<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="1" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> STEM-designated. Tar Heel ROI. No compromises. </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA is designed for experienced professionals looking to take their career to the next level. Students have access to lifelong career benefits and a global network of 51,000+ business school alumni. Earn your MBA online in as few as 18 months or up to three years. MBA Fellowships Available.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-1" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-1" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNC2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class="" alt=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="71" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> The Online MBA From Rice Business </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Rethink Your Approach to Business </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>GMAT waivers are available for the online MBA from Rice Business, ranked a Top-20 Online MBA by U.S. News & World Report. Ranked #1 in graduate entrepreneurship in the U.S. by the Princeton Review for 2024, aspiring entrepreneurs can earn their MBA in as few as 24 months.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-71" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-71" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinebusiness.rice.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rice2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinebusiness.rice.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="2" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> STEM-designated. Tar Heel ROI. No compromises. </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA is designed for experienced professionals looking to take their career to the next level. Students have access to lifelong career benefits and a global network of 51,000+ business school alumni. Earn your MBA online in as few as 18 months or up to three years. MBA Fellowships Available.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-2" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-2" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Visit Website</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNC2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class="" alt=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Visit Website</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

Preston Fore

<p>For aspiring business leaders, hard work pays off—sometimes even in the form of a fast-track to the c-suite.</p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>The leaders likely to make it there are on Fortune’s <a href="https://fortune.com/ranking/most-powerful-rising-executives/2024/">Most Powerful Rising Executives</a> list, a collection of 25 up-and-coming stars at Fortune 500 companies. But how they made it to senior roles at companies like Walmart, Amazon, and Apple is no easy story to tell, especially from an educational perspective.</p>



<p>While some took more traditional routes, studying business and economics in school and later obtaining an <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-mba-programs/">MBA</a>, others carved less popular routes, such as studying subjects like physics, political science, or pharmacology.</p>



<p>They do, however, have at least one thing in common: they all value education enough to get a bachelor’s degree from universities of all sizes around the globe. With the exception of the University of Michigan—where Ram Krishnan of PepsiCo and Frank Bracken of Foot Locker studied, all the Most Powerful Rising Executives attended unique schools as undergraduates.</p>



<p><strong>Fortune Most Powerful Rising Executives’ education by the numbers:</strong></p>



<ul>
<li><strong>100% have a bachelor’s degree</strong></li>



<li><strong>60% attended graduate school</strong></li>



<li><strong>40% have an MBA</strong></li>



<li><strong>16% attended an Ivy League</strong></li>



<li><strong>40% studied engineering or computer science</strong></li>
</ul>



<p>The leaders also largely didn’t attend schools that are generally considered the best of the best; only four of the leaders received a degree from an Ivy League school.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-datawrapper wp-block-embed-datawrapper"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Education of Fortune's  Most Powerful Rising Executives" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-ePX0I" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ePX0I/6/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="449" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();</script>
</div></figure>



<p>Being curious is one of the ultimate secrets to success, says Megan Crozier, executive vice president and chief merchant of Sam’s Club. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Oklahoma State University.</p>



<p>“Degrees can be signals that you’re willing to put in the work (and) willing to learn,” Crozier adds. “But willingness—even eagerness—to learn is a long-term key to success, degree or not. No matter what university you attend or what job you’re in, there’s always something to learn or someone to learn from.”</p>



<p>Collaboration, empathy, and the ability to persuade are also key skills—alongside asking constructive questions, Crozier says.</p>



<p>The Most Powerful Rising Executives are distinct from the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/fortune-future-50-ceo-education/">leaders on Fortune's Future 50 list</a>, a collection of companies that are best suited for long-term growth. Some CEOs of these companies did not obtain a degree at all, saying it was a waste of time. On the flip side, others sought out PhDs to be leaders in their fields.</p>



<p>On both lists, one thing that was in common was the number of business leaders with degrees in subjects like computer science and engineering. Both also have a significant amount of individuals who received a degree outside of the U.S.</p>


<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rising-executive-education-word-cloud.png?w=1024&amp;h=531" alt="Word cloud of the undergraduate majors of Fortune's Most Powerful Rising Executives." class="lazyload wp-image-4100072" src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rising-executive-education-word-cloud.png?w=1024&amp;h=531" width="1024" height="531" original-width="1295" original-height="671"><div class="image-credit">Word cloud of the undergraduate majors of Fortune's Most Powerful Rising Executives.</div></figure>



<p>However, the education of the Most Powerful Rising Executives is largely similar to Fortune 1000 CEOs, at least in terms of MBAs. About 40% of <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/fortune-1000-executives-mba-alma-mater/">Fortune 1000 CEOs</a> have a graduate business degree.</p>



<p>Jamil Ghani, vice president at Amazon Prime, studied computer science, economics, and history of science as a Harvard undergraduate, then returned later to obtain his MBA. He credits his mother and father, who immigrated from Cuba and Pakistan, respectively, and impressed on him that “education is the ultimate life game changer.” In his case, education was not only transformative professionally but also personally, in the sense that it helped him dream bigger.</p>



