By the Numbers: The World’s Most Valuable MBA
There are many different ways to define “lucrative”—so when trying to find the world’s most valuable MBA degree, there are a few different metrics you can use to draw a conclusion. Lucky for us, the new Financial Times global MBA ranking manages to list the world’s top MBA programs in (almost) every way imaginable, including highest weighted salary, salary increase, and value for money. Sounds lucrative to me! Continue reading…
What is Dell Looking for When it Comes to MBA Talent?
When considering jobs and internships, MBAs may reflect on the diverse set of skills and experience they’ve acquired. And few industries are witnessing a greater reflection of those diverse skills than tech.
Dell Technologies is one organization that has demonstrated a major commitment to hiring MBAs for their fresh knowledge and ideas, as evident in its 2020 ‘Legacy of Good’ Plan.
The Texas MBA Programs Guide: Houston vs. Dallas
If you’re looking to earn a Texas MBA, where should you go to school? Should you choose a top MBA program in Dallas or Houston? First, we need to take a look at the cities.
Living in Dallas vs. Houston
First, let’s take a look at the cost of living in Dallas vs. Houston. According to Numbeo, the world’s most extensive database containing user contributed data about cities, the overall cost of living is relatively similar: $4,242 in Houston compared to $4,000 in Dallas. Houston barely edges out Dallas with a slightly higher cost of living, and here’s how that’s broken down.
- Consumer Prices: 35 percent higher in Houston
- Rent Prices: 7.30 percent higher in Houston
- Restaurant Prices: 27 percent higher in Houston
- Groceries Cost: 95 percent higher in Houston
- Local Purchasing Power: 26 percent lower in Houston
Other things to consider when choosing between Dallas and Houston include:
- Industries
- Houston is known for being the oil capital and is an ideal location for jobs in the energy industry.
- Dallas, on the other hand, is known for real estate (Tramelle Crow is headquartered here), as well as hedge funds and asset management firms.
- Economic Development: According to Site Selection Magazine, Houston and Dallas are comparatively equal when it comes to economic development, ranking second and third respectively.
- Top Companies: Houston edges out Dallas for being home to more Fortune 500 companies. In fact, Houston is home to 27 top companies compared to 14 in Dallas. However, they rank second and third respectively.
However, according to Forbes, “while Houston and Dallas have decent amenities (and having better ones surely wouldn’t hurt), they aren’t places that offer a unique lifestyle brand, such as charming architecture or a cutting-edge arts scene.”
Texas MBA Programs
The next step is to compare the top three MBA programs in each city. In particular, we wanted to take a look at the tuition rates (two years), GMAT averages, and post-graduation salaries at each program in each city to get a well-rounded picture.
Overall, there are a few things to note right away.
- The top full-time MBA programs in both cities are ranked well. However, Houston programs tend to rank higher on major ranking sites such as The Economist and Bloomberg Businessweek.
- Houston tends to be more expensive regarding tuition ($93,052 vs. $69,191), but it also pays a higher salary ($110,000 vs. $92,000). This balances out with around a $25,000 difference in tuition and a $20,00 difference in post-graduation salary.
- Finally, GMAT averages for class profiles tend to be higher in Houston as well (688 vs. 660).
Here’s how it all breaks down per school.
Top 3 Houston MBA Programs
McCombs School of Business – University of Texas at Austin
The McCombs School of Business offers a full-time MBA, an Evening MBA, a Weekend MBA, and an Executive MBA program. And it’s considered one of the top business schools in the country, consistently ranking highly on various lists, including ranking 28 according to The Economist.
- Tuition Rates (two years): $91,000
- GMAT Averages: 703
- Post-Grad Salaries (Mean): $117,068
Rice University – Jones Graduate School of Business
The Jones Graduate School at Rice University offers a full-time MBA program, an MBA for Professionals (part-time), and an Executive MBA Program. The school’s full-time MBA program ranked 10th on the Bloomberg Businessweek list in 2017.
- Tuition Rates (two years): $116,000
- GMAT Averages: 711
- Post-Grad Salaries (Mean): $112,158
Mays Business School – Texas A&M University
The Mays Business School has both a full-time MBA program as well as a part-time Professional MBA program. In addition, the school offers an Executive MBA. In 2017, The full-time MBA program ranked 20th overall by Forbes, and 22nd overall by Bloomberg Businessweek.
- Tuition Rates (two years): $72,158
- GMAT Averages: 649
- Post-Grad Salaries (Mean): $103,299
Top 3 Dallas MBA Programs
Naveen Jindal School of Management – University of Texas at Dallas
The Naveen Jindal School offers a full-time MBA, part-time Professional MBA, Executive MBA, and Global Leadership Executive MBA program. The full-time MBA is well ranked according to the U.S. News & World Report, ranking 16th among public university programs in the U.S.
- Tuition Rates (two years): $27,603
- GMAT Averages: 678
- Post-Grad Salaries (Mean): $86,644
Cox School of Business – Southern Methodist University
The Cox School of Business at SMU offers a full-time MBA, Fast Track MBA, Professional MBA (part-time), and an Executive MBA program. Most recently, SMU Cox achieved its first Financial Times ranking at 91st.
