Our ratings are numerical scores we give to on-campus MBA programs on a scale of 60 to 99 in various areas.
Every on-campus MBA program we profile on our site has at least one rating, and some have as many as five. Here we explain what each rating measures, the factors on which each rating is based, and how each rating is scaled.
Four of the five ratings are based either partly or entirely on business school student opinions collected via our on-campus MBA student survey. Only the business schools featured in Best Business Schools 2024whose students we surveyed receive these four ratings. All schools in our database whose administrators complete our annual Business School Data Set (which includes admissions statistics, among other data) receive an Admissions Selectivity Rating.
If a 60* (sixty with an asterisk) appears for any rating, it means that the school did not report all of the data points upon which that rating is based, and as a result, we were unable to calculate an accurate rating for that school. In such cases, the user is advised to follow up with the school about specific measures that the rating takes into account
Here's something you should keep in mind about all of our ratings:
Each rating places every business school in the project on a continuum for the purpose of comparing all schools within this academic year only. Because we refine our ratings calculations annually, the ratings in this year's edition of the project are not intended to be compared to those in earlier editions of the project in any other academic year.
For information on our business school rankings, see our Business School Rankings Methodology.
Ratings for All On-Campus MBA Programs
Admissions Selectivity Rating
This rating measures the competitiveness of admissions at each business school on a scale of 60 to 99. Factors taken into consideration include the GMAT score and undergraduate GPA of the first-year class, the percentage of applicants who are accepted, and the percentage of applicants who are accepted and ultimately enroll. No student survey data is used in this calculation. This rating may be used to compare all business schools in this year's edition of the project, regardless of whether their students completed our business student survey.
Please note that many foreign institutions use a grading system that differs from the standard U.S. GPA. For these institutions, we approximated their Admissions Selectivity Rating and indicated this with a ** next to the rating.
The "Toughest to Get Into" ranking list is based on the Admissions Selectivity Rating.
Ratings for On-Campus Programs with "Students Say" Profiles
Academic Experience Rating
This rating measures the quality of the school's learning environment on a scale of 60 to 99. Factors taken into consideration include the Admissions Selectivity Rating; student-to-faculty ratio; and student survey responses to questions about faculty, fellow students, and realization of academic expectations.
Professors Interesting Rating
This rating is based on students' answers to the survey question: "Overall, how good are your professors as teachers?" The rating is on a scale of 60 to 99 and is intended to be used to compare schools within this year's edition of the project.
Professors Accessible Rating
This rating is based on students' answers to the survey question: "How accessible are your professors outside of the classroom?" The rating is on a scale of 60 to 99 and is intended to be used to compare schools within this year's edition of the project.
The "Best Professors" ranking list is based on the Professors Interesting and Professors Accessible Ratings.
Career Rating
This rating measures the confidence students have in their school's ability to lead them to fruitful employment opportunities, as well as the school's record of having done so. Factors we use to tally the rating include statistics on the starting salary and percent of students employed within three months of graduation, as well as data from our student survey on student assessments of the efforts of the placement office, the quality of recruiting companies, students' level of preparation for future jobs, and opportunities for off-campus projects, internships, and mentorships. This rating is on a scale of 60 to 99.
The "Best Career Prospects" ranking list is based on the Career Rating.
