ATLANTA, January 26, 2000 – The Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University is the best business school in the state and is one of the best business schools in the nation for return on investment, according to a survey in the February 7 issue of Forbes magazine. The magazine ranked the Robinson College tenth among the top 25 "regional universities," or schools where total graduate tuition and income opportunity cost is below $90,000.
To calculate the worth of an M.B.A., Forbes compared the salary gains it generated to the cost of getting it. The magazine surveyed the class of 1994 for business schools around the country, asking students to disclose (anonymously) their compensation just before enrolling in a graduate program, after graduation, and four and a half years later. Forbes constructed a sequence of estimated median incomes, year by year, for each school's class of 1994. Those numbers, in turn, were compared to what the same students would have earned without degrees, assuming that their salary growth would have been only half as fast.
Of 50 schools ranked for both "national" and "regional" programs, the Robinson College ranked above the median salary gain of $29,000. The Robinson Class of 1994 earned an average salary gain of $30,000 after 5 years. The salary gain is determined by compensation after graduation minus the sum of tuition and forgone compensation.
In addition, Robinson students took an average of 3.6 years to recoup their investment (forgone salary and tuition), versus the average return on investment by the 50 schools of 4.1 years. The cost for attending Georgia State's two-year MBA program is just under $36,000, the lowest of the top ten regional universities and the third lowest of the top 50 programs. Full details of the report may be obtained at Forbes' Web site at forbes.com.
"This survey by Forbes reveals what we have known for a long time: The Robinson College of Business is one of America's best values for business education," said Dean Sidney E. Harris. "The ranking is a testament to the high quality of our students, faculty and programs."
The J. Mack Robinson College of Business is one of the most nationally recognized business schools in the Southeast. The College's part-time MBA program has been listed in the top ten by U.S.News & World Report for the past four years. In addition, the magazine recently listed Georgia State's undergraduate insurance program as 2nd best in the nation, the management program as the 21st best, and the Management of Information Systems (MIS) program as 17th best. Overall, the undergraduate program is ranked in the top 5 percent of programs nationally by U.S.News. With approximately 8,200 students, the College is one of the nation's largest accredited business programs.
For more information, contact:
Ray Healey, Forbes magazine, (212) 620-2290; email rhealey@forbes.com
