Fortune Magazine ranked Boise State’s Executive MBA 13th out of 52 business schools nationwide in its 2024 rankings list. This puts the program second in the West only behind the University of California, Los Angeles, and higher than those of Yale, Cornell, Arizona State, University of Texas, Austin and Notre Dame. Boise State ranked 15th in the last Fortune list, which was published in 2022.
“The Fortune Magazine ranking reaffirms what our alums and employers already know – we have a highly effective, world-class Executive MBA offering right here in the Treasure Valley,” said Mark Bannister, dean of Boise State’s College of Business and Economics. “I commend our faculty and staff who work diligently to ensure that the education we provide is rigorous, relevant and transformative.”
Fortune’s list is unique since it doesn’t favor program size or peer institution ratings like many academic rankings. Instead, Fortune worked with a panel of expert consultants like AACSB President Lili Bi to develop a more holistic methodology for evaluating programs. The rankings include a more detailed analysis of student experience while also considering graduate outcomes and university brand reputation.
Fortune focuses on four program aspects:
- Program metrics like acceptance, retention, graduation rates, class size, and tuition, as well as previous rankings.
- Leadership stats on the number of current Fortune 1000 C-Level executives who graduated with an MBA from the university.
- Participant quality including average years in the workforce, management experience and advanced degree holders.
- Public reputation or perception of the school based on Google search information and analytics.
Boise State’s Executive MBA stands out among the top schools on Fortune’s list for several reasons. It’s more affordable than most programs, with a price tag of just $54,900. Brigham Young University is the only school in the top 25 that’s more affordable (by just $292). On average, executive MBA tuition at the top 25 schools is $145,492.
Boise State students also get more for their money. According to Fortune’s assessment, the top 25 schools’ average graduating class size is 104 students, while Boise State limits each class to no more than 25 students a year. The smaller program means Boise State students receive individualized attention like one-on-one leadership and communication coaching. These students have almost five more years of work experience compared to participants in the other top 25 programs.
“The Fortune ranking highlights how innovation and ‘Blue Turf Thinking’ has led the program to success,” said Brian O’Morrow, Boise State senior director of MBAs for working professionals. “Contrary to what other rankings might conclude, expensive programs, outlandish salaries and large class sizes aren’t always an indicator of success. By focusing on our students, outcomes, high-quality teaching and truly unique curriculum, the Executive MBA program continues to achieve notable accolades.”
Boise State launched the Executive MBA program in 2006 and has 315 alums to date, many of whom hold CEO or C-suite business roles across the nation.