Parul Varshney, a human resource professional, and Shresha Karmacharya, an economics and environmental graduate, may come from different industries, but they share the same goal: to expand their opportunities. “I knew I wanted to pivot into a new career path, but I wasn’t sure what that path would be,” says Karmacharya. “But the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School’s MBA programme immediately stood out to me.”
The MBA combines analytical rigour, leadership development, and practical application. It gives students an edge that has earned Simon national recognition: #2 for ROI among the top 30 business schools and #28 in the US (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2024). And with over 90% of students receiving , Simon offers a return on investment few schools can match.
Especially when you consider the school’s location in Rochester, New York, a city with the second most affordable housing market in the US. The University of Rochester campus is idyllic and close to major northeastern US and Canadian cities. Rochester is the third-largest city in New York State and a prominent business city and birthplace of iconic companies such as Eastman Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch and Lomb, and more recently Wegmans, Constellation Brands, and Paychex, among others. The University of Rochester is an R1 top-tier research institution with more than 1,000 faculty, 11,000 students, and 30,000 staff working across many University entities, including the University of Rochester Medical Center, Eastman School of Music, Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and of course, Simon Business School.
Beyond rankings and a competitive ROI, here are four ways the programme can benefit your career:
Simon’s Full-Time MBA offers an analytical and economic framework to business education. Source: University of Rochester
AI, analytical thinking, and real-world experience
Simon’s Full-time MBA has three primary tracks: Finance, Consulting, and Marketing. Within each of these, you can concentrate in Asset Management, Banking, Corporate Finance, Venture Capital & Private Equity, Strategy, Pricing, Technology, Operations, and Brand or Product Management. What’s more, you can pick from 10 minors that help you build leadership skills for sought-after disciplines, including Entrepreneurship, Global Business, Accounting, Health Sciences Management, and Technology Consulting. Simon regularly updates its courses as well, to give you the skills employers are looking for. For example, it added generative artificial intelligence into its programmes for students to develop the technical and strategic skills to use AI in business.
Experiential learning is another big part of the programme. “As someone transitioning from consulting to investment banking, I knew I needed to build practical deal experience,” says Udit Goswami, MBA Class of 2026. “As a result, opportunities like the Simon School Venture Fund and the Meliora Fund stood out to me from day one,” he says.
The STEM advantage
When you enrol at Simon, you become part of a school that’s shaping the future. It made history as the first business school in the US to offer the option for STEM designation across all MBA and MS programmes. “It was a clear signal of the programme’s commitment to preparing us for a data-driven, ever-evolving world,” says Karmacharya.
This designation opens up exciting career possibilities for international students too. “The programme’s emphasis on analytical and technical skills already makes graduates highly sought after across industries such as technology, consulting, financial services, and healthcare,” says Varshney. “The versatility of the STEM designation ensures that I’m well-equipped to pivot to new opportunities or take on leadership roles in my chosen field.”
Equipped for excellence
In the classroom, Simon MBAs learn from faculty who are leaders in their field. Their research has been published in top journals and featured in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal. Faculty members teach across six academic areas and concentrate their academic research in 10 fields of expertise. While Simon is an intentionally small top-ranked business school, its faculty is responsible for writing the most-cited business academia article of all time, The Theory of the Firm. The school’s smaller class sizes allow professors and students to work one-on-one and develop strong long-term professional relationships.
Complementing coursework is comprehensive career support, which Yaré Ortiz, MBA Class of 2026, recommends students make the most of. “There’s academic support like tutoring to exceptional recruiting tools like the Benet Career Peers programme,” she says.
The Jay S. and Jeanne Benet Career Management Centre provides personalised résumé development, mock interviews, and career counselling services. Benet Center staff work with you to identify your strengths and areas for development, ensuring that you’re prepared for the job market. As you explore career options, you’ll also find internships that can lead to full-time roles.
In addition, the Benet Center recently launched a required career course for MBA students. It’s a 1.0 credit baring course and class will meet 50 minutes weekly throughout the Fall A and B terms. Depending on the week, content may be lecture based, discussion based, or a combination of both. MBA topics include Industry & Company Research, Your Digital Presence on LinkedIn, Expanding & Adjusting Your Target List, Networking & Relationship Building, US Hiring Market, and Navigating Offers, among others.
Simon is located near major cities like New York City, Boston, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. Source: University of Rochester
A truly global MBA
Simon Business School is located on a beautiful campus in Rochester, New York, where the cost of living is affordable. It draws students from all over the world, creating an inclusive community with a wide range of backgrounds. As Ortiz says, “Be open to connecting with people from around the world — this community is one of Simon’s greatest strengths.”
Even with its global appeal, Simon maintains a close, personal feel. “I chose Simon because its intentionally small class sizes foster deeper connections with peers and faculty, allowing me to build a stronger, more meaningful network for the future,” shares Kash Melkomyan, MBA Class of 2026. And the community at Simon doesn’t end after graduation. The school has a dedicated and engaged alumni base in key industries, such as finance in New York City and in multinational high-tech and consumer goods companies worldwide.
“Overall, pursuing a STEM-designated MBA at Simon was about more than earning a degree; it was about gaining the tools to approach problems with confidence, a community that inspires me to do my best work, and a programme that prepares me to thrive in a data-driven world,” says Karmacharya. “Simon has given me the space to grow, both personally and professionally, and I couldn’t have asked for a better fit.”
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