Forbes Ranks Rollins MBA #36 Nationally; #1 in Florida

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Rollins MBA at the Crummer Graduate School of Business Ranked 36th Nationally by Forbes Magazine

ORLANDO, Fla, August 5, 2009 - The Rollins MBA at the Crummer Graduate School of Business is ranked 36 nationally for return on investment, according to Forbes magazine. The publication ranked Rollins MBA as the top school in Florida, ahead of the University of Miami and the University of Florida in its sixth biennial ranking of business schools. Rollins MBA moved up one spot versus the 2007 survey, which ranked Rollins MBA number 37 in the nation.

According to the survey, Rollins MBA tied for fourth in the nation in terms of years to break even. In computing the rankings, Forbes calculated that a Rollins full-time MBA degree, through increased earning potential, pays for itself in slightly more than four years.

"This survey validates the importance of choosing a school, not solely on the cost of tuition, but the quality of education which drives how long it will take to recover those expenses upon graduation," said Craig McAllaster, dean, the Rollins MBA at the Crummer Graduate School of Business. "Our ranking not only points to the excellent skills our students acquire at Crummer, but also the ability of our students to leverage these skills upon graduation."

Unlike other surveys, Forbes conducted a comprehensive ranking of business schools that compared the cost of attaining an MBA to the monetary rewards for obtaining the degree. Forbes' sixth biennial ranking of business schools, based on the return on investment graduates have achieved after five years, shows that alumni of the best programs still command huge salaries with their degrees.

The ranking of MBA programs is based on the return on investment achieved by the graduates from the class of 2004. Forbes surveyed 17,000 alumni at 103 schools and heard back from 24 percent of those grads. Forbes compared their earnings in their first five years out of business school to their opportunity cost (two years of forgone compensation, tuition and required fees); adjusted for cost of living expenses; and discounted their earnings gains using a rate tied to money market yields.

Forbes also discounted tuition to account for students who pay in-state rates and for the non-repayable financial aid that schools dole out. This year for the first time, Forbes also accounted for required fees that students must pay on top of tuition. Only two-year full-time MBA programs were included in the U.S. ranking.

About the Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business The Rollins MBA at the Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business, located in Winter Park, Florida, is consistently ranked a top MBA program by Forbes magazine and BusinessWeek, and a top-25 school for entrepreneurial studies from Entrepreneur Magazine and the Princeton Review. It is among a select group of business schools in the nation that have been accredited at the graduate level and is distinguished by its faculty and the academic and business successes of its graduates. The Rollins MBA offers degrees in four different formats for both working professionals and full-time students.

Founded in 1885, Rollins College is Florida's oldest recognized college, and is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of "America's best colleges." The College of Arts & Sciences offers full-time undergraduate programs in the liberal arts. The Hamilton Holt School serves the Central Florida community by offering exceptional undergraduate and graduate degree programs during evenings and weekends to students diverse in age, experience and professional development. The Crummer Graduate School of Business is consistently ranked by Forbes magazine among the best business schools for return on investment, and Forbes recently ranked the MBA program No. 1 overall in Florida. For more information about Rollins, visit our Web site at www.rollins.edu.