 2012 graduates.

         “This is a powerful ranking for the University because it is the ultimate validation of a program in business,” said Michael Mensah, Ph.D., dean of the University’s Kania School of Management. “MBA students look at programs as an investment in their future, so cost benefit analysis is extremely important when evaluating programs. MBA candidates look for programs offering the best value to enhance their career and earning potential.”

         Dr. Mensah said the ranking reflects the University’s ongoing efforts to provide a quality program at an affordable price. He also mentioned that additional important attributes that contribute to the value of the University’s MBA program are only indirectly measured in this ranking.

         “The University does so well in rankings like this because of the overall quality of our program and the type of program we offer, which includes emphasis on Jesuit values. Our MBA program begins with a course on ethics, responsibility and justice that distinguishes us from other programs. The market value of our MBA program, as reflected by the salaries offered to our graduates, incorporates all of these characteristics,” said Dr. Mensah.

         According to Dr. Mensah, additional validation of the quality of the University’s MBA program can be found in other national rankings that specifically mention the University’s reputation as Jesuit school that teaches values, as well as the Kania School of Management’s accreditation by AACSB International, the most recognized and respected business school accrediting body. Only five percent of business degree-granting institutions in the world hold this prestigious accreditation, which the University has maintained since 1995.

         The University offers Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees in accounting, enterprise resource planning, finance, general business, healthcare management (online only), international business, management information systems, marketing and operations management.

         The salary information reported in the U.S. News ranking was derived from the University’s Class of 2012 post-graduate survey, which is completed by graduates six months after graduation. The reported data shows the average salary of the University’s MBA graduates of $75,983 is higher than the $62,800 average reported salary for all of the University’s 2012 master’s degree graduates.

         Salaries reported by University MBA graduates can be further broken down by their areas of specialization. MBA graduates with specialization in operations management had the highest average salary of $95,833, followed by MBA graduates with the following areas of specialization: enterprise resource planning at $95,000; general business at $80,146; finance at $76,333; and accounting at $53,918.

         The salaries reported by MBA graduates did not surprise Murli Rajan, Ph.D., interim associate dean of the Kania School of Management, who previously served as director of the University’s MBA program.

         “University graduates are well regarded at many of the top accounting and financial firms in Manhattan and other larger cities, which often pay higher salaries,” said Dr. Rajan.

In other rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, Scranton has been named as one of the top 10 “Best Regional Universities in the North” for 20 consecutive years and was among just 61 up-and-coming schools in the nation in the 2014 edition. The University is also in its “America’s Best Graduate Schools” guidebook and, in its ranking of the “Best Online Education Programs,” the University’s online graduate program in education ranked No. 9 in the nation and its online MBA program ranked No. 51.

The US News listing of the top “10 MBA’s with the Most Financial Value at Graduation” can be seen here.