U.S. News and World Report: Rutgers Part-Time MBA is No. 23 in the U.S.

Rutgers Business School’s Part-Time MBA Program was ranked No. 23 among more than 200 similar graduate programs in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual Best Business Schools Report.

If you consider the ranking among public business schools, the Rutgers Part-Time MBA is No. 13 among the U.S. programs.

Rutgers Business School Dean Lei Lei said the new ranking reflects a growing recognition of the quality the Rutgers MBA Program offers. The Part-Time MBA Program was No. 83 when it was first ranked by U.S. News and World Report in 2010. The latest ranking represents a jump of 60 places since that first listing, she said.

There’s still time to apply to begin a Part-Time MBA in the fall. Learn more here. In the fall, Rutgers will begin offering a 45-credit MBA Program that students may complete in 12 months. Check for updates here or attend an online information session on June 17 at noon.

U.S. News and World Report considered a variety of factors, including a peer assessment from other business school deans and MBA program directors. (The peer assessment represents 50% of the ranking formula.) Some of the other factors included enrollment, characteristics of the student body, including test scores, and the ratio of part-time students in a school’s MBA program. The ranking included 239 Part-Time MBA programs.

Dean Lei said graduate programs in U.S. business schools are facing many challenges including the ever-increasing demand for flexibility, quality services, program innovation, and meaningful return-on-investment for a master’s degree.

 “The latest ranking from U.S. News and World Report demonstrates that Rutgers Business School is embracing and meeting the challenges of today and tomorrow,” Lei said.

Jessica Soltys started the Rutgers Part-Time MBA Program while working as a facility management coordinator in the commercial real estate field. She wanted to supplement her technical skills with the business acumen that an MBA could provide. She focused her studies on strategy and leadership and later added a second concentration in supply chain management.

Soltys, who completed the program in May, said one of the biggest return-on-investments for her is the confidence she gained as a result of learning more about business and developing soft skill needed in management positions. “The quality of my decision-making has changed,” she said. “Because of my accounting for managers class, I understand balance sheets so I can have better conversations with my finance team. Because of my supply chain classes, I have a deeper understanding of procurement.”

“The MBA makes it possible for me to make better decisions and to think strategically,” she said.

Soltys is taking a new job in the commercial real estate field, a manager of data center operations. It’s a position she was offered, she said, because of her “elevated education.”

Wei Wei Chen, senior director of the Rutgers MBA Program, echoed Dean Lei’s pride in the Part-Time MBA Program’s “remarkable growth.” 

“This achievement is a testament to our continuous adaptation to evolving business needs, offering a flexible, affordable, relevant, and innovative curriculum,” Chen said. “The strength and quality of our program, students, faculty, and staff, combined with a significant return on investment evidenced by an average salary increase of 112% -- underscore the value of our MBA.”

“Our proximity to New York City and the diversity of our student body create the perfect combination for a life-changing, worthwhile experience,” Chen said.

Soltys said she benefited from the program’s flexibility and the in-person classes where she was able to build relationships with classmates and learn from their experiences. As part of her strategy and leadership studies, she took three classes with Professor Zeki Pagda: management consulting, organizational behavior and executive leadership.

“I learned so much about emotional intelligence, influence and leading as a team,” she said. “Those classes were game changers.”

-Susan Todd