SMU business school ranks No. 3 for graduate earnings in new nationwide study

A new study conducted by business advice company Venture Smarter has revealed graduates from Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business produce the third-highest earnings in the nation.

Four years post-graduation, SMU business alumni make an average salary of $105,314 a year. That six-digit number is a huge jump from the average earnings from just one year post-grad, which amounts to $51,068.

"Whilst these earnings are just 12 percent above the nationwide business school average at the one year stage, this skyrockets to 75 percent at the four year stage," the report says.

The study goes on to list prominent alumni from SMU, which includes former first lady Laura Bush, former British Airways CEO and chairman Álex Cruz, and AT&T Chief Strategy and Development Officer Thaddeus Arroyo.

"With business school constituting an obvious step for many aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s interesting to have established the schools whose graduates are set to accrue the most wealth," a Venture Smarter spokesperson said in a statement. "The prestige and alumni of these schools speak for themselves, but this top ten is certainly something for young students-to-be to take note of."

Ahead of SMU in the rankings are the University of Virginia (No. 1) and Emory University (No. 2). Business alumni from UVA make $112,759 four years after graduation, while Emory grads make $107,945 in the same time period.

Also in the top 10 is cross-town rival Texas Christian University's Neeley School of Business, ranking No. 9. TCU business alumni earn an average of $57,155 one year post-completion. After four years, those graduates make $93,488 a year.

Interestingly, SMU and TCU were the only two Texas schools to make the top 10.

The top 10 business schools with the highest-earning graduates after four years are:

• No. 1 – University of Virginia ($112,759)
• No. 2 – Emory University ($107,945)
• No. 3 – Southern Methodist University ($105,314)
• No. 4 – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($105,246)
• No. 5 – George Washington University ($101,930)
• No. 6 – Stevens Institute of Technology ($100,049)
• No. 7 – Washington and Lee University ($98,403)
• No. 8 – Georgetown University ($94,935)
• No. 9 – Texas Christian University ($93,488)
• No. 10 – Elon University ($92,616)

To determine the average earnings of business graduates from colleges around the country, Venture Smarter researched data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard tool.