Forbes Magazine ranks M.B.A. program 12th best in U.S. in ‘return-on-investment’

Forbes Magazine has ranked the M.B.A. program at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis No. 12 among 67 U.S. business schools. The Forbes rankings measure best “return on investment” for M.B.A. graduates of the Class of 1998.

For this year’s survey, Forbes sent out 18,000 questionnaires to full-time graduates of M.B.A. programs around the world. To determine the five-year M.B.A. gain, Forbes asked for pre-M.B.A. salaries as well as for compensation in three of the first five years out of school. The survey then compares the compensation after school with both costs of attending (in tuition and foregone salary) and estimates of what the same students would have made in their old jobs.

With a five-year gain of $120,000 over tuition and foregone salary, the Olin School of Business at Washington University ranks No. 12 for best return-on-investment for its M.B.A. graduates, up eight places from No. 20 in Forbes‘ last ranking of M.B.A. programs in 2001. It takes just 2.3 “years to payback” for an Olin M.B.A. to get the return on their investment in the degree.

Olin School of Business Dean Stuart I. Greenbaum, Ph.D., said that the Forbes ranking of the Washington University M.B.A. program is further corroboration that the Olin “culture of caring and rigor” produces the strong work ethic and team skills in managers that employers crave.

“We’re pleased by the recognition of our M.B.A. graduates from Forbes Magazine,” Greenbaum said. “It’s a challenging job market right now for everyone, and this confirms that Olin grads, dollar-for-dollar, are among the best recruits a company can enlist. The many rigorous program enhancements we’ve made to the M.B.A. curriculum at Olin, along with our focus on entrepreneurship and other experiential learning opportunities, and facilities, has clearly paid great dividends to our students and employers.”

Founded in 1917, the John M. Olin School of Business is also ranked among the best business schools by U.S. News & World Report, Business Week and The Wall Street Journal.

Washington University in St. Louis was founded in 1853 and is celebrating its Sesquicentennial anniversary with a wide variety of events throughout the 2003-04 academic year. Washington University is a major student-centered, international research university offering undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, ranked in the Top 10 of national universities.