Ten Biggest Surprises In U.S. News 2022 MBA Ranking

Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management made the biggest year-over-year rankings gain this year

9) The Big Winners Of This Year’s U.S. News MBA Ranking

One surprise in this year’s ranking is that the MBA programs that made big advances, rising in double-digits, far outnumbered the schools that declined (see below). At the top of the list was Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management which soared 27 places to rank 57th.

After Syracuse University, the biggest gainers included the MBA programs at William & Mary in Virginia (up 24 places to rank 47th), UC-Riverside’s Anderson School (up 21 spots to rank 89th and the University of Cincinnati (up 21 places to also rank 89th).

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10) Back In The Top Ten Again: Michigan Ross

The winner of Poets&Quants' MBA of the Year in 2021 capitalized on that accolade by returning to Top Ten status in the newest U.S. News ranking. Ross moved up three places to finish in tenth place. The advance was helped along with an increase in the school's peer assessment score to 4.4 from 4.3 a year earlier.

Michigan improved across the board with a lower admit rate (20.2% vs. 37.7% a year earlier), higher class GPA and GMAT scores (up 724 from 711), bigger starting salaries and bonuses, and much-improved placement rates. Ross had the third-highest placement rate among the Top 10 MBA programs and also had 10 specializations out of 13 ranked in the Top 10.

As we pointed out last year, though, what makes Michigan’s MBA program stand out is its ever-evolving nature. Time and time again, Ross continues to roll out one innovation after another. Little more than a month ago, faculty and MBA students launched the Michigan Climate Venture, a first-of-its-kind, multidisciplinary program at the intersection of climate technology and venture capital. It includes a new student-led investment fund that will disperse cash to early-stage companies in environmental solutions and sustainability. A month earlier, Michigan Ross revealed a new Business + Tech Initiative to prepare students for careers at the intersection of business and technology. Over the summer, Ross launched a healthcare accelerator to provide student teams with grant seed funding and mentorship for student entrepreneurs in the health sector. The school also put in place a new Founders Program in its +Impact Studio, welcoming a half dozen student-led ventures.

The pace of new programs and initiatives is dizzying. “We are built on innovation,” says Brad Killaly, associate dean of MBA programs. “We listen to our students and we listen to our alums. Innovation and creativity are celebrated. We have a culture rolling up our sleeves and trying and doing. That comes from faculty, students and alumni, and from staff. The boldest thing we have done is our ability to make investments in our curriculum, in our community, and in our co-curricular activities to educate and inspire students. It’s our unwavering commitment and success in innovating new courses that equip our students with the most current skills.”

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