Last Updated on September 6, 2024
There’s a difference between the best business schools and the best value business schools and since traditional MBA’s cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, it’s wise to consider the potential return on your investment.In a recent report, online lender SoFi finds that while elite business schools such as Columbia and Wharton lead to higher average salaries, certain lesser-known programs offer better value when you factor in student debt.
One lesser-known program in particular gives you the best bang for your buck: Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management in Provo, Utah.Business schools with the highest return on investment. The Marriott School offers students the highest salary relative to their debt load. Three years after graduating, students go on to earn an average of $109,383 a year and carry an average of $54,704 in student loans, putting their salary-to-debt ratio at 2.0.To put those numbers into perspective, the average salary for all business school graduates is $86,919, while the average student debt load is $70,164.One of the reasons students from the Marriott School graduate with less debt is because it’s among the most affordable MBA degrees out there.
Its tuition of $45,000 for the full two-year program is about two and a half times less than that of top-tier MBA programs, SoFi explains in a press release. Yet graduates still go on to earn six figures. What other programs offer sizable paychecks and a more manageable level of debt? Here is SoFi’s ranking of the top 10 MBA programs by salary-to-debt ratio.Top MBA programs by salary-to-debt ratio
Top 10 business schools that have the highest average salary relative to average student debt.
| Business school | Average salary | Average debt | Salary-to-debt ratio |
| Brigham Young University | $109,383 | $54,704 | 2.0 |
| Villanova University | $120,241 | $61,872 | 1.9 |
| Stanford University | $160,916 | $86,942 | 1.9 |
| University of Wisconsin – Madison | $109,954 | $59,864 | 1.8 |
| University of Kansas | $92,592 | $51,082 | 1.8 |
| North Carolina State University (Jenkins) | $88,664 | $49,265 | 1.8 |
| Lake Forrest Graduate School of Management | $127,947 | $71,757 | 1.8 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | $115,768 | $66,207 | 1.7 |
| San Diego State University | $89,087 | $51,748 | 1.7 |
| San Francisco State University | $94,687 | $55,168 | 1.7 |
Avinash Singh is a study abroad consultant with over 10 years of experience helping students achieve their academic goals. He is an expert in the US, Australian, German, and Canadian education systems and has helped hundreds of students secure admission to top universities around the world. In his spare time, Avinash enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with his family. He is also an avid reader and loves to learn new things.
