The Triangle Region: Best in Business

It is no secret that the Triangle Region’s academic institutions are a hub for exceptional talent. In 2019, North Carolina was ranked the #1 best state for business for the third consecutive year by Forbes. Our state has ranked in the top five since Forbes began ranking all 50 states in 2006. The Region’s top-tier business schools have proved themselves to be a backbone for this robust talent pipeline that helps our state secure this designation each year.

At North Carolina State University’s Poole College of Management (PCOM), there are over 820 students enrolled in graduate programs. Students completing the Jenkins MBA program have the flexibility to take their courses on NC State’s main Raleigh campus, the Research Triangle Park (RTP) campus, or completely online — with the same award-winning faculty. With over 90% of MBA and MAC graduates accepting full-time offers within three months of graduation, it is no surprise that the Jenkins MBA was recently ranked #1 in for program delivery and online interaction by Financial Times and #7 among online MBA programs by The Princeton Review. 

N.C. State is also a strong leader in entrepreneurship. With an unmatched startup ecosystem, N.C. State students, alumni, and its associated startups generate a combined $6.5 billion of North Carolinian’s income annually. In 2018, The NC State Entrepreneurship Clinic received the Excellence in Co-Curricular Innovation Award by the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Moreover, 170+ startups and spinoffs have launched based on NC State research, generating a total of $1.7 billion in venture capital.

At Duke University, the Fuqua School of Business boasts a total graduate enrollment of 832 students enrolled in a variety of programs. Separating themselves from the rest of the nation, Duke offers an internationally accredited Global Executive MBA and a renowned Master of Qualitative Management program. The graduate school continues to attract international students to the Triangle, with international students making up 36% of the class. Additionally, 95% of MBA graduates accepted full-time offers within three months of graduation.

Around the corner at the University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill, the Kenan-Flagler Business School consistently earns strong rankings — the #1 best online MBA Program by US News and #11 best overall U.S. MBA Program by Forbes. UNC offers one of the most flexible MBA programs across the globe, with a customizable curriculum offered in four different formats. As a result, 87% of MBA graduates accept full-time offers upon three months of graduation. Both Duke and UNC also made the Top 20 in Forbes’ list of best undergraduate business schools, coming in at #14 and #15, respectively.

Other Triangle universities also produce strong business graduates. Meredith College is home to an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited program, and provides students with a personalized experience, boasting an average class size of 15. At Campbell University, 165 students are enrolled in graduate programs at the Lundy-Fetterman School of Business. Students have the flexibility to take classes in Harnett County’s Buies Creek, downtown Raleigh, or online.

Top global employers consistently look to our region’s universities for potential hires because of the great talent graduating each year, especially in our business schools. For example, Amazon continues to hold a strong presence recruiting Triangle talent, ranking as the #1 recruiter at both Kenan-Flagler and the Fuqua School, a position usually held by consulting firms or investment banking companies. Across all three top-tier universities, Amazon currently employs over 9,000 alumni.

Our universities could not produce such a talented workforce alone. Pooling their resources and working together, these institutions make our region even stronger. Each business school brings something unique to the table, and alumni from these programs bring strong value to the Region’s workforce. To learn more about the exceptional talent from our universities, click here.