MBA News: Financial Times Rankings Released

We always advise candidates to take rankings not with a grain of salt, but with a pound of it. Today, the Financial Times released its annual ranking of top global MBA programs and London Business School came out on top, with Wharton, HBS, Stanford, INSEAD and many others following, of course. So, why should one view these rankings with skepticism? For one thing, the schools are not measured consistently – some of the schools on the list have not been “audited” since 2006. However, even if we can get over the lack of consistent data – and we should be able to because generally business schools don’t change dramatically from year to year – you have to look at the data that is being measured. Is average salary driving your decision? Is faculty research important to you? Would you consider a high number of faculty with PHDs to be a positive (clearly well educated individuals) or a negative (fewer practitioners)? We do believe that rankings have a place in your decision, but we also suggest that you critically evaluate the rankings themselves and determine what is being measured and if it is relevant to you. Rankings come and go, but your relationship with your target school should endure…