Times Higher Education (THE) Unveils Its Long-Awaited Best Global MBA Programs

Times Higher Education (THE) in partnership with the Wall Street Journal recently released its analyzed reams of data about graduate management education and produced a ranking of â€Å"high-achieving global MBA programs.† The study ranked the programs in 20 separate performance indicators, leading to an aggregate score indicating the strength of each program and school. These scores were then combined into the following 4 scores, called pillars, shown below with their weights: Resources Faculty per student: 11%; Teaching qualifications: 6%; Career support staff per student: 4%; Career support effectiveness: 4% Engagement Learning engagement: 5%; Interaction with teachers and students: 5%; Student recommendation: 5%; Real-world relevance: 5%; Research in teaching: 5% Outcomes Salary difference: 12%; Network: 12%; Social good: 5%; Entrepreneurship: 5%; Opportunities: 5%; Worth: 5% Environment International students: 4%; Female students: 3%; International staff: 2%; Economic diversity: 2% Top 10 Two-Year MBA Programs RankUniversityCountryResourcesEngagementOutcomesEnvironmentOverall 1Stanford Graduate School of BusinessUnited States79.194.19140.482.7 2Cornell University: JohnsonUnited States85.692.183.339.880.9 3Vanderbilt University: OwenUnited States85.493.189.118.680.7 4University of Chicago: BoothUnited States74.494.286.93779.6 5Duke University: FuquaUnited States71.592.78534.177.5 6University of Virginia: DardenUnited States67.193.588.628.777.3 6Yale School of ManagementUnited States67.19385.140.977.3 8Carnegie Mellon: TepperUnited States73.391.977.926.774.1 9Purdue University: KrannertUnited States53.189.882.254.773.5 10China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)China67.586.976.745.773.2 Analysis of the Rankings You probably noticed that there are prominent names missing from the THE/WSJ top 20: Harvard, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT, INSEAD, LBS, and UCLA to name a few. These schools declined to participate. In fact, the global MBA rankings only include 54 schools, which reduces its value automatically. In addition, the THE/WSJ ranking produces results that make me question their credibility. (The basic problem with rankings is that if they don’t match our preconceived notions, credibility is lacking. And if they are credible and congruent with common knowledge and opinion, what’s the value in the rankings? Strengthening confirmation bias?) However, for a scathing and thorough critique of these rankings, I will point you to Poets and Quants John’s Byrne, who wrote â€Å"The Wall Street Journal’s ‘Where’s Waldo?’ MBA Ranking.† Do you need help choosing the right MBA program? Work one-on-one with one of Accepted’s expert advisors to select the best programs for you, build a personalized MBA strategy, and create an application that will get you ACCEPTED. Learn more about our services here. For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more.  Want an MBA admissions expert  to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: †¢Ã‚  Navigate the MBA Application Maze: 9 Tips to Acceptance, a free guide †¢Ã‚  B-School Selectivity Index: Discover the Schools Where You are a Competitive Applicant †¢ 3 Ways to Determine Which B-Schools Are a Good Fit for You