Harvard Business School (HBS) appeared at the top of the Financial Times Global MBA annual ranking, released yesterday. It was HBS’ second consecutive claim to the number-one spot and its fifth time topping the rankings since they debuted in 1999. Stanford Graduate School of Business also remained steady this year, reclaiming the number-two spot it held last year. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania slipped to fourth as London Business School stepped into the number-three spot. Columbia Business School and INSEAD tied for fifth.
The FT compiles its annual global MBA rankings based on two surveys of the business schools and their alumni. (For this year rankings, alumni who graduated in 2010 were surveyed.) Based on the responses to these surveys, the MBA programs are measured according to the career progression of their alumni, the school’s idea generation and the diversity of students and faculty.
HBS’ idea generation has been influential in helping it secure the top spot. It was ranked first for research and second for its doctoral program, the FT reports. Its alumni also report the second-highest average salary three years after graduation (only Stanford alums earn more) and above-average salary increases.
Yale School of Management shot up the rankings an impressive four spots this year to 10th, its first showing in the top 10 in seven years, the FT noted. The University of Virginia’s Darden School also showed impressive momentum, moving up eight places to 27th, as did the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, which advanced 12 spots to 32nd.
As always, those of us here at Clear Admit encourage prospective applicants to use a school’s performance in these and other rankings as just one of many measurements to determine the MBA program that will best fit your individual needs.
