BusinessWeek ranks UNL part-time MBA 4th in nation

University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Master of Business Administration program earned a top spot in BusinessWeek magazine's new ranking of part-time MBA

UNL was ranked fourth nationally and first in the Midwest among part-time MBA programs. The magazine this week for the first time ranked part-time MBA programs, calling them a good option for people who don't want to quit working

Worcester (Mass.) Polytechnic Institute, UCLA, and University of California, Berkeley, were ranked first through third ahead of UNL.

BusinessWeek measured and compared student satisfaction, GMAT scores, student work experience, faculty tenure, class size, availability of business electives and student completion rates. They said UNL's part-time MBA program is best for "job changers," with 66.7 percent of UNL part-time MBA students reporting an average salary increase of 60.7 percent following completion of the program. The average GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) score for the group was 623, and 89 percent of students entering completed the program.

BusinessWeek's newest ranking of part-time MBA programs is by far the most complex, the magazine's Web site said. It's based on three separate measures of student satisfaction, academic quality, and post-graduation outcomes. For the student-satisfaction measure, it surveyed part-time MBA students at participating schools -- students who have recently graduated or are nearing graduation -- about all aspects of their academic experience. To gauge post-graduation outcomes, it determined the percentage of student-survey respondents from each school who said their part-time MBA program was "completely" responsible for them achieving their career goals -- whether it's advancing a career with a current employer, finding a new employer, or changing careers entirely.

The student survey contributes 40 percent of the final ranking, with academic quality and post-MBA outcomes contributing 30 percent each.

The magazine said students surveyed reported that UNL "Class instruction and small size win raves from students, though some professors aren't up-to-date when it comes to technology."

More information is online at: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/11/1105_best_part_time_business_schools/index.htm

2009 Regional Rank: 1 (Midwest)

2009 National Rank: 4

Rated Best For: Job Changers

Average GMAT Score: 623

Completion Rate: 89 percent

Grads Reporting Salary Increase: 66.7 percent

Average Salary Increase: 60.7 percent