Upcoming MBA Info Sessions in New York City

Pursuing an MBA is a significant investment in one’s career and personal growth. Therefore, prospective students often seek out MBA programs that not only provide a high-quality education, but also offer a compelling return on investment (ROI).

Prospective MBA students seldom look into the research rank of their target schools, but this is a missed opportunity. After all, research is what drives the public reputation of the institution and it contributes to its position in key league tables. This means research, while secondary to teaching in the eyes of most MBA students, plays a key role in attracting the best and brightest students, professors, staff and recruiters to business school.

Several of the elite US schools now admit people to their prestigious MBA programs fresh from their undergraduate degrees. Some students go immediately into the MBA; others work for a few years. Those programs that allow admit students after a few years in the field are often referred to as “deferred admission” MBA programs.

Not long ago, an MBA degree was regarded by many people as a passport to a lucrative professional job in a field such as investment banking or strategy consulting. While many students still pursue these career paths, a growing portion of them are looking for purpose as well as profit in their jobs.  In fact, making a positive social or environmental impact has overtaken pay and other perks as the top reasons MBA students pursue their career, according to an often-cited survey by Bain & Company, which, ironically, is a consultancy firm.  Curriculum changes are underway as business schools respond to the corporate social responsibility (CSR) revolution. Schools have been criticized for their apparent role in the global financial crisis and for focusing too heavily on maximizing shareholder return. Today many top MBA programs include an impact-related module, such as impact investing or social entrepreneurship.  The career opportunities in this field have flourished. CSR was previously something many companies merely paid lip service to, but they are making “impact” a fundamental piece of their business plans. There are now 2,655 certified “B Corporations”, or firms that verify their high social and environmental performance, across 150 industries and 60 countries, including the ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s and the social media company Hootsuite.  Picking the right program, however, is crucial. So we’ve ranked the best MBAs for social or environmental impact, below.