3. 2023’s Undergraduate Business Schools To Watch
Throughout the year, we report on a number of innovative programs in all matters of majors and courses. We profile the best professors from around the world. And, we talk to hundreds of students about their business school experience. Not to mention our annual proprietary ranking of undergraduate business schools in which we pour through school and alumni surveys from almost 100 of the b-schools in the country.
That gives us a unique insight into the top programs. Maybe it’s why our 2023 list of the 10 Undergraduate Business Schools to Watch was our third most read story of the year.
We consider all these data points through the lens of two questions: What does a business school do that’s different? How have they perfected a recipe that other programs still struggle to implement?
So which schools should have made this year’s collection? Click here to find out.
2. Ranking analysis
Two of our most clicked stories of 2023 both deal with college rankings. While rankings are both loved and hated by college administrators, they can be a valuable tool for prospective students weighing the pros and cons on their school wish lists – if they actually measure data points that matter. No wonder, then, that our analysis of Wall Street Journal’s 2024 Best Colleges in America racked up 159,625 views to date, while U.S. News’ Best Undergraduate Business Programs of 2024 has 26,162 so far.
WSJ’s ranking with College Pulse evaluated 400 U.S. private and public universities on student outcomes (70% weight), learning environment (20%) and diversity (10%). This year, it eliminated its academic survey on schools’ reputations which rewards big brand schools superior name recognition. It also no longer rewards schools for the amount of money it spends on instruction. (Read the full ranking here.)
U.S. News’ ranking of undergraduate business schools, on the other hand, is based solely on its survey of deans and senior faculty of AACSB accredited business programs. Its list, then, is more like a popularity contest, based solely on school brand and reputation. It also creates a lot of ties because there are only 5 points on the scale and so it is difficult to create distance between programs. That’s why there are six schools in the top five, 11 schools in the top 10, and 102 schools in the top 100. In fact, 19 schools tied for No. 84 and 15 schools tied for No. 47. (Read our analysis of the U.S. News ranking here.)
1. Poets&Quants’ Best Undergraduate Business Schools Of 2023
Most Poets&Quants for Undergrads readers come to us for one thing: Up-to-date information on the best business schools in the country. The vast majority are prospective students and their families, looking for B-schools that fit their budgets, career goals, academic ability and a whole list of preferences for their college experience.
Our most read story of 2023, then, should come as no surprise. It’s the most clicked story year after year: P&Q’s ranking for the best undergraduate b-schools.
Why so popular? Well, besides the U.S. News’ ranking, there’s really no other major ranking of undergraduate business schools. Ours also has the biggest trove of proprietary data focused on undergraduate business schools anywhere. In fact, several of our most-read stories this year were stories analyzing this data trove.
In 2023, the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business beat out University of Pennsylvania’s The Wharton School, ending Wharton’s impressive five-year streak at the top.
See which schools rounded out the top 10 and how schools stacked up in a host of different categories here. Then, be on the lookout for our 2024 ranking which will be released in January.
DON’T MISS: A DISRUPTIVE YEAR IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS and HOW CORNELL MBA STUDENTS COACH UNDERGRADS THROUGH ‘GRAND CHALLENGES’
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