Despite sliding from fifth in 2019 to sixth last year to seventh this year, the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame has very much solidified itself as one of the premier undergraduate business education offerings currently available. In five years of our ranking, Mendoza has never finished outside of the top-10.
Playing a role in this year’s ranking was slightly weaker internship and employment outcomes compared to the Class of 2019. However, this is relative. Class of 2020 graduates still saw strong outcomes with 91.4% securing a business-focused internship before graduation and 97.96% landing a full-time job by graduation.
The acceptance rate this year at Mendoza was capped at 19.78%, making it far more competitive than B-schools fellow in-state rival programs like Indiana University’s Kelley School and Purdue’s Krannert School, which both accepted more than 50% of applicants. Additionally, the average SAT score at Mendoza was 1441 with 84.30% of students entering this fall being in the top 10% of their high school class.
Being a B-school within a Catholic university, the Mendoza education is best described as one that teaches students the importance of growing the “good in business” — a practice that the school prides itself on.
As it advertises on its website, Mendoza states, “This is not an era for business as usual. Too much is at stake—in our world, in our workplaces, in our communities. This is an era for virtuous individuals, with diverse interests and uncommon potential, to lead human enterprises forward. And this is an era for a business degree that gives those purpose-driven leaders the tools to connect their gifts to a better future for all.”
FORESIGHT IN BUSINESS AND SOCIETY
Mendoza’s signature undergraduate course is called “Foresight in Business and Society,” a required course for all junior-level students at Mendoza. The capstone course is designed to give students a view into the real-world and features guest lecturers, use of alternative class space and activities, a mentorship program, class discussions, and teaching by a diverse team of instructors. Throughout the semester, students take part in the Foresight Project where they test research and analytical skills and techniques by working in student teams to address complex problems.
“Your group selects a specific part of an industry and spends an entire semester researching everything about it (current trends, future projections, situational impacts) to produce a forward-looking report and presentation on it,” one 2018 alum explained in our alumni survey.
These types of experiential capstone courses are common at nearly every B-school, however, at Mendoza, there’s an increased emphasis on helping students “develop an awareness of important issues and trends affecting society, including issues related to sustainability” — further reinforcing Medoza’s slogan of “grow the good in business.”
“My group focused on projecting and forecasting income inequality in New York City looking at various factors (social, economic, political, technological, etc.),” one 2018 alum said about their experience in the Foresight course. “I predominately researched political influences and learned a lot about New York City and its current political representatives.”
A RICH ETHICS-BASED CURRICULUM
The Mendoza undergraduate program offers a holistic education with a rich variety of classes in liberal arts, science, theology and other programs, and a foundation in ethical ideals. Mendoza students can choose from six majors including: accountancy, business analytics, business technology, finance, management consulting, and marketing.
“Embedded in course content is that underpinning of the ideals of community, human development and integrity that go back to the founding of the college in 1921 and the university in 1842,” Jean Meade, Rankings & Projects Manager at Mendoza, told us.
Additionally, Mendoza alumni rated the quality of teaching in business courses highly with a 9.2 average rating. When asked to give a score for the business school faculty’s availability for informal discussions and mentoring outside of class, Mendoza alumni gave a whopping 9.6 average rating.
“The career preparation and mentorship combined with strong relevant coursework created a great environment conducive to propelling a student into their career,” one 2018 alumni told us.
STRONG NETWORK OF SUPPORT
The Mendoza alumni network is very supportive. Surveyed 2018 alumni gave the B-school’s alumni network and connections a solid 9.5 average rating in terms of helping them throughout their career as well as helping them connect with potential employers.
Moreover, when asked how much they believe their business degree assisted them in climbing to a new socioeconomic status, Mendoza alumni gave a strong 9.2 average rating. Salary-wise, the Class of 2020 at Mendoza earned an average overall salary of $72,000, which is higher than starting salaries for grads at both Indiana’s Kelley and Purdue’s Krannert.
For students seeking a well-rounded, hands-on business education with an emphasis on “doing good” coupled with a strong network of support both during and after college, Mendoza is the perfect choice.
Alumni say:
“I did undergraduate research with the Well-being at Work team at Notre Dame’s innovation park. With this Lily-endowed research team, I studied – what augments the work satisfaction and wellbeing of professionals. Our findings and insight into the corporate world gave me unparalleled soft skills, while at the same time the position gave me very practical skills in project management, SQL, protecting PII, and creating externally-facing reports.”
“I participated in the Applied Investment Management course in which we manage a small portfolio of stocks within the University’s endowment. This provided hands-on, intensive training in analysis and understanding of finance concepts with real consequences and impact.”
“The Student International Business Council offered a wide variety of real-world case studies in various industries that helped me learn what type of work I was interested in pursuing post-graduation. Being able to present our findings and receive in-depth feedback from real world professionals was instrumental in building public speaking confidence as well as professional etiquette.”
Where The Class of 2018 Went To Work:
Deloitte – 41
EY – 28
KPMG – 17
PwC – 13
JP Morgan – 12
Bank of America – 10
BMO Financial Group – 8
Citi – 8
Goldman Sachs – 8
Accenture – 6
Bain & Company – 6
Epic – 6
Nielsen – 6
PNC – 6
