Hey everyone, I was browsing through the US News rankings and I saw they have lists for different programs. Can someone explain to me how they rank business schools? What factors do they consider?
US News rankings are pretty comprehensive and consider a variety of factors when evaluating business schools. I'll outline some of these important factors below:
1. Peer Assessment: This is a survey that U.S. News sends to deans and directors of accredited business school MBA programs. They're asked to rate programs on a scale from 1-5. This accounts for a fairly large share of the ranking.
2. Recruiter Assessment: U.S News sends surveys to recruiters who hire MBA graduates. They’re asking these recruiters to rate programs on a scale from 1-5, and this is another significant factor in the rankings.
3. Placement Success: This takes into account employment rates for graduates, starting salary, and bonuses. Employment rates are measured at graduation and three months after graduation.
4. Student Selectivity: This considers data like the average GMAT and GRE scores of students, their undergraduate GPA, and the overall acceptance rate of the business school.
5. Overall Rank: This is a weighted average of all the previously mentioned factors.
Each of these factors has a different weight in the calculation. For example, peer assessment might weigh more than student selectivity. It’s also worth noting that while these aspects are important for the ranking, they might not necessarily align with what every individual student values in a business school. So, be sure to consider what specifically you're looking for in a business school and not just rely on rankings.
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