HBS Retains Top Spot in Bloomberg Businessweek Best Business Schools 2017

Harvard Business School (HBS) has retained the top position in the Bloomberg Businessweek Best Business Schools 2017 Rankings list of 85 schools in the United States, for the third consecutive year.

Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has moved up 4 places to occupy the second spot as also MIT Sloan leaping as many places to the third rank.

The Booth School of Business at Chicago University retained the fourth place while Stanford Graduate School of Business drops three spots to the fifth rank. Likewise, the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University also saw a dip of 3 places to rank 6. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth too lost 2 spots to drop to the 7^th rank.

However, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University climbed 1 spot to the 8^th rank as also Colombia Business School which moved up 2 places to rank 9. Rice Jones Graduate School of Business, however, dropped 2 spots to rank 10.

MIT Sloan notches up 90 in ranking index score and performs better than Wharton in employer survey, being ranked 2^nd. However, the school drops to 20 in alumni survey rank, 22 in student survey, 6^th in salary rank and 20^th in job placement rank.

Bloomberg Businessweek says it uses Employer Survey (35%), Job Placement Rate (10%), Alumni Survey (30%), Starting Salary (10%) and Student Survey (15%) for the rankings. Each school’s ranking is based on surveys of recruiters, alumni, and students, as well as recent graduates’ success at landing jobs and securing high starting wages.

This year, Harvard has notched up a Ranking index score of 100 standing first in employer survey, 3^rd in alumni survey, 18^th in student survey, 2^nd in salary rank and 35 in job placement.

Wharton’s ranking index score is 91.2. It ranks at 4^th place in employer survey, 11^th in alumni survey, 17^th in student survey, 3^rd in salary rank and 6^th in job placement.

MIT Sloan notches up 90 in ranking index score and performs better than Wharton in employer survey, being ranked 2^nd. However, the school drops to 20 in alumni survey rank, 22 in student survey, 6^th in salary rank and 20^th in job placement rank.

Booth shares the ranking index score of 90 with Sloan. It is ranked 3 in employer survey, 35 in alumni survey, 10 in Students survey, 4 in Salary rank and 8 in job placement.

Interestingly, Stanford was placed number 1 by the alumni as well as in salary ranking. The school’s overall ranking index score was 89.8, mainly on account of a rank of 62 in job placement.

The Foster School of Business at Washington University, ranked 15, however, stood number 1 in job placement.

The biggest jump in the ranking was by Smeal College of Business which moved up 12 spots to the 25^th rank. However, the George Washington University School of Business, fell 14 places to end up at 59.

Bloomberg Businessweek has ranked full-time MBA programs in the U.S. since 1988. Over time, the methodology has changed to focus on how well the programs prepare graduates for job success. The Employer Survey, which measures recruiter opinions on how well MBA programs equip their graduates with relevant skills and Student Survey, which records feedback from students on how the programs have prepared them to join the workforce, have always been the most important factors in the rankings.

While four schools dropped out of the rankings this year two others were added. The international ranking will be published in the coming months.(Image Source:flickr.com)