Forbes Again Ranks SOM as a "Best Business School"

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Forbes magazine has again included the University at Buffalo School of Management in its ranking of top business schools for providing MBA students with the best return on their investment.

Forbes ranked the UB School of Management No. 48 in a survey of 111 business schools. This is the third consecutive time that the UB management school was selected for the ranking, which is released every two years. And, in a first-time ranking of part-time MBA programs, the UB School of Management was ranked No. 22.

According to Forbes, the rankings show which business schools offer the "best return on investment" by comparing the cost of attaining an MBA -- tuition, plus forgone income -- to salaries earned by MBA graduates upon graduation and five years after graduation. Results will be published in the magazine's Sept. 5 issue and are available online at http://www.forbes.com.

The results were based on a survey of 25,000 MBA graduates worldwide from the Class of 2000. The graduates were selected from 111 business schools.

According to the ranking, the average Class of 2000 UB MBA full-time graduate had a five-year gain in compensation of $60,000, after subtracting the cost of tuition and forgone salary. In 2005, their salaries rose to an average of $70,000, a 192 percent increase from their pre-MBA average salary.

When measuring the five-year gain as percentage of expenses (MBA profits divided by the sum of tuition and forgone compensation) the UB School of Management showed a 95 percent gain, with only three of the top 50 schools showing higher percentages.

"This ranking indicates that our graduates get an outstanding value for their investment in our MBA program," said John M. Thomas, dean of the UB School of Management. "In addition, it demonstrates that we're producing graduates who achieve a high level of success in their careers.

According to Thomas, the emphasis that the MBA program places on team skills, leadership and problem solving contributes to the success of the school's graduates.

The Forbes ranking is consistent with other national ratings achieved by the School of Management. Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal, for the fourth consecutive year, ranked the UB School of Management as one of the world's best business schools. The school was ranked 15th out 44 regional schools, based on surveys of more than 2,800 corporate recruiters.

"The Forbes ranking, with its focus on value and career success, is an excellent complement to the Wall Street Journal ranking, with demonstrates the satisfaction of recruiters with our graduates," adds Thomas.

For more information on the UB School of Management, visit http://www.mgt.buffalo.edu.