Rankings
Business School Rankings: methodology
Top business school EMBA / MBA rankings vary from magazine source and the research used to compile the statistics. Their purpose is to inform your thinking so that you can make intelligent decisions. Choosing the right school is not a straight forward process. All the top schools market their programmes well. However, you must look beyond the glossy brochures and MBA champagne cocktail presentations.
The first thing that must be noted is that all Rankings in the media are subjective. All rankings are weighted to different criteria and are carried out by different methods.
The following criteria are used in weighting the WCW EMBA / MBA Rankings.
The rankings are carried out by the WCW Alumni network, and therefore constitute their opinion, according to the criterion below:
Salary today:
An average of salaries three years after graduation
Weighted salary:
The 'average' salary today with adjustments for salary variation between industry sectors
Salary percentage increase:
The percentage increase in salary from the beginning of the MBA to three years after graduation
Value for money:
The value for money criteria is a short term indicator calculated using the salary earned by alumni three years after graduation and course costs
Career progress:
The degree to which the alumni have moved up their career ladder after graduating. Progression is measured through changes in level of seniority and the size of the company in which they are employed.
Aims achieved:
The extent to which alumni have fulfilled their goals or reason for doing an EMBA / MBA.
Placement success:
Percentage of alumni that gained employment through the placement service of the academic institution.
Alumni recommendation:
Alumni who were asked to name three business schools from which they would recruit EMBA / MBA graduates. Their own school could not be in the list to prevent bias.
International mobility:
A rating system that measures the degree of international mobility based on employment movements of alumni since graduation.
International students:
Percentage of international students
Faculty:
Quality of faculty, reputation and research capabilities
WCW Researchers are assigned to different geographic zones compile statistics by teams. A specialized team works in conjunction with the WCW Alumni Network Worldwide. A detailed questionnaire is sent to each participant and forwarded to the committee where the final assessments are made.
Participants included:
WCW registered Alumni members
mba4success former clients who are not registered alumni members
Recruiters (who are part of the WCW Alumni Network)
Participants have graduated from most of the top business schools and represent a diverse group of people, professional occupations, and business practices. Participants for the EMBA / MBA Rankings encompass Europe, Asia, and North America. Please note that the above participants represent 73% of those solicited.
Rankings are weighted by what the alumni feel are the most important issues to potential applicants. International diversity and placement success are also key factors of interest to candidates and influence the rankings. The choice you make, will literally, impact on the rest of your life. Choose wisely. The statistics not only change from year to year but also the schools are ranked by different groups: the deans rate the schools in terms of academic performance; alumni rate the schools on the power of their career placement services; corporations rate the schools on the students perceived skills; and others compare starting salaries when students leave the schools.
By examining all the available sources and rankings, you might even discover opportunities that you previously never considered.
