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MBA ranks 51st among U.S. schools in Financial Times ranking

January 30, 2006

The UW–Madison School of Business ranked 51st among all U.S. business schools – and 19th among schools at American public universities – in rankings of full-time MBA programs released today by the London-based Financial Times. The school was not ranked in 2005.

The Financial Times’ ranking methodology includes data provided by the school and a survey of students enrolled in the program from 2000-02. The ranking is based on three major categories:

  • alumni career development and salary purchasing power;
  • diversity;
  • and research capabilities.

The Wisconsin MBA program has been changed considerably in the three-plus years since the class surveyed for this ranking graduated. The new specialized MBA program prepares students to launch careers in highly focused areas.

Based on internal measurements, the school has made progress on key fundamentals:

  • Student quality as measured by average GMAT score was 659 for students who enrolled in 2005, up from an average of 635 for students surveyed who enrolled in 2000.
  • Student satisfaction with academic program quality was at 91 percent for first-year students in the program in 2004-05.
  • Career placement is at 92 percent for the class of 2005, up from 74 percent for 2002 graduates. The average salary for 2005 graduates was $76,500, compared to $69,013 for 2002 graduates.

Recent articles in BusinessWeek and CNN.com have noted that the Wisconsin MBA is at the forefront of a trend toward specialized MBA programs. The mission of the program is to be the school of choice for students who have a clear career objective. The focused program facilitates real-world experiences and effective career networking.

View the entire Financial Times report.

Tags: business