Business School Rankings for the 21st Century

This paper addresses the question of how business schools, and the courses they offer, are evaluated and ranked. The existing benchmarking systems, many of which are administered by well-respected media institutions, appear to have a strong motivational effect for administrators and prospective students alike1. Many of the rankings criteria currently in use were developed years or decades ago, and use simple measures such as salary and salary progression. Less emphasis has been placed on what is taught and learned at the schools. This paper argues that, given the influence of the ranking publications, it is time for a review of the way they evaluate business education. What follows is meant to contribute to a fruitful ongoing discussion about the future of business schools in our current century.