The Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University came in at No. 87 in this year’s rankings, three places behind their No. 84 place in last year’s rankings.
The Rawls College was more selective with their acceptance rates this year, only accepting 71.85% of the most recent incoming class as compared to 86.37% of last year’s class. SAT scores improved for Rawls students, with an average of 1210 for the incoming class compared to an average of 1168 for last year’s incoming students.
Rawls scores extremely well in terms of career outcomes. This year, 93.35% of the Class of 2023 secured full-time employment within three months of graduation compared to 92.79% for the Class of 2022. Internship rates nearly held steady, with 45.60% of the Class of 2023 landing a business-focused internship at or before graduation compared to the previous year’s 44.00% for the Class of 2022.
The Rawls College experience is best described as a real-world business education with a strong capstone experience and quality study abroad opportunities. At Rawls, students are given valuable skills that are directly transferable to the career of their choice.
REAL-WORLD EDUCATION
There are seven total majors at Rawls including Accounting, Energy Commerce, Finance, Information Technology, Management, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management. Additionally, students can apply for accelerated and pathway programs such as the B.B.A. to Master of Science in Accounting, B.B.A. to Master of Science in Finance, and Pathway to STEM MBA.
Overall, Rawls alumni view their business education positively. Surveyed alumni rated the quality of teaching in business courses a strong 9 average rating. Alumni also gave an 8.25 average rating in terms of faculty availability for informal discussions and mentoring outside of class.
STRONG CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE
The senior capstone project is a signature experience at Rawls. A number of surveyed 2018 alumni spoke highly about their capstone project saying that it gave them a headstart in their job search with valuable experience and skill sets.
“The Capstone course in the MSA program prepared me to pass the CPA exam prior to starting full-time work,” an alumni reported. “This gave me a tremendous leg up on my co-workers who were not afforded that opportunity.”
“I absolutely loved my senior capstone course,” another alumni said. “It was by far my favorite class because I felt like I got to learn about what happens in business rather than straight concepts. Our semester-long project was insightful into business structures and allowed us to relate to real businesses.”
Part of what makes the Rawls capstone experience strong is the direct application of what students learn and accomplish. For instance, the accounting capstone course requires students to take time to study and take the CPA exam. Each capstone project features an element of collaborative teamwork as well and challenges students to work together in solving a real-world issue. With this valuable experience, Rawls students go into job interviews with substantial talking points that give them a leg up from other students whose capstone experiences weren’t as applicable.
QUALITY STUDY ABROAD OPPORTUNITIES
Study abroad is another strong selling point for many Rawls students. The abroad experience offers a global perspective to how business is conducted as well as an appreciation for diverse cultures — both important for the real-world of business where teamwork is crucial.
“I studied abroad for a summer in Prague through a faculty-led trip,” one alumni told us. “It allowed me to gain a larger global perspective that has helped me in my sales career.”
“We were able to see the differences in culture, business practices, and opportunities with another region of the world,” another 2018 recalled. “China’s business dealings are drastically different from the United States. The comparison of the two changed our mindsets going back into our collegiate experience and translated into our professional career.”
Overall, what makes the Rawls education great is the real-world opportunities both in and out of the classroom. Whether through the capstone project or a semester abroad, Rawls students are given practical, real-world experiences that give them a head start to a long and fulfilling career.
Alumni say:
“I had two capstone projects, one in my undergraduate degree and one in my graduate education. Both capstone projects gave me real world experience and drove me to my passion. I found out a lot about myself amongst my peers and in immersing myself into our project. These projects were huge stepping stones leading me into my career today. Although I didn’t get my dream job right off the cuff, I was able to use the valuable knowledge and skills from my projects and professors that I finally landed my dream job today. I am eternally grateful for the Rawls College of Business and a proud alumni!
“Able to do mock audits through online software to simulate what we do in our profession as well as planned for an audit like we do assessing the risk of certain areas of financials.”
“I had a group project in my real estate investments class that involved entry level market analysis and financials. I was able to apply what I learned during that project in my first job out of college. It prepared me tremendously for my market analysis reports that I had to present on a weekly basis to the VP of Capital Markets.”
“Global immersion and experiential learning by sharing the classroom with international students and learning from working professionals and guest speakers. I am thankful for it because it has helped me to easily adapt to my company’s multicultural environment.”
“All of the project-based work in my marketing classes were important as they prepared me for working on a team in the real world as well as managing deadlines.”
