Interesting counterargument found in the comments of Poet & Quants:
Quote:
Let’s look a the ranking from another, relevant perspective: a financial one.
Students are paying more than ever for a graduate business degree. Yet, to use the schools you reference, at SMU (Cox), they’re paying $17,000 LESS than they would by attending Dartmouth’s Tuck. Sure, these grads are earning less on the back end, but those with jobs do enjoy a similar salary jump as their counterparts at Tuck:
SMU pre-mba salary average: $50,000… post MBA $81,000 (up 62%)
Tuck pre-mba salary average: $64,400… post MBA $105,000 (63% rise)
While the recruiters may pay less for a graduate of SMU, they obviously find value in Texas — solid MBAs who don’t request as hefty a paycheck as their counterparts at other schools. Perhaps these recruiters are shopping where they can get the most bang for their buck… and that’s an important thing to show any boss in this economy!
Finally, let’s follow the argument that any MBA student should be in a program for the education they’ll receive and the experience they’ll have, rather than a hoped-for job at the other end. In that sense, satisfaction over two years is terribly important. It will have a lot to do with student services, quality of teaching, access to faculty, course materials… Remember that at larger schools, some of the prized faculty never step foot in an MBA class — indeed, some don’t want to! — preferring to work instead with seasoned executives, or perhaps on their next book. In those cases, it might be the rising stars (not always polished faculty) in front of the MBAs… that will impact your day-to-day experience… and if you’re paying more than $100,000 a year for the opportunity to study somewhere, you’re going to want it to be good from start to finish!
In short, don’t underestimate the value of what these graduates have to say: they may be earning varied salaries, but they are all choosing from a relatively similar menu of MBA courses at their respective schools. Anyone who is after a solid MBA degree first, and a job second (no matter how long it may take to find it), may want to tune in before they sign any loan agreements!
All the best,
Mica