Business School Rankings

The ranking of business schools in the US has generated an entire industry. Publications and organizations such as BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, The Princeton Review, The Washington Monthly, Forbes and US News & World Report regularly publish rankings whose focus is to identify the "best" graduate and undergraduate schools and programs according to quality and value. Smaller, specific publications (such as, in the case of business, Supply Chain Management Review) may also provide rankings of individual programs. Additionally, rankings can also be more global, such as in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) based in Shanghai, China.

However, each publication uses its own particular set of criteria for ranking schools and programs. In some more controversial reports (such as the Gourman Report), the authors may specifically refuse to disclose their methodology. As an international student, there are some things you should keep in mind when looking at rankings.

First, most ranking reports supply detailed data to support their conclusions. While the method of data collection may be criticized, the editors of these reports usually make an effort to ensure that statistics are comparable. So you as an international student can make use of the data provided with each report to compare the schools for yourself, focusing on the areas that are important to you.

Second, the statistics that come from the rankings might suggest areas to research more thoroughly. For instance, if you find that a high percentage of international students choose to study in the Eastern US, you might want to explore why few students go to the Midwest.

Finally, business school rankings have one other thing in common: they provide a list of institutions and schools. Scanning the list might suggest a business school that you had not heard of, let alone conisidered. Used this way, the rankings can help expand your list of schools to look into in more detail.

However, you should never judge based on business school rankings alone. Rankings are and important tool, but there are other factors you should consider as an international student. Schools that are less prominent may have a program that suits your needs better than any nationally ranked schools. You may find that certain areas in the US seem more like home than others, or you may wish to choose a school close to family or friends in the US. Once you have accumulated this information, you can create your own college or university rankings.