TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Manderson Graduate School of Business at The University of Alabama is ranked 31st among public M.B.A. Programs and No. 61 overall among full-time M.B.A. programs in the just-released rankings by U.S. News and World Report. Harvard University leads the 2005 rankings, followed by Stanford and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. UA placed 65th in last year’s rankings and 76th the year before.

UA’s two-year M.B.A. program, which enrolls 60 students a year, is also ranked fourth among M.B.A. programs in the Southeastern Conference following Vanderbilt, the University of Georgia and the University of Florida.

“We’re delighted our M.B.A. program continues to improve its national recognition,” said Dr. J. Barry Mason, dean of UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration. “Once again the M.B.A. leadership has ensured that our program offers one of the best price-value relationships in the nation.”

In its most recent class, the Alabama M.B.A. program admitted 38 percent of its total applicants. The incoming class had an average grade point average of 3.4 on a 4.0 scale. Manderson’s selectivity ratio placed it 41st nationally, while the grade point average was the 17th highest in the country, tied with Emory University, Dartmouth College, and Columbia University.

Among programs in the Southeast, the Manderson Graduate School ranked 10th, with Duke University in North Carolina occupying the top spot, and was the top-ranked program in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and South Carolina.

“The M.B.A. program’s growing national reputation is a testament to our dedicated and talented faculty, staff, alumni and students who are telling our story,” said Dr. David Funk, director of the M.B.A. program. The appeal of the program’s return on investment, which ranked 9th nationally in Forbes’ most recent investment recapture rankings, has led to a 30 percent increase in applications compared to last year at this time, noted Funk.

Return on investment is a hallmark of the Manderson Graduate School of Business M.B.A. program, and the recent national rankings reflect on the M.B.A. program’s value. The average starting salary of Alabama MBA graduates at $56,051 is competitive among other nationally-ranked M.B.A. programs, and compares favorably when cost-of-living adjustments are made to more urban, east, or west coast peer programs. The Alabama M.B.A. program is a leader, meanwhile, in the other components determining return on investment, namely tuition and student support. Each student entering the program during the past two years received some scholarship, assistantship, or fellowship support. The cost of the program, which charges $12,894 tuition for out-of-state students, trails only Brigham Young and Virginia Tech University in out-of-state tuition affordability among the top 60 programs. In-state Alabama students pay $5,824 a year.

Dr. Tom Albright, professor of accounting in the program, notes the high quality and competitiveness of Alabama M.B.A. graduates as a key to the rankings. “The intense exposure to real business problems and teamwork in our program is gaining recognition for the program on a national basis,” said Albright.

The Manderson Graduate School of Business M.B.A. program offers a first-year core curriculum along with the choice of several areas of specialization during the second year of the program. A hallmark of the program is the selection of a diverse academic and professional class that has in common high achievement and high potential for leadership. The Manderson M.B.A. program prepares students for success through innovative programs, a relationship-intensive learning environment, and strong career services to help them compete in today’s job market.

For additional information about the UA M.B.A. program, please visit http://mba.cba.ua.edu.