The Charles F. Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University ranked No. 37 in the 2025 Poets&Quants‘ Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the U.S. In our three methodological categories, Dolan ranked 45th in Admission Standards, 29th in Career Outcomes, and 32nd in Academic Experience, based solely on our alumni survey.
The B-school’s acceptance rate for the fall 2024 incoming class was 35%. The class reported an average SAT score of 1322 and a six-year graduation rate of 84%.
In career data, 85% of both the Class of 2024 and Class of 2023 graduates completed at least one business-specific internship before graduation. Some 99.7% of 2024 grads found jobs within three months, compared to 100% of 2023 grads.
The average salary for the most recent graduates was $73,922, with 16.3% reporting an average signing bonus of $3,601. Top employers include Deloitte, Barnum Financial Group, EY, Fidelity Investments, JP Morgan Chase, PwC, Morgan Stanley, iCapital, KPMG, and Goldman Sachs.
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM
The Dolan School of Business offers a comprehensive business core curriculum that encompasses traditional disciplines such as accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, business communication, and analytics. This core is designed to ensure that all students acquire a broad-based understanding of essential business functions.
To further enhance employability, the school has implemented a required career-readiness program. This initiative provides students with the necessary tools and guidance to navigate the job market effectively, aligning with the school’s commitment to producing career-ready graduates.
Additionally, a mandatory Microsoft Excel preparation program equips students with critical technical skills, ensuring proficiency in a tool widely used across various business sectors.
In the past three years, the Dolan School has introduced several innovative changes to its undergraduate program. Analytics and business communication courses have been incorporated into the required curriculum, reflecting the evolving demands of the business landscape.
Dolan also established a mandatory career-readiness program that underscores the school’s dedication to student success beyond the classroom.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Students at the Dolan School can pursue majors in Accounting, Business Analytics, Economics, Finance, Integrated Business and Engineering, International Business, Management, Marketing, and Sports Business.
The curriculum is designed to blend theoretical knowledge with real-world applications, ensuring students are prepared for a dynamic business environment. The Management major offers concentrations in business and society, entrepreneurship, hospitality and tourism management, and human resource management, while the Marketing major includes concentrations in digital and social media marketing, marketing communications, and fashion marketing. The Sports Business major delves into the economic and social dimensions of the sports industry, incorporating topics such as race, gender, and social justice.
Fairfield Dolan emphasizes experiential learning, offering hands-on opportunities such as internships, immersion programs, and business competitions. This approach ensures that students apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, enhancing their readiness for professional challenges.
The faculty comprises experienced professionals and scholars who provide personalized attention, academic advising, and career planning.
ALUMNI SAY
“I completed a capstone project for both my Business Analytics degree combined with a research paper component with a 30-50 page requirement that was a great project to be able to reference when looking for internships and my first job. I also kick-started my career through a co-op program designed and coordinated between the Dolan School of Business for my program and my now employer. Through the program, I was able to get my first job and have gotten 2 promotions in the first 2.5 years at the company.”
“I was a full-ride student athlete in undergrad and for graduate school did a combination of paying out of pocket as I go combined with utilizing my employer’s tuition reimbursement which only covers a few classes per year. I made it through a bachelor’s and 2 master’s at Fairfield without taking out loans but was in a unique position.”
“I always had a desire to work in commercial real estate out of college. Unfortunately, Fairfield doesn’t offer too many courses for RE. I took a Seminar in Finance class that walked us through ground-up development and the importance of DCFs in Real Estate. This ultimately helped me through my interview process in RE as I had technical experience”
