MBA Program Ranked No. 1 Private School Nationally by Bloomberg for Return on Investment

The Martin J. Whitman School of Management’s MBA program is now ranked No. 1 nationally among private universities for its return on investment (ROI) by Bloomberg. The Whitman School also has the second-highest ROI among all schools in the U.S.

According to Bloomberg, its new, innovative Business School ROI Calculator 2024-25 helps students determine whether pursuing an MBA is a financially viable path, and, if so, what are the best choices available to them. They based this on full-time MBA programs in the U.S.

The ROI calculator helps students make this decision using a standard measure of financial success: profit relative to initial principal, or ROI, built on the data reported to Bloomberg from surveys distributed for annual rankings. The calculator, which advances Bloomberg’s efforts to help potential MBA students make the best decision they can, is accompanied by reporting that considers the factors increasingly recognized as an important part of this assessment — though not easily quantifiable.

Whether or not an MBA will increase their earnings is a big concern for prospective students, since that is often a main reason for pursuing an MBA. The ROI Calculator demonstrates that the Whitman program does provide that return on investment, with an ROI of 22%. This is based on median cost (tuition and expenses), interest, net forgone income and the total MBA investment.

“Prospective MBA students often emphasize that ROI is crucial when selecting a business school,” says Mary Collier, Whitman’s executive director of graduate recruitment. “That’s why providing an exceptional educational experience and maximizing ROI for our students is a top priority at Whitman. We are delighted that our dedicated efforts have earned us the No. 1 national ranking among private schools for ROI among MBA programs. At Whitman, we embrace a holistic approach to student success with a strong focus on achieving outstanding career outcomes.”

“Whitman is thrilled to once again be recognized as an outstanding investment for our students to pursue an MBA,” says Interim Dean Alex McKelvie. “Return on investment should be one of the main criteria for anyone considering an MBA, and our No. 1 national ranking for private schools and No. 2 overall reflects Whitman’s emphasis on high-quality education, personal touches, outstanding student experience, leveraging the strong Syracuse University network and our commitment to our students’ career success. It is these factors that really translate into this ROI measure. We are pleased that the student-focused investments into our MBA program are paying off for our MBA graduates.”