U.S. News & World Report Ranks MBA Program among Nation's Best

May 11, 2012

Gonzaga News Service

SPOKANE, Wash. — U.S. News & World Report ranks Gonzaga University’s Master of Business Administration program the 82nd best (tie) part-time MBA program in the nation, up from last year’s No. 93 ranking. This marks the third consecutive year the program has earned a top-100 ranking from the publication.

Gonzaga’s MBA program is one of three in the state of Washington to achieve the top-100 ranking, and the only MBA program in Eastern Washington on the list. The rankings are in U.S. News’ 2013 edition of the book “Best Graduate Schools” released earlier this spring.

U.S. News & World Report uses five factors to determine its part-time MBA rankings:

  • Average peer assessment score
  • Average GMAT score of part-time MBA students entering in fall 2011
  • Students’ average undergraduate GPA
  • Students’ work experience
  • Percentage of each business school’s fall 2011 MBA enrollment that is part time

To be eligible for the part-time MBA ranking, a program must be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Approximately 25 percent of MBA programs nationwide earn the prestigious AACSB accreditation.

“We are honored to have our graduate programs consistently high-ranked. Like so many successful organizations, our high performance has earned high rewards,” said Clarence H. Barnes, dean of the School of Business Administration.

Gonzaga’s MBA program currently enrolls approximately 150 students. Of those students, 65 percent are working professionals in the Greater Spokane area. The program offers three areas of concentration: marketing, entrepreneurship, and finance. Enrollment in Gonzaga’s MBA program for the 2011-2012 academic year rose 18 percent from the 2010-2011 academic year. Program applications for fall 2012 are up more than 5 percent.

Gonzaga University’s Graduate School of Business Administration

Gonzaga's Graduate School of Business Administration offers five master degrees, including an MBA, Master of Accountancy, MBA in Healthcare Management, MBA in American Indian Entrepreneurship and MBA or Master of Accountancy with Juris Doctorate (law degree in collaboration with the Gonzaga University School of Law). All of its programs are accredited by AACSB and rooted in the Jesuit ideal that business decisions have ethical implications. The School takes pride in producing graduates who become innovative and ethical business leaders who use their talents to create a vibrant workplace and a better world.