All About MBA College Ranking
While there are many great MBA programs that may not make the lists of top-ranked MBA schools, if you're looking for the cream of the crop, MBA college ranking information can certainly be a great place to start.
Keep in mind, however, that the MBA ranking process is subjective, so just because a school has a high rank, doesn't mean it's the best MBA school for you. MBA college ranking is a tool to help you gauge a school's quality and reputation, but only you can make the final decision about whether a school meets your career goals as well as your lifestyle and financial needs.
MBA Ranking Criteria
All MBA ranking systems have different criteria on which they base their results; however, the following things commonly go into determining a school's rank:
- Reputation of school–through surveys of students, teachers and advisors
- Academic reputation
- GMAT scores
- Salary upon graduation
- Graduates view of MBA program
As you're narrowing down your school choices, pay attention to other factors (besides MBA rankings) that can provide insight into an MBA program. In addition to the things listed above, consider the following information:
- Program acceptance rate
- Tuition costs
- Employment rates after graduation
- Top employers of program graduates
MBA Ranking Sources
There are several MBA college ranking surveys for prospective students to use. Comparing multiple sources will give you a fuller picture of how schools stack up against each other. The following are some of the most widely recognized ranking sources:
| U.S. News & World Report | Financial Times | Business Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Chicago | University of Pennsylvania(Wharton) | New York University(Stern) |
| 2 | University of Pennsylvania(Wharton) | University of Chicago | University of Pennsylvania(Wharton) |
| 3 | Northwestern University(Kellogg) | Northwestern University(Kellogg) | Columbia University |
| 4 | Harvard University | Duke University(Fuqua) | University of Chicago |
| 5 | University of Michigan(Ross) | Columbia University | Purdue University |
| 6 | Stanford University | University of California-Los Angeles(Anderson) | Northwestern University(Kellogg) |
| 7 | MIT (Sloan) | New York University(Stern) | Duke University(Fuqua) |
| 8 | University of California- Berkeley (Haas) | University of California-Berkeley (Haas) | University of California-Berkeley (Haas) |
| 9 | Duke University(Fuqua) | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ross) | Cornell University(Johnson) |
| 10 | Columbia University | Emory University(Goizueta) | Rutgers University |
Once you have viewed the college rankings and completed your own personal research, you will be able to make an informed decision on the right MBA program for you.
