Out of all the business schools in the nation, two local universities rank in the top 10 for graduate earnings, according to a recent study.
The Cox School of Business at Dallas’ Southern Methodist University ranked third in the country, while the Neeley School of Business at Fort Worth’s Texas Christian University placed ninth.
The list was compiled by Venture Smarter, a consulting firm that “shares business tactics that help entrepreneurs stay ahead of the competition, maximize their capital and avoid common traps and downfalls.”
According to the study provided to The Dallas Express, SMU’s Cox School of Business graduates are expected to earn an average of $105,314 only four years after graduation. High-profile alums include Alex Cruz, the former CEO of British Airways, and Thaddeus Arroyo, the current CEO of AT&T Business Solutions.
For their part, Neeley School of Business graduates are estimated to earn an average of $93,488 four years after completing the program. The Cowtown university can boast several big names in the business world, with Katie Farmer, the CEO of BNSF Railway, and John Davis, a massively successful entrepreneur, counted among its alumni.
While the DFW metroplex is well represented, the top spot belongs to the University of Virginia, with graduates ranking an average salary of $88,048 only one year after graduating and $112,759 after the four-year mark.
Down in Atlanta, Georgia, Emory University earned the number two spot, with successful graduates getting an average salary of $78,394 after one year and $107,945 after four.
Other schools on the list include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, George Washington University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Washington and Lee University, Georgetown University, and Elon University.
In a statement provided to The Dallas Express, a Venture Smarter representative explained, “With business school constituting an obvious first step for many aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s interesting to have established the schools whose graduates are set to accrue the most wealth.”
“The prestige and alumni of these schools speak for themselves, but this top ten is certainly something for young students-to-be to take note of,” the spokesperson added.
Notably, the vast majority of universities on Venture Smarter’s top 10 list are in the South, with only New Jersey’s Stevens University representing the North.
The geographic distribution of the top programs could reflect the ongoing rush of people, especially entrepreneurs, to states like Texas because of their business-friendly atmospheres, as reported by The Dallas Express. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently called Texas the “headquarters of headquarters” after a report showed the state was home to more Fortune 500 company HQs than any other state in the union.
