The University of Georgia’s Full-Time MBA has the sixth highest rate of return among U.S. business schools where MBA graduates earn more than $100,000 on average after graduation.

U.S. News & World Report released the new ranking, which is based on each MBA program’s salary-to-debt ratio, calculated by dividing the average salary and signing bonus for recent graduates by their average student debt. 

In 2017, Georgia MBA graduates earned an average combined salary and signing bonus of $104,464 and took on average student debt of $33,625, putting their salary-to-debt ratio at 3.1 to 1. 

“The combination of our innovative curriculum, new facilities at the Business Learning Community, and the value proposition substantiated by this U.S. News ranking truly sets the Terry College of Business apart,” said Dean Benjamin C. Ayers. “We are very proud of the student experience and employment outcomes offered by the Georgia MBA.”

The Terry College was tied for sixth with BYU’s Marriott School of Management and was the only business school in Georgia to make the top 10 list. 

“For many students, the major appeal of an MBA degree is enhanced earning power. But the cost of the program is the up-front investment that applicants also must carefully consider,” said Santanu Chatterjee, director of UGA’s Full-Time MBA and MS in Business Analytics programs. “To be among the nation’s top 10 MBA programs for rate of return reflects a number of qualities. First, the market value of our curriculum is exceptional, the student experience is first-rate, and the career opportunities for our graduates are ascending.”

Earlier this year, U.S. News released its guide to the best graduate business programs. The Georgia MBA program rose eight spots to No. 40 and climbed to 19th among public business schools. It was the largest gain of any business school that was ranked in the top 50 last year by U.S. News.