Report Urges Change in Media B-School Rankings
TAMPA, Fla.
The world’s first and largest business school accrediting association has called for the media to change the way it assigns rankings to MBA and undergraduate degree-granting institutions.
A report issued by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) acknowledges that while media rankings have helped promote business schools and, particularly, the MBA, the ranking methods used by the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Financial Times, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and other media outlets can have “serious negative impacts on business education.”
AACSB International’s report says the ranking process is based on inconsistent data and subjective opinions. “Instead of assisting students in the school selection process, the rankings may make it more confusing,” said John Fernandes, the association’s president and chief executive officer.
The report adds that rankings put too much emphasis on short-term performance and apply the same criteria, regardless of a school’s mission, orientation, or whether the best fit for a student is a non-ranked, high-quality program. Most importantly, Fernandes said, the rankings fail to consider differences in degree programs offered.
“Because of their visibility, b-school deans feel they must participate in the rankings process even when they know it could actually be contrary to the long-term development of a business school,” Fernandes said.
