USD graduate business school ranked No. 17 in value

CHRISTOPHER REYES
BUSINESS EDITOR
@cdrey

With their undergraduate careers coming to an end, many graduating business students are considering their options for the future. Graduate school is one option that students have to advance their career opportunities and make themselves more attractive job candidates. The decision to attend graduate school can be a difficult one to make.

Senior accounting major Ryan Paquette is not enthusiastic about spending extra time in the classroom.
“I always had the notion that I would be in college for only four years,” Paquette said. “When I learned that my major is typically a five-year program, it sort of caught me by surprise at first. I honestly didn’t know if I wanted to be in school for that additional year.”

Students weigh a variety of other factors when making plans for the future. For senior Tilly Lumpkin, the decision about whether or not to attend graduate school is a difficult one and presents several questions.

“Will it be worth my while?” Lumpkin said. “Will it pay off in the end? Will I get a better job than if I didn’t go at all?”

Graduate business school requires student commitment to additional years of studying and tuition payments. The large investments of effort and money can dissuade prospective graduate students, as is the case with senior Matt Sirianni.

“The high cost affects my decision a lot,” Sirianni said. “It is enough to deter me from pursuing an MBA until I work and either save or find an employer to help with the costs.”

To assist students with their decision making, Graduateprograms.com provides information to prospective graduate students through peer-written ratings and reviews. The organization recently released a list of the top 25 business schools with the best value.

The schools were ranked based on more than 70,000 survey responses from graduate students who were asked a variety of questions about their satisfaction with the business schools they attend.

The University of San Diego’s graduate business school was ranked No. 17 in the survey.

The ranking takes into account many of the considerations that prospective graduate students have. Because of the significant expense of time and money that graduate programs require, value is very important to prospective graduate students.

“Cost and quality of education is a very important consideration,” Sirianni said. “I want to attend a very credible and highly regarded business school. I am making a large investment in my education and want to make sure it is a good one.”

Ryan Paquette, another senior at USD, holds similar reservations about graduate school.

“I would argue that value is the most important thing to consider when searching for business schools,” Paquette said. “On one hand, you obviously want the best education available, but on the other you have to consider the financial investment these programs require. Graduate school is meant to prepare you as best as possible for your future career, but sometimes at the cost of significant student loan debt, this may not be a good return on investment.”

With the Graduateprograms.com rankings, students can make more informed decisions and ensure a good return on their investment should they decide to attend business school.