WPC crunching the numbers
The truth about business school rankings
Finding the right business school is crucial for prospective students. Rankings are one way to level the playing field when considering schools, but it’s important for students and parents to ask, “What do these rankings mean to me?”

It’s also fair for alumni to wonder how their alma mater stacks up with other schools, and the role they can play in maintaining or growing their school’s reputation.

Some rankings, such as the U.S. News & World Report’s undergraduate list, judge business schools by reputation, based only on a survey of U.S. business school deans. The Financial Times’ global MBA ranking combines surveys from alumni with quantitative measures from MBA programs, such as employment rates and class demographics.

Most business schools submit information once a year to organizations that judge objective data, such as student GPAs and starting salaries. Many rankings also include data from questionnaires sent to students and alumni. A minimum number of students and alumni must complete the surveys for a school to be included, meaning their participation is imperative for schools hoping to place high in the rankings.

Here’s a look at how different rankings evaluate all the criteria. Some factors are deemed more important by one organization than they might be for another. If you receive a survey from a rankings body, your feedback can truly help reflect how W. P. Carey compares to other business schools and programs.

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
Undergraduate business school
100% survey of business school deans
Full-time MBA

35%
Employment success of graduates
25%
Survey of business school deans
25%
Student quality
15%
Survey of employers
Part-time MBA

50%
Survey of business school deans
15%
GMAT and GRE scores
12.5%
Average undergraduate GPA
12.5%
Percentage of MBA students attending part-time
10%
Student work experience
Executive MBA
100% survey of business school deans
Online MBA

30%
Student engagement
25%
Survey of business school deans
15%
Faculty quality
15%
Student quality
15%
Student services and technologies
Online graduate business programs

28%
Student engagement
25%
Student excellence
25%
Survey of business school deans
11%
Faculty quality
11%
Student services and technologies
BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK
Full-time MBA

37.3%
Compensation index
25.7%
Networking index
21.3%
Learning index
15.7%
Entrepreneurship index
Part-time MBA

55%
Survey of graduating students
30%
Student, program, faculty quality
15%
Graduate salaries
Executive MBA

65%
Survey of alumni
35%
Survey of business school deans
FINANCIAL TIMES
Global MBA (Full-time MBA)

40%
Salary
17%
Alumni success and perceptions
15%
Research, faculty, and PhD graduates rank
19%
Student, faculty, and board diversity
6%
International exposure
3%
Corporate social responsibility
Executive MBA

40%
Salary
21%
Student, faculty, and board diversity
15%
Research, faculty, and PhD graduates
10%
Alumni career progression
6%
International experience
5%
Student quality
3%
Corporate social responsibility
Online MBA

30%
Salary
22%
Diversity and international representation
15%
Alumni success and perceptions
15%
Faculty and research
15%
Program quality
3%
Corporate social responsibility
THE ECONOMIST
Full-time MBA

80%
Survey of school data
20%
Student and recent alumni survey
Executive MBA

50%
Personal development and educational experience
50%
Career development
THE PRINCETON REVIEW
Full-time MBA

95%
Survey of students
5%
Survey of school data
W. P. Carey rankings
30 W. P. Carey programs and disciplines rank Top 25 in U.S. News & World  Report clipart
30 W. P. Carey programs and disciplines rank Top 25 in U.S. News & World  Report clipart
W. P. Carey rankings
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
U.S. News & World Report

No. 3
Online graduate business programs for veterans
No. 6
Online MBA programs for veterans
No. 6
Online graduate business programs
No. 10
Online MBA programs
No. 18
Executive MBA programs
No. 23
Part-time MBA programs
No. 35
Full-time MBA programs
Business Discipline

No. 1
General management, Online MBA programs
No. 1
Marketing, Online MBA programs
No. 2
Business analytics, Online MBA programs
No. 3
Finance, Online MBA programs
No. 3
Supply chain/logistics
No. 4
Project management
No. 11
Business analytics
No. 12
Production/operations
No. 13
Information systems
No. 13
Management
No. 17
Entrepreneurship
No. 18
Marketing
No. 19
International
No. 20
Accountancy
No. 31
Finance
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Princeton Review

No. 2
Best MBA for operations
No. 10
Online MBA programs
Financial Times

No. 12
Executive MBA, worldwide (EMBA in Shanghai)
The Economist

No. 12
Executive MBA, worldwide
UNDERGRADUATE
U.S. News & World Report

No. 31
Undergaduate business programs
Business Discipline

No. 2
Supply chain management/logistics
No. 9
Management information systems
No. 10
Management
No. 10
Quantitative analysis
No. 11
Marketing
No. 13
Accounting
No. 14
Entrepreneurship
No. 14
Finance
No. 14
Production/operations management
No. 21
International business