At the College of Business, we take pride in preparing students for meaningful careers that drive economic growth and innovation. Our students, faculty, and alumni shape the future of business, and their achievements reinforce the impact and excellence of a Nebraska Business education.

In March, Financial Times ranked our fully online Master of Business Administration program as the No. 1 Best Value Online MBA in the U.S. for the third time in five years. This recognition highlights the return on investment our graduates experience, with tuition at just $34,000 and alumni reporting an average 25% salary increase after completing their degree. With an average post-graduation salary exceeding $164,000, our MBA program not only transforms careers but also strengthens businesses and communities. We also ranked No. 2 best program delivery, No. 5 best online interaction and No. 5 best career services.

Our faculty's research is also driving impact. Julian Atanassov, associate professor of finance, explored how political uncertainty influences economics growth, revealing how moments of unpredictability can spark innovation and business expansion — insights that are especially relevant today. Featured on Fortune.com, Atanassov's research supported the article, Why Political Uncertainty is a Career-Defining Moment for Aspiring CEOs, and he stated, "The most important lesson [for leaders] is don’t despair. Use this as an opportunity to strengthen your competitive advantage." 

We partnered with the College of Engineering to host the sold-out Emerging Tech Conference in March. Bringing together students, alumni, business professionals and engineers for discussions on AI, digital transformation, and emerging technologies. Students also participated in an AI bootcamp, working through two modules of the IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate in Machine Learning with Python.

Our students continue to lead with confidence, setting new records at case competitions this spring. For example, two Nebraska Business Honors Academy teams won first and second place in the Leadership Challenge Event in Topeka, Kansas. Competing against 12 teams from across the country, they secured Nebraska's sixth win in the competition. They were evaluated on team communication, professionalism and problem-solving, demonstrating the caliber of students we develop at Nebraska.

As senior Derek Branch prepares to graduate in May, he reflects on how Nebraska Business shaped his journey. His experience began with the Future Builders summer program as a high school freshman and continued as a Husker, where he built resilience as a walk-on football player, volunteered in the community, and pitched his business ideas in competitions. Now, he plans to launch an incubator to support and accelerate the growth of new businesses in his own community.

Many of you have also built something incredible, and we want to hear about it. Your response will help us showcase alumni impact, secure resources for entrepreneurial education and strengthen our national rankings -- earlier this year Nebraska Entrepreneurship ranked No. 42 in the world by the Princeton Review. If you're willing to share a few details about your entrepreneurship journey, please take a moment to complete our brief survey. All responses will remain confidential and used only for aggregate reporting.

Thank you for being part of our community and for your continued support of the College of Business.

Together, we will keep building business leaders like only Nebraska Can.