Guide to Colleges and Universities with Top Ranking Undergraduate Business Programs

Prospective undergraduate students looking for a quality business education have many choices. Here is a rundown of the undergraduate business degree programs that have received high grades from Bloomberg Business Week.

The University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business

I was surprised to learn that the University of Notre Dame had usurped the University of Virginia for the number one spot on Bloomberg Business Week's list of top undergraduate business programs. A neighbor of mine received his accounting degree from the expensive but beautiful Notre Dame University. He is now a successful CPA working for a large Pittsburgh accounting firm. Business Week awarded the number one spot to Notre Dame because of its high placement rate for graduates in this tough economy. The campus is located in South Bend, Indiana.

The University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce

The University of Virginia has moved down from its rank as the number one undergraduate business program to the number two spot. Business Week credits the school's strong core business program as the reason for its high rank. The school also boasts one of the least expensive tuition rates for a top fifty ranked business program. Annual tuition for the undergraduate business program is $9,500 per year. The University of Virginia also has one of the highest median starting salaries for business school graduates at $58,000 per year. The campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia.

MIT's Sloan School of Management

MIT rounds out the top three undergraduate business programs in the United States. The undergraduate business program receives high marks from Business Week for its high rate of summer internships for students. 90% of the undergraduate business students are able to find a summer internship. MIT graduates also have the highest median starting salary at $62,000 per year (2009 figure). MIT's Sloan School of Management is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon is an incredible University and their undergraduate business program is one of the most difficult to get into. The campus is located in the city of Pittsburgh, which provides students with an urban college setting. Business students, who graduate from Carnegie Mellon University, have among the highest median starting salaries.

Schools That Offer the Best Value for the Money for an Undergraduate Business Degree

Utah's Brigham Young University offers the lowest tuition rate of any of the top fifty ranked undergraduate business degree programs. With annual tuition (2009) of just $4,100 (room and board not included), Brigham Young University is a good value for those wanting to obtain an undergraduate degree in business. Other top fifty undergraduate business programs that rank as good value for the money are The University of North Carolina ($5,400) and Suny Binghamton ($6,700).

Undergraduate Business Programs with the Potential to Earn the Most Money

Graduates of these six top ranked business schools have thehighest median starting salaries. MIT's undergraduate business program topped the list in 2010 with a median starting salary of $62,000 up $2,000 from 2009. Other undergraduate business programs with high median starting salaries include The University of Pennsylvania ($61,000), University of Michigan ($60,000), Carnegie Mellon University ($60,000), Georgetown University ($60,000) and the University of Virginia ($58,000).

Sources:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_11/b4170061364922.htm

http://campuslife.suite101.com/article.cfm/top_undergraduate_business_programs_2009