Fortunes MBA Ranking: Yale SOM Outperforms Kellogg, Columbia, Booth, and MIT – My MBA Career

Last Updated on August 23, 2023 by Robert C. Hoopes

Yale School of Management’s Full-Time MBA Program Surges in Fortune’s Annual Ranking

Yale School of Management’s full-time MBA program has recently climbed the ranks in Fortune magazine’s highly anticipated annual MBA ranking. The prestigious institution has improved its position by an impressive eight places, now surpassing esteemed schools such as Kellogg, Columbia, Booth, MIT, and Berkeley.

While this achievement speaks volumes about Yale’s commitment to excellence, some critics question the credibility of Fortune’s ranking system. Poets&Quants, a well-known publication in the MBA sphere, argues that the Fortune ranking is among the worst due to its flawed methodology.

Harvard Business School, Stanford, and Wharton continue to dominate the top three spots on Fortune’s list. Kellogg, Columbia, Booth, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, and Michigan Ross complete the top ten, showcasing their reputable standing among the nation’s leading MBA programs.

Interestingly, a number of schools witnessed a noticeable decline in their rankings. Questrom School of Business, Howard University, and Olin Business School were among the institutions that experienced substantial drops this year.

Fortune’s latest ranking also includes schools that were absent from the previous year’s list, signifying a dynamic shift within the MBA landscape. Michigan Ross, USC, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, and Wisconsin are some of the newcomers to this acclaimed roster.

Fortune’s methodology heavily relies on crucial factors such as median and mean starting salaries, placement rates, brand survey results, and the number of alumni holding C-suite positions. However, skeptics argue that the inclusion of online MBA program ads in the ranking may indicate a clickbait scheme to promote 2U’s online MBA programs, raising concerns about the ranking’s accuracy.

Yale’s remarkable performance in the Fortune ranking is particularly striking since it had to outperform schools with higher median salaries in other reputable rankings. Experts speculate that Yale’s success can be attributed to its strong brand recognition and equity within the business world.

One notable observation from this year’s ranking is that lower-tier programs have the opportunity to secure higher positions due to the absence of participation from higher-ranked schools. This calls into question the comprehensiveness and validity of Fortune’s ranking compared to other more inclusive rankings, such as U.S. News.

For individuals interested in exploring the top 25 U.S. MBA programs, Fortune provides a comprehensive list that encompasses the nation’s most prominent business schools.