Archive of Comparative Rankings of Top B-Schools (Anyone's Top 20)
(August, 2013 updated)
The following schools are all in the "Top 20" list of at least one of the major MBA rankings for full time MBA Programs. A few schools that aren't on a top 20 list are included because we particularly like them and think they are particularly popular with Russian students. Although rankings can be found in many places, we thought it would help you to be able to see an alphabetical list that compares rankings side by side, and allows you to link to the schools that interest you.
B-schools are listed by the name of the B-school when we believe the B-school's name is more commonly used than the University name, and by the name of the University when we believe the University name is more commonly used. So if a school isn't listed by name, try looking for it under "University of _________"
Brief data on the methodologies used by the original rankings sites is provided below the list.
PLEASE NOTE: The process of ranking schools is by nature
imperfect. There are numerous different "authorities" which
provide different rankings of top schools. The intelligent reader of
these rankings will understand that any listing of the "best"
schools is always extremely controversial. We provide
a selection of rankings for our students' interests only, and do not mean
to suggest that one organization's assessment of the "best"
schools is more valid than any other's. In researching schools one should
always investigate numerous sources, learn the strengths and weaknesses
of each institution, and pick a school that is the best fit for your own background, personality and objectives.
Name of the B-School |
Business
Week (2012) |
|
|
|
|
|
Brigham Young Univ.: Marriott |
32 |
not in top 100 |
not in top 100 |
15 |
not listed |
30 |
Carnegie Mellon University: Tepper |
11 |
17 |
43 |
23 |
29 (Emerging US) |
19 |
CEIBS (China Europe Int'l Bus School)
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 19 for an article on Asian B-Schools
|
not considered |
85 |
15 |
5 (int'l 2 yr) |
10 (emerging Asia) |
N/A |
Columbia Business School
Read our article about Columbia
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 24, focussing on Columbia and Stern
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 17 for an article on Ivy League Universities.
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 15 where an applicant tours Columbia, Wharton, Michigan, Chicago & Northwestern
|
14 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 (Elite N. Am.) |
8 |
Cornell University: Johnson
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 17 for an article on Ivy League Universities.
|
7 |
15 |
25 |
7 |
23 (Elite N. Am.) |
16 |
Cranfield
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 25, with a student's comments on Cranfield
|
not ranked |
37 |
38 |
10th (int'l 1 yr) |
22 (Emerging Eur.) |
N/A |
Dartmouth College: Tuck
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 16 which focusses on Dartmouth Tuck
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 17 for an article on Ivy League Universities.
|
12 |
2 |
16 (tie) |
6 |
22 (Elite N. Am.) |
9 |
Duke University: Fuqua
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 14, focussing on Duke Fuqua
|
6 |
29 |
18 |
12 |
10 (Elite N. Am.) |
11 |
Emory University: Goizueta |
22 |
21 |
49 |
22 |
26 (emerging US) |
18 |
ESADE Business School |
6 (int'l) |
18 |
22 |
6 (int'l 2 yr) |
9 (Elite Eur.) |
N/A |
Harvard Business School
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 17 for an article on Ivy League Universities.