- Tuition Rates (two years): $91,952
- GMAT Averages: 661
- Post-Grad Salaries (Mean): $96,587
Neeley School of Business – Texas Christian University
At the Neeley School of Business at TCU, MBA applicants can apply to the full-time MBA, Accelerated MBA, Professional MBA (part-time), Accelerated Professional MBA, or MBA for Energy Professionals program. The Economist ranked the Neeley School MBA ranks 61st overall on its most-recent ranking.
- Tuition Rates (two years): $88,020
- GMAT Averages: 640
- Post-Grad Salaries (Mean): $93,010
Dallas vs. Houston Breakdown in Charts
When breaking down the data between MBA programs in Dallas and Houston, here’s what it looks like:
Texas MBA Tuition
Texas MBA GMAT Averages
Texas MBA Post-Graduation Salaries
What Are the Fastest MBAs You Can Earn in Houston?
Even if you’ve just started the process of choosing an MBA program, you’re probably already aware at the extreme variety in programs throughout the country. Just within one school, you might find MBAs that can be pursued full-time, part-time, online, on the weekends, in the evenings, and maybe even more.
What’s clear is that business schools understand the diversity of their students, and know that their program is a stepping stone to future career growth and success. And if students are willing to put in the work, schools are willing to cater to their goals and get that degree in hand as quickly as possible.
In Houston, Texas—as in metros across the country—it’s possible to earn a quality business education much faster than the typical, two-year full-time degree.
Finding the Fastest Houston MBA
Rice University – Jones Graduate School of Business
If you are an experienced professional who has already spent several years in the workforce, Executive MBAs—designed for professionals at the executive level—tend to be quicker degrees to earn than most. At the the Rice University Jones School of Business, the EMBA can be earned in just 22 months on alternating weekends. This also includes four week-long executive forums and a mandatory international forum. Given the low commitment during the week, this degree is perfect for working professionals who want to keep their jobs while still earning their degree quickly overall.
The Jones EMBA focuses on three main skills: leadership, strategy, and decision-making. Focusing on these three skills as crucial to executive success, the degree will build from a solid foundation of business knowledge and place all learning in a global context. EMBA students also have access to the Career Development Office at Jones, with works alongside students and alumni to meet their professional development goals.
Cameron School of Business – University of St. Thomas Houston
The MBA at St. Thomas Houston’s Cameron School of Business offers students the unique opportunity to design their own MBA program from the ground up, including how long they wish to be enrolled. While availability of various courses may ultimately determine how long a program takes, students with the drive can complete their degree in as little as one year (a fall, spring, and summer semester). To get an idea of how the required courses would break down for each semester, students can explore using Cameron’s interactive MBABuilder tool.
Overall, the Cameron MBA will require 36 hours of graduate level courses, which breaks down to 27 hours of core business classes, and nine hours of electives. Cameron offers nine concentrations for students to choose from if they decide to focus their degree, including one in Health Care Administration as a partnership through Texas Woman’s University. Find out more about the Cameron MBA here.
Mays Business School – Texas A&M University
The Texas A&M Mays Business School full-time MBA program takes just 18 months to complete, beginning each year in August. Since the program is just three semesters (fall and spring in year one, no required classes during summer, and a third and final semester the following fall), students can complete their degree in a year-and-a-half, with an open summer to pursue internships or other professional development opportunities. Students who wish to continue their program also have the option of a fourth semester in spring of year two, but this is entirely optional.
The full-time MBA at Mays is a rigorous program that offers students a unique and demanding educational environment, providing small cohorts and individualized attention for students, both from faculty and the school’s Career Management Center. The MBA program places an emphasis on preparing students for the workforce through experiential learning, offering students the chance to customize their degree through special certifications, electives, and study abroad opportunities.
University of Houston – Downtown
The Marilyn Davies College of Business at the University of Houston-Downtown offers students the chance to complete their degree in one, two, or three years. The focus of the Marilyn Davies MBA is for students to not put their professional careers on hold while earning their degree, and this is aided in UHD’s One Year program by allowing students to pursue the degree in a hybrid structure, both online and face-to-face. Students will complete their degree in one calendar year, taking classes three nights a week in this blended structure. Depending on the concentration, students may be required to complete 34-39 semester hours for their degree.
Students choose the UHD MBA for a number of reasons, including one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas, the flexibility of evening classes, and a modern and corporate driven curriculum. The school also offers a number of diverse concentrations for the degree, such as project management & process improvement, supply chain management, and investment management, among others.
The Value of Choosing a Research-Focused MBA Program at UW Foster
How important is faculty research to choosing your MBA program? Should you care if you go to a research university or is it all just white smoke? Is there value in choosing a research-focused MBA program?
We know that faculty matter. According to a paper written by researchers at Indiana University and Michigan State University titled “Faculty Do Matter: The Role of College Faculty in Student Learning and Engagement,” faculty have a significant impact on student learning and the overall educational experience.
“The impact that a faculty member can have on the student experience can be seen in and out of the classroom,” the study explained. “We found that faculty behaviors and attitudes affect students profoundly, which suggests that faculty members may play the single-most important role in student learning.”
But what about faculty research, is it important? Continue reading…
Texas A&M Philanthropy Course Gives $62,500 to Local Nonprofits
MBA students in the Strategic Philanthropy class at the Texas A&M University at Mays Business School put their money where their class is: this year, the program awarded $62,500 to nonprofits throughout the area.
