BYU and U. business, law schools among best

A 2-year-old might be out of place in most college business schools, but not those in Utah.

Young Nathan Nolte sat quietly on the back row of his father's MBA class, though his presence didn't go unnoticed by University of Utah David Eccles School of Business professors and students who couldn't avoid the blond toddler.

"He felt pretty important that day," Ben Nolte said about his son who accompanied him on the last day of class last year. Nolte also felt it was important having his son there, and he's not so sure just any school would allow it.

Utah's demographics, which include a number of young families and young married students, helped land the U. and Brigham Young University among Princeton Review's top business and law schools of 2010, which is expected to be released Tuesday.

The highest ranking achieved by either school was in the "family friendly" category, which goes to show that the students are satisfied with how well their families are treated as far as pressure and deadlines go, as well as family involvement and opportunities to mingle.

"I'm not only getting an education for myself, but I'm doing it for my family as well," Nolte said. "It not only increases the well-being of my family, but I want to be an example for my three kids, of the importance of going to school."

For the most part, student opinion drives popularity among the schools and it's what Princeton bases its rankings on, with surveys asking questions like how happy married students are, how many students have children and how helpful the school is to students who have children.

"It's part of the culture here," said Bryan Eldredge, associate director for the MBA program at the U. She said student activities are centered around family because more of the students, whose average age is 28, have them.

"It's nice that they get to see where mom and dad are during the week," Eldredge said. "Whatever we do, it's implicit, but always expected that you bring whoever you like."

The family-friendly atmosphere resonates in Utah where, according to recent census data, people tend to get married at younger ages and while they're enrolled in college.

"We always hope that we'll maintain the most family-friendly ranking," said Craig Merrill, director of the BYU Marriott School of Management MBA program. "The students in our program work really hard to make sure that's the case."

Merrill said the students also honor each other's time and plan group meetings and projects around family dinners and family commitments.