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Chico State

CSU, Chico College of Business MBA Program Ranked Among the Highest

MBA graduate receives his master's hood from two faculty
Jason Halley / University Photographer

Provost Debra Larson (left) and Judith Hennessey (Dean, BUS) (right) hood Alex Meldrum (center) as graduate students in the Colleges of Business (BUS), Communication And Education (CME), Engineering Computer Science And Construction Management (ECC) were honored during their Master’s Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 18, 2017 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/University Photographer)

California State University, Chico and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in the College of Business continue to be recognized for its excellence. In addition to the recent re-accreditation with the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, the University and the MBA program have been recognized by Money magazine, Washington Monthly, CEO Magazine, EDUniversal, Princeton Review and The Financial Engineer (TFE) Review.

Money named CSU, Chico as one of the nation’s “Best Colleges for Your Money” in its 2017 rankings. Out of more than 2,400 colleges and universities across the country, CSU, Chico ranked No. 174 based on its educational quality, cost and alumni success. Among the criteria Money uses to rank colleges and universities are graduation rates, student-faculty ratio, cost to obtain a degree, student debt and graduates’ earnings.

“Unlike other rankings, Money tries to identify colleges that are outperforming their direct competitors,” said Kim Clark, senior writer at Money. “The top schools in our ranking have the best overall combination of quality, affordability and graduate success.”

This is the third year in a row the University has been recognized by Money in this way.

“Because we are affordable for our students and families, many have the opportunity to graduate with low debt and go on to pursue further educational goals while not being burdened with large amounts of debt as they start their careers,” said Megan Odom, director for the Chico State Career Center.

In addition, Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck in the West” rated CSU, Chico No. 21 on the list, and No. 15 on its list of “Best National Master’s Schools.” The rankings are based on net price, graduation rates and whether students go on to earn enough to pay off their loans.

Matt Meuter, director of the MBA program at CSU, Chico, said, “We are exceptionally proud to be recognized in this way. We have known for quite some time that our MBA program is affordable, valuable and of high quality. However, external validation, such as Washington Monthly’s rating, is exciting.”

Additional rankings include TFE Times’ ranking of CSU, Chico as No. 138 on its list of “Best Masters of Business” programs for 2018, CEO Magazine 2017 ranking as a “Tier 2 MBA Program in North America,” EDUniversal ranking the University as a “Top 50 MBA Full Time” in its North America category and Princeton Review’s ranking of the College of Business as one of the top 267 Business Schools with an on-campus MBA program. Although the Princeton Review does not list specific rankings, it is quite an honor to be on its set of the top 267 universities.

“Chico State’s MBA program has maintained quality characteristics such as small class sizes, engaged and caring faculty, and MBA-specific professional advisors,” said Judy Hennessey, dean of the College of Business. “Our high rankings are the result of holding on to these key elements while adapting to the changing demands of the marketplace for our students.”

The MBA program at CSU, Chico provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective managerial decision-making. In addition to the general MBA option, students may specialize in enterprise information systems or project management. The MBA program, along with all of CSU, Chico’s business programs, has maintained accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business since 1972. To learn more about the program, please visit www.csuchico.edu/mba.