<p>He adds that he initially thought he had to get everything right to be successful, but he later realized that everyone has their own path, especially when it comes to education.</p>



<p>“The most important thing to putting yourself on the path to success is knowing which path should be your path,” Ghani tells <em>Fortune</em>. “Though my undergrad and business school degrees were the right investment at the right time for my journey, a specific degree from a specific school only matters if that’s what will help you become the best version of yourself.”</p>



<p>Ghani agrees with Crozier and emphasizes the need for curiosity. He adds that empathy, too, is in part needed to understand and serve customers to the fullest extent.</p>



<p>“Many other business skills rise and fall in importance as the world changes (faster and faster) or your responsibilities change; but empathy and curiosity will always help you find a way forward to making big things happen,” he says.</p>



<p><em>Update: Additional quotes have been added from leaders featured on the Most Powerful Rising Executives list.</em></p>
</div>

While the next generation of leaders all went to college, not all studied business or attended a top-ranked school.

No ivy required: Fortune’s Most Powerful Rising Executives break the mold that success requires a top-ranked education

Picture of Sarah Bond, wearing green and black.

F-Search

Education

Education Articles

Jasmine Suarez

Ivy League not required: Fortune’s Most Powerful Rising Executives break the mold that success requires a top-ranked education

Fortune earns a commission for purchases made from affiliate partners via some links on our site; other links are not affiliate partner links. <a href='/affiliate-disclosure/'>Click here</a> to read the full Fortune advertiser disclosure and how we earn commissions.

We have independently evaluated the products and services below. We may earn affiliate revenue from links in the content.

Fortune Editors

Fortune Education is designed to be your guide to navigating this new, rich and somewhat overwhelming world of education. Our team of experienced editors is committed to scouring the universe of online offerings in order to rank, rate, provide comparisons and recommend the right solutions for you and your career.

Fortune Education

Uncategorized

homepage

articles

Articles Hub

By Region

By State

By Cost

Business

Career Hub

Health and Wellness

Tech

No ivy required: Fortune’s Most Powerful Rising Executives break the mold that success requires a top-ranked education | Fortune Education

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

https://fortune.com/education/articles/real-estate-school-review-aceableagent/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brad Haft

Best nutritionist certifications for 2024

https://fortune.com/education/articles/best-nutritionist-certifications/?itm_source=parsely-api

Rich Griset

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

https://fortune.com/education/articles/free-data-analytics-courses/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brit Morse

A law associate making $300,000 a year at Skadden Arps quit over the firm’s deal with Donald Trump

/article/rachel-cohen-making-300k-year-law-associate-skadden-arps-quit-protest-firms-deal-trump/

Get ready to pay more than $2,000 for a new iPhone: Experts say Trump’s 125% tariff on China is a ‘complete disaster for Apple’ akin to ‘Armageddon’

/2025/04/10/apple-iphone-16-price-complete-disaster-china-trump-tariffs/

It’s about to get a lot harder for job seekers as tariffs are set to make the hiring landscape even more daunting

/2025/04/07/trump-tariffs-labor-market-more-challenging-job-seekers-economists-say/

This company does peer performance reviews—And then lets everyone read each other’s evaluations

/2025/03/24/performance-review-process-company-allows-all-workers-read-garner-health-workplace-culture/

2024 health coach certification review: Catalyst Coaching Institute

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-catalyst-coaching-institute/

A guide to a nurse’s salary: Broken down by all 50 states and industry type

/education/careers/nurse-salary/

2024 health coach certification review: Institute for Integrative Nutrition

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-institute-for-integrative-nutrition/

10 high-paying public health jobs right now

/education/careers/public-health-jobs/

Jason Del Rey

Is eBay actually sexy again as the ecommerce old-timer’s stock surges to an all-time high?

/2025/07/31/ebay-earnings-live-sports-cards-trading-pokemon/

Erik German

Meet the CIA-backed venture fund behind Palantir, Anduril—and a spy tool that might be on your phone

/2025/07/29/in-q-tel-cia-venture-capital-palantir-anduril/

Dana Hull

Kiel Porter

Bloomberg

Tesla engineering VP Moravy says company in ‘big swing moment’

/2025/07/27/tesla-engineering-vp-lars-moravy-big-swing-moment-musk-robotaxi-optimus-semi/

Christiaan Hetzner

Volkswagen seeks audience with Trump, dangling more than $10 billion in U.S. investments in exchange for tariff exemptions

/2025/07/25/volkswagen-trump-tariffs-exemptions/

Whether you’ve just completed your undergraduate degree or you are a professional with years of experience, Fortune is here to guide you on the next step of your educational journey.

Ivy League not required: Fortune’s Most Powerful Rising Executives break the mold that success requires a top-ranked education

About the Contributors

Top Articles

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

Best nutritionist certifications for 2024

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA