Paul College of Business and Economics ranked #55 in Poets&Quants for Undergrads Best Undergraduate Business Schools 2021 rankings

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

The University of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics has achieved its highest national ranking to date, coming in at #55 in the Poets&Quants for Undergrads Best Undergraduate Business Schools 2021 rankings. 

The University of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics has achieved its highest national ranking to date, coming in at #55 in the Poets&Quants for Undergrads Best Undergraduate Business Schools 2021 rankings

The college also ranked #34 for academic experience and #49 in career outcomes. In the sub-rankings that look at how 2018 alumni rate their business school experience Paul College rated #20 overall for alumni satisfaction and received “A” ratings for the quality and availability of faculty and for opportunities to nurture and improve soft skills in business.  

Poets&Quants for Undergrads is the leading online publication for undergraduate business education and its ranking is considered the most comprehensive assessment of undergraduate business programs in the nation. It assesses the three core values of an undergraduate business education: the quality of admitted students, what a school does to grow those students over four years, and how the marketplace responds to those graduates. 

“Achieving our highest national ranking is a proud moment for me, our faculty, staff, students and alumni."

“Achieving our highest national ranking is a proud moment for me, our faculty, staff, students and alumni,” said Dean Deborah Merrill-Sands. “This is the fourth consecutive year Paul College has been ranked among the nation’s top 100 business schools, moving up 14 spots from 2017 when it was first ranked by Poets&Quants. In addition to being our best, this ranking is truly special coming after a challenging year navigating the unknowns of a pandemic.” 

Despite the early impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic on the job market, Paul College support enabled most students to succeed in securing high-quality internships and employment. In addition, its 19,000+ alumni network was instrumental in connecting its students with top firms such as Fidelity investments, PwC and EY, which contributed to an average starting salary of $52,742, a 3.8% increase from 2019. 

Along with employment outcomes, Lu Echazú, associate dean for undergraduate education, said the college is especially proud of its high ranking in academic experience, which is based on a survey of 2018 alumni that accesses the quality of the faculty, extracurricular opportunities and accessibility of the alumni network. 

“While some schools are more concerned with who students are when they apply, Paul College, true to its public mission, cares more about what and how they learn while they are here,” Echazú said. “The transformation that happens between when they arrive and when they graduate is our greatest reward.” 

To that end, Paul College has prioritized making its curriculum both relevant and rigorous and has strengthened its experiential and applied learning programs as a signature feature of students’ educational experience.  

With this focus the college has broadened opportunities for students to engage with alumni and other business professionals to learn about a range of industries and career paths, as well as connect their knowledge and skills more concretely through “real world” projects. It’s recently launched Business in Practice program comprises a collection of two-credit courses developed and delivered by industry professionals. These courses build a bridge between business practice—what the college hears from business professional about what skills they want to see in undergraduates—and the core curriculum. 

Poets&Quants for Undergrads founder and editor-in-chief John A. Byrne launched the one-of-a kind-rankings in 2016 to help students make the best possible choice for an undergraduate business education. Poets&Quants for Undergrads is the sister website to Poet&Quants, which concentrates on MBA programs.