UBC's Sauder School of Business loses ranking as graduates struggle to get jobs

A survey of recent MBA grads found only 53 per cent reported getting a job within three months after graduation. Photo by RICHARD LAM /PNG

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The Financial Times released its annual global ranking of business schools and UBC’s Sauder School of Business has come in second to last due to concerns about the lack of jobs for students.

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Of the 100 schools ranked in this year’s quality report for Master’s of Business Administration programs, UBC finished ahead of only the University of Glasgow. Western, Toronto, McGill and Queen’s universities finished ahead of Sauder — which fell four spots from last year when it was ranked 95. The 2025 report was the first time that Sauder had made the Financial Times ranking.

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Only 53 per cent of 2025 graduates reported being employed three months after graduation, down from 65 per cent the year before.

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By comparison, 80 per cent of graduates from the MBA program at Western University’s Ivey Business School had found employment after three months, with the University of Toronto reporting 82 per cent.

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McGill was the only Canadian school other than UBC to fall below the 75 per cent mark for students within three months of graduation. About 71 per cent of McGill’s 2025 graduates found work that quickly, according to the Financial Times.

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Financial Times reported Sauder relies heavily on international students for its MBA program, with 72 per cent of them in 2025 and 73 per cent in 2024.

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Elsewhere in Canada international students make up 60 per cent of those at Western and 53 per cent of those at the University of Toronto.

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Que-Tran Hoang, a real estate appraiser with Farm Credit Canada and the co-founder and president of QT Holdings Ltd., said she graduated from UBC’s MBA program in May. Her program was part time and most of her cohort were already employed so her experience may not be reflected in the data.

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She said she had a mostly positive experience and that UBC has a career hub to help students find employment.

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“The majority of us use the degree to get promotions within our current employment,” said Hoang.

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“One month after our graduation, they send us emails and they continue to provide us with employment consults, alongside with professional networking events, where they try to connect to the industry,” she said, adding she was surprised by the employment numbers.

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One Sauder international student who graduated in December 2025 from the full-time MBA said their experience was positive, but the networking opportunities left a lot to be desired. The student said it took them six months to find a job.

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“They need to create more networking opportunities, especially for people who want to pursue a career in consumer packaged goods and the consulting industry,” said the student, who wished to remain anonymous so his professional prospects won’t be affected.

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“Vancouver has very few head offices (much less for consumer goods and consulting) — business schools must do their part to connect the students to employers headquartered in Toronto.”