Graduate Business Programs Welcome Largest-Ever Cohorts
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (September 16, 2020)
As students prepare to begin classes on Sept. 21, the Leavey School of Business will welcome one of their largest and most impressive graduate business cohorts yet. Across all eight programs, the Leavey School of Business saw a 50% increase in applications, 64% increase in admitted students and 50% increase in enrollment.
Of the five on-campus graduate business programs, the Evening MBA and MS in Finance and Analytics programs saw some of the highest growth in cohort size, with the Evening MBA up 30% over last year’s enrollment for a total of 116 students, while the MSFA program is up 106% for a total of 33 students.
In the online graduate business space, all three programs - Online MBA, Online MS in Marketing, and Online MS in Finance & Analytics - showed significant growth. OMBA had a growth of 111% over last year’s enrollment for a total of 75 students, Online Marketing had a growth of 135% over last year’s enrollment for a total of 47 students, and the first-ever cohort of Online MSFA welcomed 25 students in its inaugural year. With the addition of this year’s cohorts, which have an average age of 30, SCU’s online programs now work with students from 11 different states.
This year’s Evening MBA class boasts an increased average GMAT score of 622, up from 615 in the previous year, as well as an increase in work experience at an average of 8 years, up from 7 last year. With one of the most gender-diverse cohorts yet, the MBA class is 47% female. As previously mentioned, the Executive MBA program welcomed 35 students for the largest cohort ever and a 75% increase over last year.
"I’m extremely grateful for our admissions team and their work in recruiting such an outstanding group of high caliber students across all programs,” Senior Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs, Dr. Toby McChesney said. “We are proud to see these numbers, which reflect our largest-ever class of incoming students, and to have this diverse group of professionals join our dynamic student body in contributing to Bronco Nation."
Among the three programs within the Master of Science division, cohorts saw an average GMAT of 648 and an average GRE of 309. At an average age of 27, the 97 total MS students are made up of 67% international students - including individuals from China, Greece, India, Russia, and Zimbabwe, to name a few. As the 4+1 Masters program, designed for undergraduate students to earn both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree, enters its second year the program saw an increase of 220%.
"Amidst such unprecedented times, I am delighted to see so many students joining the Leavey School of Business community and our amazing network of alumni and friends in Silicon Valley," Interim Dean, Dr. Naren Agrawal said. "It is heartening to know that we have such knowledgeable faculty who are committed to the success of our students by providing an enriching and engaging experience as we begin the school year remotely."
About Santa Clara University
Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís. SCU has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SCU has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars as well as four Rhodes Scholars. With undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, and graduate programs in six disciplines, the curriculum blends high-tech innovation with social consciousness grounded in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education. For more information see www.scu.edu.
About Leavey School of Business
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, one of the most dynamic business environments in the world, the Leavey School of Business combines academic excellence in the 450-year Jesuit tradition, with an energetic, innovative spirit that typifies the region. Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business offers one of the nation's best graduate business programs ranked No. 11 Executive MBA by U.S News & World Report, No. 25 ranked Evening MBA by U.S News & World Report and No. 25 ranked Online MBA by The Princeton Review.
For more information, visit www.scu.edu/business.