Campus & Community

Reputation Among Recruiters Powers Stevens’ Rise in U.S. News Rankings

School of Business’ Leadership in Digital Transformation Is Turning Heads in Higher Education

As digital transformation continues to reshape the business world, companies seeking competitive advantage are increasingly turning to the School of Business at Stevens Institute of Technology. 

And the nation’s most prestigious educational rankings are continuing to reflect Stevens’ importance in this time of disruption.

In its 2021 report of the top business schools, U.S. News & World Report ranked the School of Business No. 77 overall, improving from No. 83 last year. For the first time, the School of Business is also ranked among the nation’s top universities for business analytics, reflecting its increased prestige in this important area.

“The ability to make smarter, faster decisions through data is something every business needs,” said Dr. Gregory Prastacos, dean of the School of Business. “Analytics represents a core component of each of our graduate programs, as we know that every professional discipline — finance, marketing, consulting and so on — benefits from a better understanding of data.”

Some highlights from this year’s Best Grad Schools rankings: 

  • Ranked No. 77 in the U.S. — the second straight year of improved rankings. 

  • Ranked 12th among recruiters. It’s the second straight year Stevens has been in the top 15.

  • Ranked 21st in the country in the Business Analytics category.

Last year, Stevens was tapped by AACSB International to lead its MaCuDE effort. Short for Management Curriculum for the Digital Era, MaCuDE was created to survey the academic and industry landscapes, closing the gaps between the skills offered by a traditional management education and the needs of the work force. 

If successful, Stevens will have played a leadership role in developing all-new curricula for MBA programs at business schools worldwide — crucial at a time when data and analytics are the key drivers of business strategy. It’s why Stevens offers a collection of master’s programs and a complement of short graduate certificates that are ideal for busy working professionals who understand that constant upskilling is a requirement of leaders in the digital age.

Headshot of the dean.Dr. Gregory Prastacos.

“Having a workforce of know-it-alls will be far less important than having a workforce of learn-it-alls,” said Dr. Prastacos, principal investigator on MaCuDE. “We must prepare students to become continuous learners who can leverage technology in ways that allow them to solve problems and make better decisions faster.”

That passion for learning and analytics is what brought Kanika Jain M.S. ’15 to the School of Business after climbing the ranks at Google and Amazon’s Indian offices. 

A management education can’t just be about new tools; “the Stevens program emphasizes that, at the end of the day, you’re solving business problems, and no matter what analytical methods are in play, you have to always keep sight of that goal,” Jain said. 

That emphasis on practical, applied learning is important for Jain, who today is part of the loss mitigation team in the merchant collections division of American Express.

Headshot of Kanika JainKanika Jain.

“For a lot of work in business right now, you need at least an understanding of data science and analytics, and how to apply those skills to drive business goals,” she said, mentioning SQL, R and Python in particular — each the subject of a boot camp in the master’s program in Business Intelligence & Analytics. “And it’s not just finance and tech companies. Pharmaceuticals, retail — every business is now understanding the value these capabilities create.”

Many businesses in these industries have headquarters or significant operations in New York City, just a short bus, train or ferry ride from the Stevens campus in Hoboken, NJ. For industry, that means incredible access to smart, tech-savvy business students for internships and jobs, as well as opportunities to bring workplace problems to the classroom for consulting work. For the graduate Class of 2019, 96% of students were hired within six months of commencement.

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