New U.S. News MBA Ranking Due March 29th

Rankings illustration from the new graphic novel on MBA admissions by Menlo Coaching

While the latest MBA rankings from both The Economist and Forbes have been delayed, U.S. News today announced that it will unveil its newest MBA ranking on March 29th, a day earlier than last year’s release. The U.S. News ranking is the most closely followed in the U.S., though it is entirely U.S. centric with no European or Asian business schools.

Last year, Stanford Graduate School of Business gained sole possession of the top spot as the Wharton School slid into second place. Harvard gained one spot in 2021 but ranked fifth in a tie with MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Chicago Booth was third, while Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management was fourth.

Among the Top 25 winners, two business schools stood out last year for their improved performance: Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business rose four places to place 21st, while Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business moved up three spots to rank 16th in a tie with the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. Dartmouth College’s Tuck School found its way back into the Top 10 last year by gaining two places from last year.

NEW RANKING WILL BE BASED ON SURVEYS SENT OUT IN THE FALL OF 2021 AND EARLY 2022

U.S. News said its new ranking will be based on reputation and statistical surveys conducted in fall 2021 and early 2022 of each program in the six largest graduate school disciplines. One big issue is whether the magazine will continue to use average class GMAT and GRE scores as part of its ranking criteria. Earlier this year, for the first time ever, U.S. News removed its consideration of standardized test scores in its newest rankings of online MBA programs and business master’s programs.

Meantime, The Economist, which in years past would typically release its MBA ranking in late October, is still to come out with its updated list. Sources now say the ranking is expected sometime in May. Last year, The Economist‘s delayed ranking was published in late January. However, every M7 business school declined to participate in the ranking. Missing in action were Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, MIT Sloan, Booth and Kellogg. Their absence not only cleared the way for many of the best European MBA options; the M7 boycott also brought many U.S. schools that agreed to participate the highest ranks they have ever achieved on The Economist list (see Wild Changes In The Economist’s New MBA Ranking).

Forbes, which releases its MBA ranking every other year, failed to publish last year when its new updated list was expected. Publication of the Forbes ranking, largely a return-on-investment list of business schools, is expected within the next month or two.

DON’T MISS: Poets&Quants 2021-2022 MBA Ranking: It’s Stanford Again At The Top! or INSEAD Does It Again: Tops Ranking Of Best International MBAs For Sixth Consecutive Time