|
2 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 (Elite N. Am.) |
1 |
HEC Paris |
15 (int'l) |
14 |
21 |
8th (int'l 2 yr) |
8 (Elite Eur.) |
N/A |
Hong Kong UST Business School
Read Graduate Advisor issue 19 for an article on Asian B-Schools
|
18 (int'l) |
62 |
8 |
not listed |
14 (Elite Asia) |
N/A |
Hult International Business School |
not considered |
31 |
57 |
not listed |
42 (Elite N. Am) |
not listed |
IE Business School |
3 (int'l) |
22 |
11 |
3 (int'l 1 yr) |
4 (Elite Eur.) |
N/A |
IESE Business School |
8 (int'l) |
9 |
7 |
3 (int'l 2 yr) |
5 (Elite Eur.) |
N/A |
IMD
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 11, focussing on IMD
|
9 (int'l) |
10 |
19 (tie) |
1 (int'l 1 yr) |
3 (Elite Eur.) |
N/A |
INSEAD |
2 (int'l) |
19 |
6 |
2 (int'l 1 yr) |
1 (Elite Eur.) |
N/A |
Ivey (Univ of Western Ontario) |
7 (Int'l) |
not in top 100 |
not in top 100 |
not listed |
12 (Elite N. Am.) |
N/A |
London Business School
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 26 with a student's comments on LBS
|
1 (int'l) |
12 |
4 |
1 (int'l 2 yr) |
2 (Elite Eur.) |
N/A |
Manchester (University of) |
19 (int'l) |
not in top 100 |
29 |
2 (int'l 2 yr) |
27 (emerging Eur) |
N/A |
McGill (Canada) |
10 (int'l) |
75 |
76 |
11th (int'l 2 yr) |
14 (Elite N. Am.) |
N/A |
MIT: Sloan |
9 |
7 |
9 |
10 |
7 (Elite N. Am.) |
4 (tie) |
Michigan State Univ.: Broad School |
35 |
not in top 100 |
62 |
19 |
not listed |
43 |
New York University: Stern
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 24, focussing on Columbia and Stern
|
16 |
11 |
19 (tie) |
18 |
19 (Elite N. Am.) |
10 |
Northwestern University: Kellogg
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 22, focussing on Northwestern Kellogg
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 15 where an applicant tours Columbia, Wharton, Michigan, Chicago & Northwestern
|
5 |
20 |
13 |
7 |
2 (Elite N. Am.) |
4 (tie) |
Queen's University (Canada) |
4 (int'l) |
not in top 100 |
not in top 100 |
not in top 100 |
18 (Elite N. Am.) |
N/A |
Rotman (Univ of Toronto)
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 12, with an article from a student who went to Rotman
|
11 (int'l) |
not in top 100 |
46 |
not listed |
13 (Elite N. Am.) |
N/A |
Sauder (Univ of British Columbia) |
not listed |
91 |
57 |
12 (int'l 2 yr0 |
15 (Elite N. Am.) |
N/A |
SDA Bocconi
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 13, focussing on SDA Bocconi
|
16 (int'l) |
70 |
39 |
4 (int'l 1 yr) |
7 (Elite Eur.) |
N/A |
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 20 for an article on California Business Schools.
|
4 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
3 (Elite N. Am.) |
2 |
Thunderbird |
45 |
not in top 100 |
not in top 100 |
54 |
20 (Elite N. Am.) |
88 |
UCLA: Anderson
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 20 for an article on California Business Schools.
|
18 |
23 |
23 |
20 |
9 (Elite N. Am.) |
14 (tie) |
University of California at Berkeley: Haas
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 20 for an article on California Business Schools.
|
13 |
6 |
12 |
13 |
8 (Elite N. Am.) |
7 |
University of Cambridge: Judge
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 28 Focussing on Oxford & Cambridge
|
N/A |
45 |
16 (tie) |
5 (int'l 1 yr) |
12 (Elite Eur.) |
N/A |
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 15 where an applicant tours Columbia, Wharton, Michigan, Chicago & Northwestern
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 9, focussing on Chicago GSB
|
1 |
1 |
10 |
3 |
6 (Elite N. Am.) |
6 |
University of Indiana: Kelley |
15 |
44 |
54 |
27 |
27 (Emerging U.S.) |
22 |
University of Michigan: Ross
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 27 with student commentary on Ross
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 15 where an applicant tours Columbia, Wharton, Michigan, Chicago & Northwestern
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 12, focussing on Michigan
|
8 |
24 |
30 |
14 |
11 (Elite N. Am.) |
14 (tie) |
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill: Kenan-Flagler
|
17 |
40 |
45 |
16 |
25 (Emerging US) |
20 |
University of Notre Dame: Mendozo |
20 |
49 |
not in top 100 |
31 |
61 (US Regional) |
27 |
University of Oxford: Said
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 28 Focussing on Oxford & Cambridge
|
5 (int'l) |
48 |
24 |
6 (int'l 1 yr) |
6 (Elite Eur.) |
N/A |
University of Pennsylvania: Wharton
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 25, focussing on Wharton
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 17 for an article on Ivy League Universities.
