Bloomberg Businessweek releases full-time MBA program rankings

The Mays Full-Time MBA program at Texas A&M University retained its strong standing among the top 20 U.S. public universities, ranking 17th among U.S. public schools according to rankings released Tuesday by Bloomberg Businessweek. Among all U.S.-based schools, the Mays Full-Time MBA program was ranked 42nd down from 26th in the previous ranking in 2012.

“This was clearly unexpected news. In the coming days and weeks we will consider more deeply the causal factors of these rankings and how we can address them,” said Mary Lea McAnally, associate dean for graduate programs. However, she noted that Bloomberg Businessweek’s new methodology contained a number of major changes that introduced significant volatility in this year’s rankings. “One of the strengths of our program is that our alumni return to campus to recruit year after year and they are continually pleased with their hires. But the new rankings methodology does not include the survey responses of those recruiters,” she added.

Earlier this year, the Mays Full-Time MBA Class of 2014 reported very strong employment results: full-time employment was 96 percent at the 90-day mark, and the average starting salary was more than $98,000, the highest ever reported by a Mays Full-Time MBA class.

Ricky Griffin, interim dean of Mays Business School added, “We will continue to do what is best for our students and stakeholders while always looking for areas of improvement. Our program can’t be driven by rankings.” He further noted that the Aggie network is one of the key reasons students are attracted to MBA programs at Texas A&M. “It is an extremely valuable resource that benefits our students throughout their careers,” he said. “Even though the various rankings methodologies and outcomes may vary from year to year, we will continue to focus on delivering world-class business education that leads to strong employment outcomes for our graduates.”

Bloomberg Businessweek’s ranking of full-time MBA programs is based on three elements: a survey of newly minted MBAs, a poll of corporate recruiters and an evaluation of faculty research output. The MBA surveys and the recruiter polls each contribute 45 percent to the final ranking; however, Bloomberg Businessweek noted the overall rank is more closely associated with the employer assessment than student appraisals. The faculty-research ranking contributes the remaining 10 percent.

To view the full rankings, go to businessweek.com/14/rankings

ABOUT MAYS BUSINESS SCHOOL

Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 5,600 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. The mission of Mays Business School is creating knowledge and developing ethical leaders for a global society.