Landing at No. 76 is the University of the Pacific’s Eberhardt School of Business in Stockton, California, down 18 spots from last year’s ranking of No. 58, and six points above its No. 70 spot in the 2021 ranking. Eberhardt placed 63rd in Admissions (down from 38th), 87th in Career Outcomes (for the second straight year), and 70th in Academic Experience, down from 33rd.
The Business Administration degree at Eberhardt is a four-year program where students can begin taking business courses as freshmen. The degree has five focus areas in Finance, Management and Human Resources, Business Analytics, Marketing Management, and Sport Management. It also features a Business Administration minor as well as minors in Business Analytics, Leadership, and Management.
MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR STUDENT-RUN INVESTMENT FUND ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM
As part of the alumni survey included in the ranking process, we asked Class of 2019 graduates if they had a “signature experience” as part of the business school experience. A signature experience could be any sort of impactful project work, global immersion, or experiential learning experience. Of those that responded, some 76.92% of the class said they were engaged in some sort of “signature experience.”
One of the most popular signature experiences listed was the Eberhardt Student Investment Fund. Students are accepted into the two-term course through a formal application process. Once accepted, they help manage an investment portfolio that has reached well into the millions in years past. Students manage the fund with the help of an advisory panel including the dean of the B-school. “The student investment fund was a great experience giving us hands-on learning in the real business world,” one 2018 alum said about the experience.
EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES
According to the school, about 38.5% of the Class of 2022 graduates had at least one business-focused internship before graduating, as compared to 41.5% for Class of 2020 and 2021 graduates combined. That number is relatively low compared to other participating schools. The Class of 2022 also reported a job acceptance rate of 70.5% within three months of graduation, up from 67.69% last year but still down from the previous year’s rate of 77.12%. Those who accepted jobs reported an average starting salary of $62,728.
Within the alumni survey, we asked Class of 2019 alumni if their first jobs were in a desired industry and at a desired company. A remarkably high 92.31% of 2019 graduates from Pacific reported taking a position in their desired industry immediately after graduation, and 69.23% reported their first jobs were at one of their desired companies.
AN INTRIGUING OPTION IN THE GOLDEN STATE
The Eberhardt School offers an intriguing business education option for students looking to be close to the San Francisco Bay Area but avoid the cost of living that goes with it. About 85 miles from San Francisco, Eberhardt alumni had positive feedback of their experience as the school punched above its weight in the alumni survey. Alumni also noted enjoying the smaller school and class sizes.
“Small class sizes were the most beneficial part of the school,” one 2018 alum told us. “It was engaging.”
Class of 2020 alumni Say:
- University of the Pacific – 3
- Amazon – 2
- Bloomberg – 2
- Clorox – 2
- Tesla – 2