Full-Time MBA Rankings Compiled into European Guide: MBA News

The Economist argues that with signs of recovery among the region’s major economies, the attractiveness of the top business schools in Europe has returned. It also considers what European schools offer in comparison with their North American counterparts.

One key differentiation is that the level of international students found on a full-time MBA program is likely to be higher among top business schools in Europe. With cohorts often-bolstered by exceptional students from emerging markets, the region’s schools can show greater figures for MBA return on investment (ROI) than North American schools. This is because the salaries these students find on graduation will most often be considerably higher than opportunities available in their home market.

Another is that intakes at the top business schools in Europe are often smaller than in North America – this means a greater faculty-student ratio and resulting level of interaction, although it also means that alumni networks are not quite as extensive.

North American schools, with their larger endowments, however have the edge when it comes to facilities, according to The Economist. 

Its full-time MBA rankings are the product of a school survey and a student/alumni survey that compile data over a three-year period from 2010-2013, with weighting in favor of the most recent year applied.

As is always the case with MBA rankings, the results cannot be considered definitive. Instead, they are a reflection, across the criteria used, of the market at the time data is collected. That’s why looking at a business school’s placing over a number of years and in MBA rankings assessing different criteria are useful in ascertaining which schools are the biggest hitters – and, more importantly, which school might be the perfect place for your MBA study.

The Economist’s full-time MBA rankings focus on four indicators: how a school’s MBA can open doors to new career opportunities, the MBA experience itself (e.g. faculty quality), salary increases, and networking potential.

The QS TopMBA.com Global 200 Business Schools Report, on the other hand, puts the focus firmly on international employer reputation with those who hire MBA graduates. Regional reports for each region of the world are also available, and are available as a digest in this free e-paper.  

So, how does the Economist’s European table compare to the employer ratings of QS’s most recent report? The table below reveals all for the top 10: