London beckons: Raise the Union Jack! The bustling metropolis is now home to the premier business school globally.
The latest edition of CEOWORLD’s “Best Business Schools In The World” ranking, unveiled on February 26th, crowned the London Business School as the new champion after trailing behind the Wharton School in 2023. This year, the Wharton School slid to the second spot, surpassing other esteemed institutions such as Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, and Columbia Business School to secure a position in the Top 5.
Similar to The Financial Times, CEOWORLD presents a comprehensive global ranking that juxtaposes American and international business programs. Notably, the Top 20 includes six international programs, with four hailing from the United Kingdom alone. The meticulous ranking process involved feedback from a vast pool of 250,000 respondents across 156 countries, distinguishing it from The Financial Times’ survey of 6,330 alumni for their rankings. In contrast, the Bloomberg Businessweek ranking for 2022-2023 sourced data from 6,422 students, 11,304 alumni, and 778 employers.
Insight into the Methodology
Survey participants for CEOWORLD encompassed a diverse array of individuals, including business executives, graduates, industry influencers, academics, employers, and recruiters. The surveys, conducted from September 15, 2023, to December 22, 2023, utilized a rating scale ranging from 1 (Marginal) to 100 (Outstanding). In addition to the survey responses, CEOWORLD integrated publicly-available information and evaluated business schools across seven key metrics, culminating in an overall index score:
- Academic Reputation
- Admission Eligibility
- Job Placement Rate
- Recruiter Feedback
- Specialization
- Global Reputation and Influence
- Annual Tuition and Fees
While the previous year’s CEOWORLD ranking faced criticism for its lack of transparency, the 2024 edition sought to address this concern by providing index scores across five dimensions, including Weighted Salary, Learning and Research, Alumni Network, Entrepreneurship, and Career Progress. This enhancement enables readers to compare business schools more effectively, although the alignment of these dimensions with the original metrics remains ambiguous.
Unveiling the Results
In the realm of business school rankings, CEOWORLD distinguishes itself by offering insights into how top corporate leaders perceive specific institutions. This perspective sheds light on the value and opportunities accessible to graduates of these schools. Unlike other rankings prone to ties, CEOWORLD maintains a clear hierarchy without shared positions. Furthermore, the ranking stability contrasts with the fluctuating trends witnessed in other rankings, such as The Economist. While some schools experienced minor position shifts within the Top 10, notable changes included Northwestern Kellogg and INSEAD climbing the ranks, while Cambridge Judge and Virginia Darden witnessed declines.
Despite the overall stability, several prominent programs faced setbacks in the 2024 CEOWORLD Business School Ranking. Institutions like Dartmouth Tuck, Mannheim Business School, North Carolina Kenan-Flagler, USC Marshall, and IIM Ahmedabad encountered notable declines in their rankings. The ranking’s divergence from conventional expectations was evident in instances like IESE Business School’s significant drop, contrasting with its performance in other global rankings.
Remaining Queries
Beyond the rankings, uncertainties persist regarding the methodology employed by CEOWORLD. Questions surrounding the 100-point scale, absence of metric weights, and the inclusion of diverse program types underscore the need for clarity. The composition of survey respondents, their experiences with business schools, and the relevance of their feedback further warrant examination to ensure the ranking’s credibility. While the index scores offer additional insights, the uniformity in rankings across dimensions raises questions about the ranking’s underlying calculations and criteria.
In conclusion, while CEOWORLD’s ranking provides valuable perspectives on the business education landscape, unresolved queries underscore the importance of transparency and clarity in assessing the true value and relevance of such rankings.
Image: Stanford MBA students outside class. GSB photo