Most experts are of the opinion that Business School rankings are important. After all, top B-schools do turn out graduates, who are the most sought-after in terms of opportunities and consequently pay checks.
With the MBA degree still considered the best passport to a career abroad, MBA rankings make sense. However, as a student, you may be thoroughly confused about which ranking to look out for. There are literally hundreds of rankings as a random search on the Internet will show you. And to top it all, rankings are based on different parameters. Here are some of the best rankings to consider while making your list:
- Forbes: ranks its MBA programs based on the return on investment that graduates receive after attending a B-school. The Forbes ranking provides you with a cost-benefit analysis that shows you if the cost of the course is worth your time and money.
- Bloomberg BusinessWeek: these rankings are based on student and employer satisfaction levels with the particular course undertaken.
- The Economist: comes out with rankings that give greater weight to personal development.
- The Financial Times: in these rankings, campus diversity gets a higher score as does your projected earning ability.
- The Global 200 Top Business School report: this ranking is based on what employers think of MBA graduates.
- The QS system of ratings (not rankings): these are based on user experience. In a nutshell, this means your employer’s views. Considered to be the best ratings, these incorporate a student’s scorecard that will allow you to put in what is important to you and then rank the B-school.
- Of the other international ranking surveys, you could also take a look at the ones featured in the Wall Street Journal.
- India has annual MBA surveys that are featured in various magazines like Outlook, Business Standard, Business World and Business Today.
- Finally, beyond the top 10 Business Schools, you should also do some homework on the B-school’s accreditation status. Ask yourself how the program you are thinking of choosing will fit into your career path and so on.
In the end, rankings are not foolproof. They serve as a guide, so don’t take them literally.
Zone in on a B-school that will also help you enhance your personality and stay one step ahead of your peers!