UC Irvine’s Merage School Shoots Up 19 Spots in Latest Forbes Report
Forbes researchers ranked UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business 42nd in the country as part of its biennial ranking of MBA programs based their return on investment (ROI). Merage catapulted 19 spots above its 2013 ranking and came in 20th among public institutions.
To compile its rankings, Forbes surveyed the alumni of full-time MBA programs who graduated in 2010. To determine ROI, Forbes assessed total alumni compensation, including salary, bonuses and exercised stock options for their first five years out of school as compared to the cost of tuition, required fees and foregone compensation for the two years spent in business school.
In a press release announcing the news, Merage Dean Eric Spangenberg attributed UC Irvine’s Merage School’s rapid ascent to the caliber of students the school is able to recruit. “We are very proud of our students’ accomplishments; it is extremely rewarding to be recognized for their achievements as well as for the professionalism of our faculty and staff, without whom this program would not excel,” he said in a statement.
Merage credits the success of its program to the instruction its students receive in how to effectively manage growth potential in their careers. For the top 25 schools in the survey, graduates enjoyed a full return on their investment in the MBA within four years, on average.
“We are absolutely thrilled about our rise in the rankings as this offers proof of our continued growth and progress as a program,” Jon Kaplan, assistant dean and director of the MBA program, said in a statement. “Our Full-Time MBA program provides students with all the tools necessary to set themselves up for a very successful business career. This ranking showcases how our graduates are able to leverage everything they learn at the Merage School into a great return on their investment, not only in terms of salary, but also management responsibilities.”
View the complete Forbes rankings here.
About the Author
Maggie Boccella
Maggie Boccella, a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, is a freelance writer, artist and photographer. She has consulted on various film and multimedia projects, and she also serves as a juror for the city's annual LGBTQIA Film Festival.
