Business / Education

 

A new study ranks Washington, D.C., New Hampshire and Massachusetts as the states with the most MBA graduates per 100,00 people. In the top locality, Washington, D.C., over 336 residents per 100,000 hold an MBA degree. 

The rankings are part of a larger study that ranked the best cities for business graduates according to a 50-point score that factored in the number of business professionals, median salaries, average living costs and a quality of life index. 

Washington, D.C. is a unique case as its city/district status makes it uniquely attractive as a home for business degree holders. However, the number of MBA degree holders still is quite striking. In Washington, D.C., MBA graduates don’t just occupy finance or consulting roles, but also serve within government departments and lead national advocacy and lobbying groups. With jobs attracting candidates from all over, it would be interesting to tally up how many MBA holders in Washington, D.C. actually earned degrees from top-ranked local schools like Georgetown University and George Washington University. 

On the other hand, New Hampshire is far from an urban state, making its high ranking for MBA graduate holders that much more unique. Certainly, there are great options in New Hampshire for those looking to earn an MBA. The University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth College both host nationally-ranked business programs. Interestingly the presence of these programs may actually employ some MBA-holding residents. According to statewide business statistics, the University of New Hampshire, Keene State College and Dartmouth College are among the top employers in New Hampshire. 

The study also highlighted the states with the lowest number of MBA graduates were Wyoming, Alaska and Idaho. In Wyoming, only about 10 people in every 100,000 hold an MBA. These numbers make considerable sense given that most residents working in these states are trained in other skilled jobs in agriculture or manufacturing. However, for MBA graduates looking for a faster path to statewide leadership across the business sector, perhaps moving to a state with less competition could offer its own perks. That’s just supply and demand, right?

Overall, it was interesting to see such a range in the density of MBA holders across different states. With such a wide variety of MBA populations, it’s definitely worth it for MBA holders to compare different states. After all, more MBA graduates in the area means more possible connections, colleagues and opportunities. You can check out the full study here.