10 MBAs With the Highest Return for Grads Earning $100,000-Plus

Farran Powell , Ilana Kowarski

Evaluate potential earnings with an MBA.

A 2018 survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council found that the vast majority of alumni of two-year, full-time MBA programs -- 93 percent -- say their degree was professionally rewarding, and 83 percent of these alumni say that their degree was financially beneficial. One way to gauge future income potential is to look at a school's salary-to-debt ratio. That rate of return is calculated by dividing the average salary and signing bonus of recent grads by the average student debt of those who borrowed. Here are 10 ranked business schools where full-time MBA grads earning more than $100,000 on average within three months of graduation received the highest return.

Michigan State University (Broad)

U.S. News business school rank: 38 (tie)

Average salary and signing bonus within three months of graduating (2018): $125,320

Average debt (2018): $51,988

Salary-to-debt ratio: 2.4-to-1

Learn more about the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management.

University of Arizona (Eller)

U.S. News business school rank: 52 (tie)

Average salary and signing bonus within three months of graduating (2018): $105,673

Average debt (2018): $37,436

Salary-to-debt ratio: 2.8-to-1

Learn more about the Eller College of Management.

North Carolina State University (Poole)

U.S. News business school rank: 85 (tie)

Average salary and signing bonus within three months of graduating (2018): $105,340

Average debt (2018): $36,288

Salary-to-debt ratio: 2.9-to-1

Learn more about the Poole College of Management.

University of Georgia (Terry)

U.S. News business school rank: 37

Average salary and signing bonus within three months of graduating (2018): $109,785

Average debt (2018): $36,603

Salary-to-debt ratio: 3-to-1

Learn more about the Terry College of Business.

University of Rochester (Simon)

U.S. News business school rank: 40 (tie)

Average salary and signing bonus within three months of graduating (2018): $128,543

Average debt (2018): $40,864

Salary-to-debt ratio: 3.1-to-1

Learn more about the Simon Business School.

Pennsylvania State University--University Park (Smeal)

U.S. News business school rank: 33 (tie)

Average salary and signing bonus within three months of graduating (2018): $126,406

Average debt (2018): $40,122

Salary-to-debt ratio: 3.2-to-1

Learn more about the Smeal College of Business.

University of Florida (Warrington)

U.S. News business school rank: 25

Average salary and signing bonus within three months of graduating (2018): $124,245

Average debt (2018): $37,035

Salary-to-debt ratio: 3.4-to-1

Learn more about the Warrington College of Business.

Arizona State University (W.P. Carey)

U.S. News business school rank: 33 (tie)

Average salary and signing bonus within three months of graduating (2018): $117,272

Average debt (2018): $30,217

Salary-to-debt ratio: 3.9-to-1

Learn more about the W. P. Carey School of Business.

University of Wisconsin--Madison

U.S. News business school rank: 35 (tie)

Average salary and signing bonus within three months of graduating (2018): $119,645

Average debt (2018): $25,737

Salary-to-debt ratio: 4.6-to-1

Learn more about the Wisconsin School of Business.

University of Washington (Foster)

U.S. News business school rank: 21 (tie)

Average salary and signing bonus within three months of graduating (2018): $157,050

Average debt (2018): $28,968

Salary-to-debt ratio: 5.4-to-1

Learn more about the Michael G. Foster School of Business.

Learn more about applying for an MBA.

See the complete 2020 Best Business Schools rankings, and find guidance on crafting a compelling MBA application. Follow U.S. News Education on Facebook and Twitter for the latest education news and advice.

Discover MBA programs with high salary-to-debt ratios.

-- University of Washington (Foster): 5.4-to-1

-- University of Wisconsin--Madison: 4.6-to-1

-- Arizona State University (W.P. Carey): 3.9-to-1

-- University of Florida (Warrington): 3.4-to-1

-- Pennsylvania State University--University Park (Smeal): 3.2-to-1

-- University of Rochester (Simon): 3.1-to-1

-- University of Georgia (Terry): 3-to-1

-- North Carolina State University (Poole): 2.9-to-1

-- University of Arizona (Eller): 2.8-to-1

-- Michigan State University (Broad): 2.4-to-1