The 10 Biggest Surprises In The Economist’s Strange 2021 MBA Ranking

Students sitting and studying on the Mall with McKeldin Library and Jimenez Hall in the background at the University of Maryland

9) The Newcomers: A Bumper Crop

Perhaps the single biggest benefit of this year’s rankings revolt is the fact that it cleared the way for a large number of newcomers to make The Economist’s annual list. All told, there are 19 newcomers, MBA programs that failed to make the last list, though many of these schools tend to appear and disappear from various rankings from year to year. These 19 MBA programs represent 27% of the schools on this year’s list, a record number of newbies.

At the very top is the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business which placed 35th best in the world. For Maryland, it’s a return trip, as it is for many of these schools. On The Economist’s 2018 ranking, Maryland’s full-time MBA program ranked 81st best. Also ranking highly this year are the MBA programs at the excellent Indian School of Business at 44th and Copenhagen Business School at 64th.

10) The First Good News Ranking

Every MBA ranking has its share of big winners and even bigger losers. Not this one.

In a typical ranking, it’s not unusual for as many schools to go up as go down. But of the 90 ranked MBA programs on this year’s Economist list, 88 of the schools actually saw their year-over-year rankings improve or became newcomers to the list after not being in the earlier ranking. So, pretty much, there is nothing but positive news for business schools to spin in their press releases and on their websites. A win for just about everyone.

The only two exceptions? The University of Melbourne’s Business School, which slipped six places to rank 34th best, and the Cranfield School of Management in the United Kingdom, which fell one spot to rank 60th.

That is cause for celebration at a lot of business schools all over the world. Congratulations!

DON’T MISS: WILD CHANGES IN THE ECONOMIST’S NEW 2021 MBA RANKING or POETS&QUANTS’ 2020-2021 TOP 100 MBA PROGRAMS IN THE U.S.