The Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University came in at No. 21 in this year’s 2023 rankings, down just one place from last year’s No. 20 in 2022. The school has been on their way up in our ranking of undergraduate business programs year after year.
Overall, of the three main categories of the 2023 rankings, they placed highest in Academic Experience, at No. 11. As for the other two categories, they placed No.16 in Career Outcomes, and No. 38 in Admissions.
Gabelli had an acceptance rate of 49.60% for this year’s incoming class – slightly less exclusive than last year’s rate of 48.49%. They had an average SAT score of 1409 for the most recent incoming class, which was a few points higher than last year’s average of 1406.
The Gabelli School has maintained relatively strong employment and internship outcomes over the years. Some 97.50% of the Class of 2023 had a business-focused internship before graduating, in line with last year’s 97.40%. Further, 94.91% of the Class of 2023 were able to clinch a full-time position within three months of graduation, down just a bit from 97.42% for last year’s class. As for compensation, 2023 grads reported an average starting salary of $78,749.
GABELLI’S CURRICULUM: 4 MAIN FOCUSES
Located in the heart of New York City, Gabelli offers a business education that emphasizes leadership training and problem-solving with opportunities to travel globally and connect with an expansive alumni network.
The Gabelli School core curriculum is centered around four main pillars, with each year dedicated to one. Gabelli students spend their first year focused on “Innovation and Exploration.” In this year, students explore the idea of social innovation through business models and the role of business in society.
In their second year, coursework is heavily teamwork centric. Students are organized into cohorts and collaborate with the same group of students in all classes. Junior year is spent on data and analytics with classes such as financial modeling, marketing analytics, and business analytics. The senior year ties together the comprehensive leadership skills that students have been developing during their education through an integrated leadership project.
CONSULTING CUP CHALLENGE
One of the impactful experiences that many Gabelli alumni highlight is the Consulting Cup challenge, a semester-long integrated project course, when you and student teams are given a real company to investigate.
Students spend four months identifying their selected company’s biggest challenge in the marketplace and collaborate with one another to solve it. The student teams present their proposed solution to a panel of judges and professors where the winning team takes home $3,000 in prize money.
Whereas many other B-schools expose students to this type of real-world project in their senior year as a capstone course, Gabelli students are given this opportunity early on in their education as sophomores.
The challenge is a key example of the Gabelli experience, one that gives students a real-world view into business as a whole and features a ton of collaboration.
BEYOND NEW YORK CITY
Gabelli students not only have access to the cultural hub that is New York City, but also a wide variety of opportunities to travel internationally. With more than 150 programs in countries internationally, the Gabelli School has strong partnerships with universities around the world – from the Beijing Center of Loyola University Chicago to the Vienna University of Business and Economics.
Gabelli’s global immersion programs are truly immersive, with many allowing students to explore the unique ecosystems and economies of other countries — no matter how big or small.
Overall, the Gabelli education is perfect for anyone looking to get an early start on hands-on, real-world learning with an opportunity to not only be in the biggest metropolitan city in the U.S., but truly understand and experience business at a global scale.
Alumni say:
“At the Gabelli School of Business, each Sophomore participates in the Consulting Cup. In this iterative learning experience, a team of business school students function as a consulting team for a Fortune 500 Company. Additionally, the Gabelli School of Business sponsored me and my peers to participate in the Business Ethics and Suitability Case Competition in Los Angeles, California, where our detailed, researched presentation earned us First Place in the 25-minute case competition.”
“Case Competition – this was a semester-long project in which we were put into groups and had to pitch our idea at the end of the semester. This project involved all of our classes for the semester and really made us think about our pitch from all aspects- accounting, marketing, communications, etc. This helped us think critically from all sides of business.”
“Many interdisciplinary capstone projects that tied in personal passions with industry curriculum. Established and encouraged the mindset that passion doesn’t have to be sacrificed in order to succeed or reach goals. Additionally, the deep integration of social innovation and sustainability in every facet of my business education has positively impacted me professionally and as a consumer/citizen.”
“Working in a variety of projects focusing on real-world business problems allowed me and my teammates to gain a better understanding of life outside the classroom. Being able to gain exposure to real-world problems better prepared me for my career and life post-graduation.”
“Gabelli emphasizes public speaking and the art of capturing attention through various presentations, verbal skill tests/lessons, and more. All of that transfers incredibly well in the business world – from small talk, to casual meetings, to formal presentations.”
