The University of North Carolina-Charlotte’s Belk College of Business sits just outside North Carolina’s largest city. According to the school, Charlotte is the 16th largest city in the country and the second-largest financial services center. While the Belk College sits a bit removed from Charlotte’s city center, students can take a light-rail public transit system to the center.
Students at Belk may choose from nine different majors, with the most recently established ones being a business analytics major and a finance major in real estate. According to Belk College officials, the school has also increased its programming and offerings for professional development which has included professional development learning opportunities in core courses as well as developing programming in the Niblock Student Center.
“The Niblock Student Center in the Belk College of Business helps students identify and plan for their career goals, cultivate career-ready skills and network with business employers through individual coaching, professional development workshops, and experiential education,” school officials said in the school survey submittted to Poets&Quants for Undergrads. “Niblock Student Center staff partner with the University Career Center to serve business students. The University Career Center offers resources and career services (including a centralized job-posting website) to all students at the University.”
For last year’s graduating class, 67% had internships before graduation. Out of those seeking employment for the Class of 2019, some 76.89% had full-time employment within three months of graduation. Those with employment reported an average salary of $49,069. About a quarter (23.49%) of the class reported earning an average signing bonus of $1,825. Three months after graduation, 18.84% of the class was still seeking employment and 8.9% decided to continue their education.
Financial services firms and banks were some of the most popular landing areas for Belk College graduates immediately after graduation. Bank of America hired the most 2019 graduates with 32 electing to work for the bank. Wells Fargo followed in popularity this year with 14 graduates going to work there. Both Bank of America and Wells Fargo were the top-two hiring firms last year as well.
This was the first year the Belk College was ranked in Poets&Quants for Undergrads’ Best Business School Rankings and the school debuted at No. 75. Belk scored best in the admissions category where it placed 68th. Belk’s alumni also rated the school favorably, giving it a No. 71 ranking in the alumni experience category. Unfortunately, Belk was held back in the employment outcomes category because of relatively low employment and internship percentages as well as lower salaries for its graduates.
However, the Belk College offers a unique place to earn a degree in the southeast as one of a few schools — especially in North Carolina — to sit at the edge of such a financial services hub.
Where the Class of 2019 went to work:
1. Bank of America Corporation – 32
2. Wells Fargo & Company – 14
3. TIAA – 8
4. Independent – 7
5. Zentra, LLC – 6
6. Lowe’s Companies, Inc – 5
7. Duke Energy Corporation – 4
8. Fastenal – 4
9. Target – 4
10. Townsquare Interactive – 4