Australian business schools are a significant part of the Australian university sector.
- Australian business schools graduate one-third of Australia’s university students1
- Two-thirds of Australia’s top 50 CEOs have a business qualification2
- Australian business schools represent six of the top 100 universities for economics and business in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and US News Global ranking3
- One-in-five Australian business schools are listed in the top 200 (or two percent) of universities worldwide in economics and business — the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)
ABDC President, Professor David Grant, on the value of Australian business schools in higher education.
Australian business school graduates are in demand.
- Australia leads the US and Canada in highest salaries on offer to MBA graduates with an average salary of $108,250 USD4
- Six of the Top 20 business schools for graduate employment in the Asia-Pacific are in Australia5
- Australian business postgraduate students, compared to other postgraduate students, are more likely to gain full-time employment and earn the highest starting salaries four months after graduation6
- Australian business and accounting students, compared to other students, are more likely to have secured full-time employment before graduating with a bachelor’s degree (at 23% and 30% respectively compared to 17% for all graduates)7
Australian business schools contribute significantly to the third largest export industry (and largest export service industry) in Australia.
Australian business school graduates greatly contribute to Australian leadership and economic growth.
More than two-thirds of Australia’s top 50 CEOs have a business qualification with:
- Two in five holding an undergraduate business degree
- One in five holding an MBA11
Subject Rankings
Accounting and Finance
- 9 Australian universities (23%) are in the top 200 QS rankings for Accounting and Finance12
Business and Management
- 12 Australian universities (30%) are in the top 300 QS rankings for Business and Management13
- 7 Australian universities (18%) are the in top 100 QS rankings for business and management
[1] Department of Education and Training, ‘Completion Count’ by ‘Management and Commerce’ Field of Education’ Higher Education Statistics Data Cube (uCube) 2015 – 31% of all university completions in 2015 were from a management and commerce discipline
[2] Suncorp Bank, ‘Power Index‘, August 2012. Survey of the CEOs of the 50 largest ASX-listed companies. 64% have a business qualification; 40%% have an undergraduate business degree and 25% hold an MBA
[3] US News Best Global Universities Ranking for Economics and Business and 2016-2017 Times Higher Education World University Rankings
[4] QS Top MBA Jobs and Salary Trends Report 2017
[5] QS Global 250 Business Schools Report 2017. http://www.topmba.com/why-mba/publications/global-250-business-schools-report-2017
[6] Graduate Careers Australia (GCA), Beyond Graduation 2015, p.19 and p.21. (Calculations are for four months after graduation and for ‘management and commerce’ versus the median for all disciplines at postgraduate level, equating to $18,000 more at $92,000 and increasing to $110,000 three years later).
[7] Graduate Careers Australia, Graduate Destinations 2014, July 2015, p 12. Suncorp Bank, ‘Power Index‘, August 2012. Survey of the CEOs.
[8] Department of Education and Training, ‘Completion Count by ‘Management and Commerce’ Field of Education, Higher Education Statistics Data Cube (uCube) 2015 – 56% of all university completions by overseas students in 2015 were from a management, commerce or economics discipline. This figure equals completion figures for management and commerce, http://highereducationstatistics.education.gov.au/
[9] Calculated from Department of Education and Training, ‘Management and Commerce International Student Load Count (EFTSL)’, Higher Education Statistics Data Cube (uCube) plus Economics EFTSL data provided on request 2013 and ‘Australia’s International Education Industry – Analysis of Strategic Trends,’ February 2013, by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), p. 14, Each international higher education student contributes an average USD44,000 to the Australian economy (fees plus living costs). Exchange rate accessed from xe.com on 29 August 2013.
[10] Australian Bureau of Statistics International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia, Dec 2018
[11] Suncorp Bank, ‘Power Index‘, August 2012. Survey of the CEOs of the 50 largest ASX-listed companies. 68% have a business qualification; 40% have an undergraduate business degree and 22% hold an MBA.
[12] https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/country/australia/subject/accounting-financ
[13] https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/country/australia/subject/business-management-studies
[14] https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/country/australia/subject/economics-econometrics