Stephen M. Ross School of Business

What Is the Stephen M. Ross School of Business?

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business is the business school at the University of Michigan. Founded in 1924 and located in Ann Arbor, MI, the school offers both undergraduate and graduate programs.

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business is well-known for its Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, which places a high level of emphasis on real-world experience and problem-solving. It is commonly ranked among the 10 best MBA programs in the world. The Stephen M. Ross School of Business’s full-time MBA program was rated as the 10th-best program globally by Forbes in 2019 (the most recent year Forbes has done rankings). The program was also ranked #13 in the nation in 2021 by U.S. News.

Understanding the Stephen M. Ross School of Business

Previously known as the University of Michigan School of Business Administration, the Stephen M. Ross School of Business received its current name in 2004, following a $100 million naming gift by the real-estate developer and philanthropist, Stephen M. Ross.

Today, Stephen M. Ross School of Business is home to about 4,200 students in their undergraduate and graduate programs with women comprising 45% of the students in the full-time MBA class of 2021. The school offers over 150 full-time faculty members with an additional 71 adjunct or visiting faculty.

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business’s programs include undergraduate majors in core business school subjects such as accounting, finance, management, and marketing. Additionally, the school operates a network of research centers focusing on specializations such as leadership training, sustainable development, and entrepreneurship. These include the Sanger Leadership Center, the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, and the Zell Lurie Institute, among others.

Arguably the most distinctive feature of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business is its emphasis on real-world business experience. This is accomplished through a variety of avenues, depending on the career trajectory of the individual student. For example, students pursuing careers in investment management can get hands-on experience by managing one of the school’s six investment funds. Similarly, students interested in management consulting can gain valuable experience by working directly with participating local businesses, as well as with similar business partnerships overseas. One can see why The Economist ranked the school as the 9th-best MBA program in the country in 2019.

Graduates of Stephen M. Ross School of Business

There are more than 52,000 graduates in 111 countries across the globe, according to the Michigan Ross website. With an annual tuition of roughly $70,000, graduates of the MBA program saw a median starting salary of just over $125,000 in 2020. Over 92% of the students had already received job offers by the time of graduation. 

In recent years, the single largest industry pursued by graduates of Stephen M. Ross School of Business has been management consulting, representing about one-third of the graduating class of 2019. The technology and financial services sectors were the next most popular choices, together amounting to one-third of the graduating class.