Simon Business School at the University of Rochester

MBA Program Stats

Academics And Programs

The Simon community is small by design, with an average class size of between 100–110 students. A smaller cohort allows for an array of perspectives and opinions, where students challenge each other in new ways that will prepare them for the challenges they will face entering the workforce. Simon offers the option to apply without a GMAT or GRE score.

Simon’s two-year MBA offers an economics-based approach to decision-making. The curriculum has a reputation for quantitative work with nine required courses, a Communicating Business Decisions sequence, and a client project aligned with future career interests. While there is a focus on quantitative thinking, students will also work closely with the Jay S. and Jeanne Benet Career Management Center to develop soft skills that help them become competent and capable leaders.

Simon secures the title as the first business school in the U.S. to offer a STEM-designated option for each of its full-time concentrations, which benefits students by helping them stand out in the job market. Simon offers 10 concentrations under three tracks: Asset Management, Banking, Corporate Finance, Venture Capital & Private Equity under the Finance Track, Brand Management and Product Management under the Marketing Track, and Operations, Pricing, Strategy, and Technology under the Consulting Track.

With success in mind, Simon requires full-time students to complete a summer internship where they can practically exercise the skills they’ve learned in an actual business setting.
Students often participate in learning opportunities such as international immersions where they work with real businesses and stakeholders, case competitions where they craft and present solutions to real-world problems, and service/industry-focused clubs to enhance professional development and create a positive impact within the community.

Rankings Data For Simon Business School

Why Students Chose

“Since it was very important for me to develop my leadership skills during my MBA journey, I wanted to be involved in the Simon Clubs. In my first year I was part of the Simon Vision Consulting and Simon School Venture Club. In my second year, I will be the president of the Outdoor Adventure Club and the vice president of finance for the Simon Sports Club. The extracurricular activities at Simon are very complementary to the classroom. They are a great way to meet your classmates, get great experiences in professional or social clubs, and enrich your skillset.”
– Anna Lisa Gromann ’26S (MBA)

“It was important to me to be in a place where authenticity and ambition coexist. The option to pursue a STEM-designated curriculum told me I’d build the hard skills, but it was the people—students who lead with heart, staff who invest deeply, and a culture rooted in inclusion—that made me feel like this was a space where I could truly thrive. Simon isn’t just about becoming a better business leader—it’s about becoming a bolder, more values-aligned version of yourself. That’s what sold me.”
– Folake Obasanya ’26S (MBA)

Career Stats

Compensation Statistics of Simon MBAs

Where Rochester Simon MBAs Went to Work

From Simon Business School

Simon offers a rigorously quantitative, economics-based approach to decision-making. Our degree programs inspire a new level of clarity: about how analytical frameworks drive success in business; about what it takes to collaborate and manage in the contemporary, global workplace; and about professional growth and goals.

A top-ranked b-school, Simon was the first business school in the US to introduce a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)-designated option for each of its Full-Time MBA concentrations. In addition to helping graduates stand out in the job market, STEM-designated MBA and MS degrees also give international students the ability to extend their Optional Practical Training (OPT) for an additional 24 months, for a total of three years of US work eligibility without H1B sponsorship.

Simon launched a comprehensive AI initiative, integrating generative AI across programs through training, curriculum, and workshops. Today, Simon continues to shape the future of business education with cutting-edge skills in generative AI, empowering our students to become leaders poised for success in today’s dynamic business world.  

Recruiters are consistently impressed with Simon students’ command of a variety of analytical tools and their ability to bring a strategic mindset to work. The Full-Time MBA Class of 2024 had 91 percent of students accept job offers within six months post-graduation, earning an average total compensation of $155,563. It’s no wonder we are ranked No. 2 for ROI among top 30 business schools by Bloomberg Businessweek (2024).

One of the most cohesive, career-focused student experiences of any MBA program, Simon closely links coursework, co-curricular activities, and career search to ensure students are market-ready for their internship and full-time jobs.

The Simon student community is small by design and intentional in its inclusiveness. An extraordinary array of perspectives is always close by. Students push one another to listen in new ways and turn differences into a competitive edge; you’ll enter the workforce ready to lead the kind of cross-functional, multicultural teams that define today’s successful organizations.

Simon Distinctions:

• The first business school to introduce a STEM-designated option for each of its MBA and MS concentrations
• The first business school to offer a specialized pricing concentration within the MBA program
• 32nd top MBA in the US (Financial Times, 2025)
• 28th MBA in the US (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2024)
• Ranked 2nd for ROI among top-30 business schools (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2024)

More about Rochester, New York

In its early years, Rochester became 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. Rochester also led many aspects of social reform, particularly in abolitionism and women’s suffrage. Both Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass lived in Rochester. Today, Rochester’s vibrant culture is celebrated through music and arts. The Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, the annual Jazz Festival, and Rochester Fringe Festival—as well as museums such as the George Eastman Museum and the Strong Museum of Play—are all central to the culture and experience of living in Rochester.

Rochester is consistently ranked as a highly desirable city in terms of livability due to its low cost of living, excellent schools, and access to many cultural events.

Full-Time MBA

Simon is known for our strong reputation for quantitative work. Our Full-Time MBA program shows students how to use data to formulate better insights and get buy-in for their ideas, and our emphasis on analytical thinking and economics gives a new perspective on the role of data.

Simon’s Full-Time MBA curriculum allows students to take more electives in the first year and take them earlier in their program of study; travel through curricular experience with a cohort of students with similar career interests; and enrich studies by choosing breadth electives designed to bolster the professional skills employers desire. At the heart of Simon’s curriculum is the core: nine required courses, a Communicating Business Decisions sequence, and a client project aligned with your future career interests, which together act as the foundation for the rest of your education.

You can sharpen your career goals and take a deep dive in an area of study by choosing a concentration. Arranged into three tracks—Marketing, Consulting, and Finance—Simon’s 10 concentrations allow you to customize your MBA experience by building a skill set tailored to the field you plan to pursue. Available concentrations include:

• Asset Management
• Banking
• Brand Management
• Corporate Finance
• Operations
• Pricing
• Product Management
• Strategy
• Technology
• Venture Capital & Private Equity

You can broaden your studies by choosing one or more minors, designed to provide a deeper understanding of 10 key areas: Accounting, Analytics, Consulting—Operations and Technology, Consulting—Strategy and Pricing, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Global Business, Health Sciences Management, Leadership, and Marketing.

To ensure every Simon MBA enters the workforce positioned to make an immediate impact, students must take at least two breadth electives, courses focused on professional skills such as leadership, business ethics, negotiation, and organizational behavior. You can further hone your communication, teamwork, and leadership skills via the Jay S. and Jeanne Benet Career Management Center (Benet Center), a dynamic organization committed to the success of our students. From résumé development to mock interviews and career counseling, the specialists at Benet Center will prepare you to be a top candidate. You’ll gain access to self-assessments, workshops, webinars, and more.

Essay Questions For Simon Business School

Simon applicants are asked to submit two essays between 250–500 words: one focused on their goals, and the other explaining how the applicants will contribute to a collaborative, inclusive, and high-impact learning environment at Simon. Prospective MBAs can also submit an optional video essay.