The Oregon MBA jumped 18 percent in the latest ranking for graduate business programs by U.S. News & World Report. With that increase, the University of Oregon program was one of the five biggest movers in the annual rankings list, moving up 17 places in the publication's "Best Business Schools 2016."
"It's all about momentum," said UO Lundquist College of Business Dean Kees de Kluyver. "Seven years ago, we made a strategic move to align our Oregon MBA program around four specialty tracks in innovation and entrepreneurship, finance and securities analysis, sports business, and sustainable business practices. We are now seeing the results of that decision."
In addition to climbing to 79 out of the more than 450 programs in the rankings, the Oregon MBA has seen a significant increase in interest and applications this past year. Currently, the Oregon MBA program has received nearly triple the number of applications compared to a year ago. This growth is even more impressive considering that other MBA programs across the country are seeing a decline in interest and enrollment.
Building on the strategic realignment of the Oregon MBA to better meet market demands, the Lundquist College has invested significantly in the program in the past few years as well. We've bolstered our career prep programming and training, created a high-level mentor network that pairs MBA students with CEOs, and enhanced our emphasis on experiential learning to ensure all our students gain real-world experience applying lessons learned in the classroom to projects for leading companies. Those efforts have resulted in 81 percent of Oregon MBA graduates landing their dream jobs postgraduation—and that is not even accounting for those going the entrepreneurship route and launching startups.
With all our growth and investment, the college's Oregon MBA program remains a great value. In January 2014, U.S. News hailed the program as a top ten for most financial value at graduation. In addition, in the just-released U.S News rankings, we had the 19th lowest tuition among programs in the top 79 and the 32nd lowest tuition of all ranked programs.
"The interest and reputation of the Oregon MBA is on a growth trajectory," said Paul Allen, associate director for admissions and recruiting. "When I meet with prospective students, I enjoy watching their faces light up as I tell them more about the program and all that we offer. We have something truly unique here that puts our graduates on the path to rewarding and fulfilling careers."