The University of New Hampshire’s Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics ranked No. 63 in the 2023 rankings this year – down three places from last year’s No. 60 in the 2022 rankings. The Paul College had an acceptance rate of 68.30% for the most recent incoming class, which was more selective than last year’s rate of 70.83%. The most recent incoming class also reported an average SAT score of 1175, which was slightly lower than last year’s score of 1189.
Paul reported a jump in internship rates, with a solid 85% of the Class of 2023 landing a business-focused internship before graduation in contrast to 79.25% of the Class of 2022.
Employment outcomes have held strong for the past three years, with an impressive 95.87% of the Class of 2023 securing full-time employment within three months of graduation — hovering right around the same numbers as the Class of 2022’s 96.85% rate and the Class of 2021’s 96.33% rate.
The success of the Paul College is largely linked to the “real-world” applications of its education. From its signature FIRE program to the capstone experience, Paul undergraduates get a real sense of what business is all about. That was evident in this year’s survey, where Paul alumni ranked their Academic Experience No. 40 overall, which was the strongest finish for New Hampshire of the three methodological categorical areas.
FIRE PROGRAM
One of the signature programs at the Paul College is the first-year research and innovation experience (FIRE), an experiential learning program designed to help first-year students engage in college life and build relationships with faculty, staff, and other students.
The year-long experience is built around a set of grand challenges where students work in teams, learn research skills, and develop business plans that they present at the end of the year during the undergraduate research conference. FIRE uses game design principles to both motivate and engage students as they participate in a series of healthy competitions designed to increase student involvement and the formation of lifelong friendships.
“This focus on solving real problems is further emphasized and reinforced throughout the curriculum to ensure that students have the knowledge, experiences, and skills they need for successful and meaningful careers,” Sharon Keeler, Director of Communications and Marketing at the Paul College, tells us. “The vast majority of students report that FIRE helps them gain critical academic and professional skills that they build on over the rest of their college career.”
FIRE is a prime example of Paul College’s distinct approach to experience-based learning. At many other B-schools, students don’t experience this hands-on learning until their junior or senior year capstone project. But, at Paul College, students get a taste of experiential learning and teamwork early on in their first year. Year by year, Paul students build on their knowledge and gain valuable teamwork experience that will help them succeed in the real world.
REAL-WORLD CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE
The Paul College’s capstone experience offers students the opportunity to apply their business education in real-world environments. Whether they major in marketing or information systems, every Paul undergraduate gains valuable and relevant experience through their capstone project.
“Information systems concentration has a capstone project where you are placed on a team of students and you are paired with a company in the surrounding area to complete a project that will assist the company,” another 2018 alumni said. “Gives you hands-on experience doing a project in a corporate setting and extends your network as well.”
At many other B-schools, the capstone project will feature a theoretical company or issue. But Paul students partner directly with a local company to solve a real issue. This small, but significant difference enables students to understand what it is truly like to work in a real-world team setting.
At the Paul College, students gain real-world experience no matter what major they choose to pursue. With a relevant curriculum, strong faculty support, and a variety of hands-on learning opportunities, Paul students are well-prepared for whatever the post-grad world has in store for them.
Alumni say:
“I worked with a small business that required a tremendous marketing overhaul. I got to see how small businesses operated and how opinions from a student could carry tremendous weight in the small business world. Upon graduation I was inspired to find a small business that would allow me to have a meaningful voice even at the entry level.”
“I feel the capstone projects, especially those offered by Paul College, are especially exciting. Given the opportunity to complete a project from start to finish, with a team appointed to you, given the tools to accomplish goals and requirements on real life problems with real clients is an opportunity that I would go back and do again. Paul College gives you the tools and insight into how life outside of college works. We are given the tools, resources and opportunities to show real clients, companies and peers what we are capable of accomplishing in just a few short months.”
“The support provided by UNH to help me get to both of my internships I held while at UNH. It is because of this support that I was able to experience two start-up environments in the restaurant and tech fields, enabling immense professional and personal growth. There are so many examples I can’t even keep track. Paul College made me who I am today.”
“Experiential learning (case studies, capstones etc) are what translate best post-grad. The opportunities and experiences I was afforded while in college put me in a much better position (relative to peers) when starting my first job.”
“One of the classes I took senior year involved working with a real company to help them with a marketing/business issue. I found this incredibly helpful in preparing me for the “real world” outside of college. We had to essentially become a consultant for a company and work on a team to come up with a solution that solved their marketing challenge. This is very similar to what I do every day on the marketing team at my current job, so that experience definitely helped prepare.”
“Marketing and Advertising Club provided me the opportunity to work with a local, small business and help them solve a marketing problem. It was a real-world problem with real-world results and I reflect on my experiences from that project frequently.”