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 15 where an applicant tours Columbia, Wharton, Michigan, Chicago & Northwestern
|
3 |
13 |
3 |
4 |
4 (Elite N. Am.) |
3 |
University of Texas at Austin: McCombs |
19 |
28 |
46 |
17 |
28 (Emerging US) |
17 |
University of Virginia: Darden
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 26 with a student's comments on Darden
|
10 |
3 |
35 |
8 |
30 (Elite N. Am.) |
12 |
Vanderbilt University: Owen
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 23 focussing on Vanderbilt Owen
|
25 |
32 |
53 |
33 |
32 (Elite N. Am) |
30 |
Yale School of Management
Read Graduate Advisor Issue 17 for an article on Ivy League Universities.
|
21 |
26 |
14 |
11 |
17 (Elite N. Am.) |
13 |
York: Schulich (Canada) |
14 (int'l) |
16 |
52 |
10 (int'l 2 yr) |
16 (Elite N. Am.) |
N/A |
Sources:
Business Week rankings come out every two years. The list above included separate rankings for U.S. and global MBAs. EMBA and undergraduate B-school rankings are also available on the Business Week web page. Business week specializes in ranking business school programs and is probably the most widely read source for MBA rankings. Business Week uses three major sources
for its ranking: a student survey, a recruiter
survey, and an
“intellectual capital” ranking based on the number of publications in
certain business journals and the number
of books published per faculty member.
The Economist The Economist surveys both students
and recent graduates, but 80% of the ranking is based on statistics
provided by the schools, looking at a
weighted average of data over three years about new career opportunities, student educational experiences, salary increases and networking opportunities. The Economist also examines such quality of education factors as student/teacher ratio, average GMAT scores and work experience of the entering class.
The Financial Times produces global MBA rankings every year. Five separate rankings are produced: Global Full Time MBA, EMBA, Masters in Management programs, non-degree courses, and European MBA Rankings. The listing above is mainly from the global rankings. A sophisticated algorithm with a number of different criteria are used to compile the rankings, but in general FT surveys alumni three years after
graduation to see how they have
progressed in their careers and to determine
how they assess the effect of their MBA. Average salary increase, each school's statistical placement data, and factors determining the diversity and international reach of the school are also considered.
Forbes Forbes rankings come out every two years and are based SOLELY on return on investment: They look at tuition costs, and average living costs as well as salary data before and after the MBA, and five years after the MBA. The 2012 ranking compiled data gained in 2011, meaning they were surveying graduates of 2006. Their rankings could conceivably change a lot after they start surveying students from classes that graduated after the 2008 financial crisis.
QS Top MBA 200 consists of the top 200 business schools, divided by region, that global employers prefer in survey results of over 600 companies. It does not purport to be a complex study of B-school quality, but is solely based on recruiter data. Hence, results can be a bit unusual depending on where the responding recruiters are coming from (note the unusually high number of Canadian schools in the QS elite schools list.) The QS World MBA Tour and QS rankings are very popular with Russian students since the QS World MBA tour has been regularly coming to Russia for more than a decade.
US News and World Report (US News) rankings come out yearly. U.S. News only ranks U.S. business schools. It also ranks all other majors in both graduate schools and undergraduate programs. Because of its broad focus it is the most popular ranking service in the U.S. This rankings is based in large part on the opinions of academics from rival schools. Opinions of corporate recruiters also make up a large part of this ranking. Statistics on job placement are another large percentage.
For more information comparing rankings, download our Graduate Advisor Issue 22, for an article going inside the methodology of the MBA rankings.
Recommended link for all major rankings: FindMBA.com
Rankings are like stock. You want to pick a business school while its rankings are going up. The rankings history is useful for your choice. For historical rankings, our 2009 page, click here.
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