Every two years, Forbes takes a look at the business schools in the U.S. and determines which stand ahead of the competition. For students pursuing an MBA, this means narrowing in on the programs that will most likely provide them with a top-notch education and land them in their dream jobs.

Forbes took a look at the return on investment five years after graduation (so for this list, 2004 graduates), and spoke with 17,000 business school alumni from 103 schools to gather its information.

For 2009, Stanford Graduate School of Business rose to the top of the list, and was named the best business school in America by Forbes. The median salary for these Stanford graduates five years later is $225,000, surpassing all other business school graduate salaries.

The rest of the top 10 looks like this: Read the rest of this entry »

If you can’t work for one of the most influential CEOs in American business, then you can take his classes. Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, just this week launched the Jack Welch Management Institute, offering MBAs online.

Welch lead GE with a focus on efficiency, productivity, and talent development, that paid off for GE and its employees, as several went on to become CEOs themselves. He was also an early proponent of Six Sigma, a business management philosophy employed by corporations large and small. He had no time for being anything below number two, and applied that thinking to both firing illequipped managers or eliminating poor lines of business.

Now retired as GE’s chief and not one to sit back and watch the world roll by, he’s delving into an area of business that has grown increasingly popular in recent years (online education) and will help him to groom yet another generation of talented business leaders. Not to mention give the next generation an opportunity to learn from one of the greats. Read the rest of this entry »

Associate degrees can be much more valuable than many people realize!  According to Yahoo! Education, here are the five college degrees that offer the best financial return–that is, the highest financial rewards for the least amount of money.  Note that #4 and #5 on the list are associate degrees.

1. Masters of Business Administration (MBA)
2. Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering
3. Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing
4. Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies
5. Associate of Applied Science in Information Technology

You’re probably not surprised by the MBA, but did you know that associate degrees in paralegal studies and IT can really pay off–especially considering how little you’ll pay to earn these degrees?  Experienced professionals with these two year degrees average over $60,000 a year, and can potentially earn quite a bit more.  This is great news for students with these interests who aren’t crazy about the thought of going to school for years, and who want to get into the workplace now.  Two year degrees can really pay off.

So why isn’t the two year degree in nursing on the list?  If you’re interested in nursing, keep in mind that the four year nursing degree–which is #3 on this list–has really become the standard in the nursing field.  Two year degrees haven’t lost all their value, though– especially because you can get an associates degree in nursing, work for awhile, and then go back to finish a four year degree.

Of course, some associate degrees are more valuable than others, so if you’re interested in or attending a community college, talk to an advisor about the financial prospects of majors that interest you.  But don’t think that a four year degree is absolutely necessary to make yourself valuable in the marketplace.