Hi I am wondering how good undergrad business at the University of Alabama is versus top business schools across the country. I am considering U of Alabama due to the merit full tuition scholarship if you have a 3.5 and a 1400/1600 SAT. Would it be worth going to U of Alabama for free, versus paying close to 70 grand at other top private schools? How good are the job prospects coming out of Alabama? Is their major difference in the quality of education and the value of your degree?
Thanks
Haha I would like to know the answer to this too 
keep me in the loop
@WindyCityKid Yeah I would love to save 200+k but only if I know that I can find a good job after college. Hope someone can answer.
UA business is good. By the way, the employer doesnt care what undergrad you attended…
I believe the school’s accounting and MIS programs are among its best, and I just saw this online: http://www.businessinsider.com/best-business-schools-for-networking-2015-4
While it’s true that for engineering majors most employers aren’t overly focused on where the degree is earned, I don’t think that holds true for business majors to the same degree.
Also, keep in mind that the full-tuition merit award (Presidential Scholarship) will still leave you with room and board fees. If you’re a NMF, the award is closer to a full-ride.
No matter where you attend school, you still have to find that first full time job after college. No matter which college you choose, it is your responsibility to find such a position. Professors, networking, and career centers can help, but ultimately, it’s up to you.
Unlike many schools, UA makes it easier for students to pursue challenging opportunities and actively encourages students to do so. Even with 35k+ students, students can still get the small school feel with all the opportunities of a large university.
Faced with a $200,000 price difference, I would certainly recommend choosing UA, doing really well, starting your career for a couple years, and using that $200,000 for a great MBA program.
Also, a “good job” can mean different things to different people. It could mean a $100k per year position in NYC with 80 hour work weeks, a job with an interesting nonprofit or a startup, or a 40 hour work week position in a smaller city making $55,000.
For reference, a person making $100k in Brooklyn would need to make only $98k in San Francisco, $78k in Seattle, $52k in Memphis, and $54k in Birmingham to have a similar standard of living.
@SEA_tide Thanks I can definitely see what you saying. Do you think UA would be worth going to and paying approximately 5k each year vs. 25k each year at my states flagship (Rutgers).
OP if possible you should visit UA, get a personalized tour, so you can make an informed decision.
As a future business major you should know the value of doing research into a potential investment, and college us one of the biggest investments of your life.
It is SO worth looking at UA seriously! Contact the Honors College about getting set up for a personal tour; you won’t be sorry.
I agree: tour Alabama and apply and then wait to make a decision until you see your final options. While it is true that there are more ‘college snobs’ in the business world, that will really only come into play if you attend a top 20-25 school and the difference in ranking between Rutgers and Alabama won’t be significant. The advantage that Rutgers does have is it’s proximity to NYC, if you’re hoping to land a career there. Alabama is going to have a greater number of established relationships with businesses in the south-east. It will be easier to make a decision once you can view the cost differential between the 2 schools.
If you were accepted to an Ivy Business School like Wharton or something, I’d think you would earn back your tuition in a few years. Anything less than a Wharton probably won’t make a difference.
Lol…you say as if getting in Wharton were easy. Also, while there is no doubt that Whartobn graduate will get a great job, there is no doubt that Ualabama business major graduate will get great jobs either.
I’m not so sure how UA compares to “top” business schools. When I toured the business school with DS2, there was a presentation and Q&A with some faculty. There were a couple of students and parents who were asking questions about the grading differences between B- and B, and the easy/difficulty of maintaining a B average. I would think the students at a “top” school are aiming higher than that. It got me thinking that at this (and perhaps most) large state U, the business school probably attracts a lot of the average and below average admits. At a “top” school, even those below average admits are strong students.
As for the original question, what area of business do you intend to study? For accounting, your job prospects will be dictated by what you have learned, not by the name of your school. Few people have heard of Bryant University, but all their accounting grads get great jobs. Same will happen if you do well at UA accounting. Finance too, though you will be precluded from most big-time investment banks who care too much about prestige. That still leaves thousands of companies in all industries that hire finance grads. The other business majors are also more about what you know than where you go. A strong student coming out of Culverhouse will have plenty of opportunities.
the students at state B-schools can vary widely because of the different areas. The Finance/Econ majors tend to be higher stats students (more math needed), that can also be true of the Accounting students. The marketing majors can be a mix because the needed talents of a marketing major can differ…sometimes more creative, more right-brained, more “people persons”, etc.
I would think that the high stats B-school majors at Bama who are interested in Finance or Econ, should consider the offered combo double major of Finance & Econ…and/or consider the various specializations offered.
@chardo >>>
There were a couple of students and parents who were asking questions about the grading differences between B- and B, and the easy/difficulty of maintaining a B average. I would think the students at a “top” school are aiming higher than that. It got me thinking that at this (and perhaps most) large state U, the business school probably attracts a lot of the average and below average admits.
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I hear you. But, again, these are high school students/parents who don’t really know what they’re getting into…or if they’ll survive their intended goals.
I remember going to a SITE luncheon (high school students/parents) and the family across from me was all excited that their son was going to apply to Alabama to become an engineer. After further discussion, it was very clear to me that this kid would get weeded out the first semester…ACT 23, 22 math, no calculus, everyone just wanted him to go into engineering because “omg, it pays so well.” I’m sure if I followed up with this kids (and others like him) I’d find that he’s now in some major better suited for his talents.
but getting back to the B-school…a student doesn’t really get accepted to the B-school until they’re a rising junior. The average frosh who wants to go into finance, is going to get weeded out long before Calc III …not to mention the 18 additional credits of math that is required for classes that are beyond Calc III.
anyone completing the Finance degree at Bama is no dummy, that’s for sure.
I think it can be hard to find a job no matter where you go to school. It takes a lot of effort and initiative, and I think who you know can really help. My D is a business major (triple major in Econ, Finance and Math) with a very good GPA, and while she has applied to a gazillion places for a summer internship, she has not landed one. She has some friends who found jobs, and others who didn’t. I’m not sure if her bad job hunting experience will continue next year when she looks for a permanent job (I certainly hope not), but I’m also not sure her failure to find summer internships would have been different anywhere else. She has friends at higher ranked schools who found summer internships, but many were through connections their parents had, and she also knows kids at those higher ranked schools who didn’t find jobs.
^ #14 - whoa, I did not know that business students have to take Calc III AND 18 additional credits beyond that? Are you sure that is correct?
@aeromom I dont think thats right… possibly for math majors
That is for finance majors who are double majoring in math. Students in most business disciplines take Math 121 although some have to take 125.
There are some specializations (Quantitative Econ, Quantitative Finance and Actuarial Science come to mind) for Finance and Economics majors that require the full calc series plus additional math. There isn’t much difference between the quantitative specialization and picking up a double major in Math, so my daughter just added the math major.