KU delivers a competitive edge in MBA careers
Increase your career worth
Earning an MBA can prepare you for countless opportunities, and today those opportunities are more lucrative than ever. According to the 2023 Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Corporate Recruiters Survey, the estimated median starting salary for MBA graduates is $125,000.1
Recent data also indicates holding an MBA can lead to greater earning potential. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Population Survey, in 2023, the median weekly earnings for master's degree holders, including MBA graduates, were $1,737, compared to just $1,493 for those with a bachelor's degree.2
Additionally, based on recent data, MBA graduates tend to earn six-figure salaries in these industries:3
- Consulting: Base salaries of approximately $200,000 at top consulting firms
- Finance: Starting salaries of over $100,000
- Innovative strategist: Average salary of approximately $120,000
- Business development manager: Average salary of approximately $132,000
- Product manager: Average salaries of over $270,000
- Pharmaceutical account managers: Can earn between $166,000 and $250,000, on average
Enhance your professional growth with an MBA
An advanced degree like an online MBA from KU can enhance your business acumen, giving you a competitive edge and enabling you to apply new skills in your current role or explore new opportunities across various industries.
Versatile job duties
Today’s MBA programs offer deep dives into a variety of leading industries and equip graduates with more than just essential business management and administration skills, opening doors to a wide range of job roles.
- Strategy (55.9%)
- Consulting (55.5%)
- Project management (44.8%)
- Business development (44.1%)
- Product management (43.3%)
- Leadership development program (36.8%)
- Finance (35.7%)
- Marketing (34.4%)
- General management (33.9%)
- Analytics and data science (30.2%)
Hiring trends for MBA graduates
If you’re wondering whether our online program can really provide the new career outcomes you want, consider these projected 2023 hiring trends for those with graduate management education (GME degrees) which includes MBAs:
Lifelong connections: What joining the Jayhawk family can do for you
KU students are directors, accountants, data analysts, doctors, electrical engineers, and more.
Half of the alumni came to KU with the goal of gaining the skills and knowledge to facilitate their own career advancement, and we have helped them build momentum toward achieving those goals while also challenging and revolutionizing the way they think about business.7 The Jayhawk alumni network is an essential part of the KU community, on campus and far beyond it. Read more about the importance of an alumni network.
A higher starting MBA salary isn’t all you can expect as a new graduate. When you earn your degree from KU, you’ll enjoy the added value of a global professional network of over 25,000 alumni.
KU’s affordable online MBA program is your chance to become immersed in a diverse group of business professionals and learn from leading experts with extensive experience in their fields. As you explore new MBA careers, your connection to this elite group of leaders could prove immensely valuable.
See the kind of success the MBA title and KU name can deliver:
Ready to pursue your MBA at KU?
Industries where KU students work*
- Healthcare
- Financial services
- Government agencies
- Architecture/Engineering/Construction
- Technology
- Marketing/Advertising
- Scientific/Other professional services
- Educational services
- Media/Entertainment
*Self-reported by students entering the online MBA in Fall 2016.
Student testimonial: Achieving career success while you learn online
“Thanks to the skills I developed from my coursework and the relationships I have established with my professors who have provided me with endless career advice, I landed a promotion at my company after only the first two semesters.
I have ascended into a position that allows me to have a stronger voice and to bring in a new perspective that encourages my organization to continue to be an innovative, flexible, and top leader in the regulatory sector.
Without my MBA experience, I would not be where I am today.”
Want to learn more?
Contact an admissions outreach advisor at 855-639-7799.
FEATURED ARTICLES
Strategies for Studying Online
- Retrieved on June 5, 2024, from gmac.com/-/media/files/gmac/research/employment-outlook/2023-crs-degree-profiles/2023_gmac_corporaterecruiters_report_degreeprofiles_mba.pdf
- Retrieved on June 5, 2024, from www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2024/data-on-display/education-pays.htm
- Retrieved on June 5, 2024, from fortune.com/education/articles/mba-grads-reliably-earn-a-six-figure-salary-in-these-6-industries/
- Retrieved on June 5, 2024, from poetsandquants.com/2023/05/11/the-most-in-demand-industries-job-functions-cities-for-mbas/
- Retrieved on June 5, 2024, from gmac.com/-/media/files/gmac/research/employment-outlook/2023_gmac_corporaterecruiters_report.pdf, (Graduate Management Admission Council, 2023, p. 7)
- Retrieved on June 5, 2024, from gmac.com/-/media/files/gmac/research/employment-outlook/2024-corporate-recruiters-survey/2024_gmac_crs_report.pdf (Graduate Management Admission Council, 2024, p. 43)
- Based on a limited sample of self-reported data from alumni of the University of Kansas School of Business online MBA program from graduating cohorts between 2016 and 2018
- Based on a limited sample of self-reported data from alumni of the University of Kansas School of Business online MBA program from graduating cohorts between 2016 and 2018, including respondents who indicated they expect to receive a promotion within 6 months from the time of their response