Full-time Leeds MBA rises to #36 among public business schools.

It’s not just prospective students who are realizing the incredible value of a Leeds MBA. Corporate recruiters are starting to better appreciate how the blend of skills baked into graduate business programs at the University of Colorado Boulder prepares alumni for the challenges of leadership. 

In its most recent ranking of the nation’s best full-time MBA programs, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Leeds School of Business No. 36 among public schools, an increase driven largely by Leeds’ soaring reputation among recruiters. 

“When they’re meeting with MBA students, recruiters want to see not just the disciplinary knowledge you get—finance, strategy, marketing and so on—they want to know they’re hiring someone who’s primed for the leadership track,” said John Helmers, director of graduate career management and a Leeds MBA graduate. “Our emphasis on developing students as collaborative leaders, who can work across teams while setting strategic direction, is why they’re so highly sought in the market.”

Among the highlights of this year’s U.S. News rankings: 

• The full-time MBA is ranked 36th among public schools, up from 39 in 2022. Overall, the Leeds MBA rose from No. 74 to No. 67.
• The average starting salary of Leeds MBAs hit $92,500, a noted increase from last year. 
• The part-time MBA remains a top-25 program among public programs, at No. 23. It’s ranked 36th overall. 

MBA powers promotions

For Amy Link, who completed her MBA in 2016, the decision to attend graduate school was influenced by Leeds’ close relationships with the Boulder business community. She started with Zayo Group as a product manager after graduation, and has been steadily promoted to her current role of sales account director at the communications infrastructure provider. 

“I wouldn’t have been considered by Zayo without my MBA,” Link said. “Leeds was an introduction to a new network of close friends and professionals.”

“I wouldn’t have been considered by Zayo without my MBA.”

Amy Link (MBA’16), sales account director, Zayo Group

Link manages one of Zayo’s top accounts, which involves bringing a strategic perspective to the long-term future of the businesses while grappling with the day-to-day challenges her team faces; “my MBA gave me the confidence to know I could be an effective problem-solver.” 

Beyond the broad slate of business skills that an MBA offers, Leeds offers several unique customization options for students. These pathways—in real estate, natural and organic products, clean energy and high-growth ventures—leverage Leeds’ centers of excellence to provide connections and co-curricular experiences that give graduates a head start in these industries.

“One of the things that makes Leeds truly special the combination of our stellar faculty and our well-developed relationships with companies locally and globally,” said Dean Sharon Matusik. “Whether we’re considering a new pathway for the MBA or redesigning an existing course, we’re fortunate to have industry partners who are eager to collaborate, engage directly with our students, and provide input on the skills and experiences our graduates will need to thrive long-term in their careers.”

  Why Leeds     Leeds MBA programs     Graduate business programs

What's the secret?

Over the past four years, American colleges and universities have struggled to recruit MBA students. A 2018 survey conducted by the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), the nonprofit that oversees the GMAT examination, noted that applications to U.S. MBA programs declined by 7% this year. 

However, despite this decline, the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business, is actually seeing an increase in applications and enrollment for their MBA programs. In 2018, Leeds experienced a 10% jump in MBA applications and an 11% boost in enrollment. 

Even the most prestigious business schools, previously unaffected by the national decline, were unable to buck the trend in 2018, according to the . 

What is Leeds doing differently? 
According to MBA students surveyed by Leeds, traditional advantages of the MBA, like networking opportunities and career advancement are just as important as applicants’ values, goals and quality of life. Both Boulder and Denver are exploding with venture capital and startup opportunities, and Leeds provides a pipeline of talent directly into local business communities, particularly with its new high-growth venture fellowship for select MBA students piloted this year. Learn more about .

Nov. 21, 2014

Colorado MBA programs ranked among nation's best by U.S. News -

L. Wayne Hicks | Denver Business Journal

The University of Colorado's Leeds School of Business ranks No. 80 on U.S. News' overall roster of the nation's best graduate business programs.

CU/Leeds is the highest-ranked Colorado program on the list, released Monday, and the only one in the top 100.

Also listed among the best business programs, with its rank not published, is the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business.

There's a three-way tie for No. 1 on the best-MBA-programs list: , , and University of Pennsylvania-Wharton. In the mountain West,  and Brigham Young University rank highest, tied at No. 27.

