NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt‘s Owen Graduate School of Management
was ranked the 31st best MBA program in the world and 21st among those
in the United States in rankings of business schools by the Financial
Times, one of the world‘s leading business publications.
In the seven years that the Financial Times has been ranking MBA
programs, the Owen School has been included each year, but this year‘s
ranking represents a 13-place jump, up from 44 in 2004 and placing it
among the schools with the most upward mobility. Last year‘s ranking
had it at 29th among full-time U.S. programs.
Financial Times editors single out Vanderbilt for the strength of
its finance program and for having one of the top percentages of salary
increase of its graduates in North America.
Acting Dean Jim Bradford said, “The Financial Times is one of a
number of well-regarded business publications now evaluating and
comparing MBA programs, and it‘s a ranking we value. While we‘re
delighted to be recognized for the hard work we‘re doing here at the
Owen School, we also believe these rankings need to be kept in
perspective. No data-based survey can possibly take into consideration
the unique culture and the outstanding faculty and students we have at
the Owen Graduate School of Management. We are most proud of that, and
of the goals we‘ve all set to continuously improve our programs.”
In
selecting its top business schools around the globe for 2005, the
Financial Times looked at career progression (the degree to which
alumni have moved up the career ladder, measured through changes in
level of seniority and the size of the company where they are
employed), placement success, diversity among the student body, faculty
and board members, and the quality of research of the school‘s faculty.
The ranking is based both on data provided by the school and on a
survey of alumni who graduated three years ago.
Founded in 1969, the Owen Graduate School of Management at
Vanderbilt University is also ranked as a top institution by Business
Week, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.
For more news about Owen, visit www.owen.vanderbilt.edu.
Media contact: Susanne Hicks, (615) 322-NEWS
Susanne.hicks@vanderbilt.edu