Executive MBA Programs Meet or Exceed Students’ Expectations for Impact on Their Career

ORANGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Almost all students – 97 percent – who took part in the Executive MBA Council 2009 Student Exit Benchmarking Survey say their programs met or exceeded their expectations for impact on their career. Ninety-seven (97) percent of students also say their programs met or exceeded their expectations for impact on their organization.

“Raises and payback periods fluctuate with the economy. Despite these extraordinary times, the data is still very positive”

The Executive MBA Council conducts the Student Exit Benchmarking Survey to track the perceptions and opinions of Executive MBA program graduates and to help measure the return on investment of the degree. The survey included 3,348 students from 112 programs.

Students’ average salary at the start of their Executive MBA program was $125,029, up from $115,177 the previous year. Upon completion of the program, students’ average salary was $136,722, a 9 percent increase. In 2008, students’ salaries on average increased 17 percent. The 2009 graduating students expect a payback period of 49 months, up from 43 months, the expected payback period for 2008 graduates.

32 percent of Executive MBA students were promoted and 44 percent received additional job responsibilities. In 2008, 40 percent of students were promoted and 49 percent received new responsibilities.

“Raises and payback periods fluctuate with the economy. Despite these extraordinary times, the data is still very positive,” says Michael Desiderio, executive director of the Executive MBA Council. “The Executive MBA is a long-term investment, and our member programs are committed to providing an outstanding experience that will have long-term impact on students’ careers.”

The loyalty index of Executive MBA students is strong, according to the 2009 Student Exit Benchmarking Survey. The loyalty index is a combination of students’ ranking of program quality (8.5 on a 10-point scale); students’ willingness to recommend their program (8.7); and the likelihood of supporting the program as alumni (8.2). “The loyalty index predicts the future behavior of alumni, and our programs value alumni support and participation,” explains Desiderio. “Plus students who are very satisfied with their experience will highly praise their program to others."

The Executive MBA Council provides a forum for programs to share best practices and gathers industry data. Currently the council includes more than 200 educational institutions that administer 300 plus Executive MBA Programs worldwide. Survey analysis was conducted by Percept Research, the council’s research partner.