U.S. News surveyed 453 accredited U.S. master's programs in business. Schools were ranked by a formula that includes peer and recruiter assessment, mean starting salary and employment rates for graduates, test scores and GPA and acceptance rate.

On a separate ranking of the best part-time MBA programs for working people,  in Fort Collins ranks No. 31, while CU-Leeds comes in at No. 39, DU-Daniels at No. 77, the  at No. 101, and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) at No. 154.

On a separate ranking of the best online programs, DU-Daniels comes in at No. 36, Colorado State University-Global Campus ranks No. 82, and UCCS takes No. 82.

Colorado Christian University in Lakewood and CU Denver are on the "rank not published" list for online MBA programs.

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Mark Harden directs print and digital news content for the Denver Business Journal, contributes to the "17th & Lincoln" blog and compiles the daily "Afternoon Edition" email. Email: mharden@bizjournals.com. Phone: 303-803-9227.

News Director- Denver Business Journal

May. 14, 2015

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Value Colleges (), an independent online guide to the best values in undergraduate and graduate college education, has released its 2015 ranking of the Top 50 Best Value MBA Programs at.

Value Colleges' Top 50 Best Value MBA list is a guide to the colleges and universities that give students the best return for their investment: colleges that meet the ideal combination of affordability and excellence, with high ROI and low debt. These fifty schools represent the most secure investment for students hoping to improve their education and status with a convenient, flexible degree program. At the top of the ranking are the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University; the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University; and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

The ranking was built using the following criteria:

*National rankings

*Cost of attendance

*Average graduate salary

Information was compiled from Payscale.com, the AACSB, U.S. New & World Report, IPEDS, and the schools' own websites, for complete accuracy.

With no further ado, the list (in alphabetical order):

Arizona State University, W.P. Carey School of Business

Boston College, Carroll School of Management      

Boston University, School of Management

Brigham Young University, Marriott School of Management

The College of William & Mary, Mason School of Business                

Dartmouth College, Tuck School of Business                                      

Emory University, Goizueta Business School                

Florida International University, College of Business            

George Washington University, School of Business                

Georgia Institute of Technology, Scheller College of Business

Indiana University, Kelley School of Business

Michigan State University, Broad Graduate School of Management

North Carolina State University, Poole College of Management  

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

Pennsylvania State University, Smeal College of Business

Purdue University, Krannert School of Management            

Rutgers University, Rutgers Business School

Texas A&M University, Mays Business School

Texas Christian University, Neeley School of Business      

Texas Tech University, Rawls College of Business                      

Thunderbird School of Global Management              

University of Alabama, Manderson Graduate School of Business                  

University of Arizona, Eller College of Management                

University at Buffalo, School of Management              

University of California, Davis, Graduate School of Management

University of California, Irvine, Merage School of Business            

University of Cincinnati, College of Business                

University of Colorado, Boulder, Leeds School of Business              

University of Connecticut, School of Business

University of Florida, Hough Graduate School of Business                

University of Georgia, Terry College of Business  

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, College of Business

University of Iowa, Tippie School of Management

University of Maryland, Smith School of Business                      

University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management                      

University of Mississippi, School of Business              

University of Missouri, Trulaske College of Business            

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business                      

University of Oklahoma, Price College of Business                    

University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business              

University of South Carolina, Moore School of Business

University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Haslam College of Business

University of Texas, Austin, McCombs School of Business                  

University of Texas, Dallas, Jindal School of Management                    

University of Utah, Eccles School of Business

University of Washington, Foster School of Business          

University of Wisconsin - Madison, School of Business  

Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management    

Wake Forest University, School of Business

"If you're in business, maybe middle management, what you've heard is true," Value Colleges Editor Carrie Sealey-Morris explains, "the best way for you to advance is an MBA. The schools on this list have a multitude of distinct advantages, such as career development centers; fellowships and international travel; large, loyal alumni networks; and, often, proximity to major metropolitan areas, where partnerships and connections with the corporate world afford students the potential for internships and employment. Low tuition costs and high average starting salaries mean a great return on investment, and that's what we mean by 'value.'"

Value Colleges is an online resource with one mission: helping prospective students find the best educational value in their chosen field. At Value Colleges future students can find rankings for the top investments in online and residential college degrees, advice on making the best decisions about finances when in college, and explanations of commonly-misunderstood aspects of college costs.

Contact:

Carrie Sealey-Morris

Editor, Value Colleges

(512) 710-9901

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:

SOURCE Value Colleges