Enrollment Rises Again at Stuart School of Business, Up 140% From Last Year

Building on its spring 2023 enrollment surge, Stuart School of Business at Illinois Institute of Technology has announced another remarkable increase in enrollment. Stuart now has more than 850 students across undergraduate and graduate levels, representing a more than 140 percent increase in enrollment from fall 2022.

Under the leadership of Dean Liad Wagman, Stuart has refined its curriculum to meet contemporary industry needs, offering programs in analytics, finance, economics, management, marketing, and the nonprofit public sector at the interface of business and technology. This strategy continues to position Stuart as a destination of choice for students, particularly as demand for graduate business schools experiences fluctuations nationwide.

“We are incredibly pleased with the sustained growth we’re seeing,” said Wagman. “Our focus on blending business education with technological expertise has struck a chord with prospective students who see the tremendous value in what Stuart offers. We are committed to continuing this momentum by further enhancing our innovative academic programs.”

Stuart’s long-standing reputation for innovation has been a cornerstone in its growth. Building on curricular and scholarly innovations spanning more than 125 years of business education at Illinois Tech, Stuart School of Business introduced the world’s first specialized master’s degree in quantitative finance in 1990, providing a new model for integrating theory, practice, soft skills, and experiential learning. This legacy of groundbreaking and transformative approaches to business education, oriented around student success and career growth, persists at Stuart today.

“Our graduates don’t just get jobs—they go on to become industry leaders and innovators,” said Wagman. “With over 80 percent undergraduate and 95 percent graduate job placement rates, and average starting salaries significantly above the national average, the numbers reflect our focus at Stuart on incredible student preparation and outcomes.”

Stuart, the director of recruitment and enrollment strategy, attributed part of the increased enrollment to the emphasis on career readiness and job placement, which is highly relevant in today’s economic climate. Stuart’s increased emphasis on creating enrollment pathways from educational and industry partners is designed to offer students access to the school’s undergraduate and graduate programs. Albertsen notes that this enrollment strategy is intended to attract students from more diverse backgrounds than traditional recruitment methods.

Furthermore, Stuart has expanded its academic landscape by launching new Tech+ majors—interdisciplinary programs that combine the core tenets of various fields such as business and engineering, business and psychology, business and information technology, economics and policy, and economics and cybersecurity.

“As we move forward, Stuart’s unique blend of career-focused and technology-oriented educational programs will continue to attract a diversified and talented pool of students,” said Wagman. “We remain committed to developing future leaders and providing an educational experience that not only resonates with the needs of students but also prepares them for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”