UGA MBA program climbs in rankings

The Full-Time MBA Program at the University of Georgia Terry College of Business rose eight spots to No. 40 and climbed to 19th among public institutions in the latest graduate school rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

It was the largest gain of any business school that was ranked in the top 50 last year by U.S. News. The Best Business Schools rankings were announced March 20.

“Our improvement in the most closely watched MBA ranking reflects outstanding employment outcomes that align with our graduates’ career goals,” said Terry College Dean Benjamin C. Ayers. “It further affirms the innovations we have introduced to our curriculum and certainly is supported by the fact that our facilities in the new Business Learning Community are second to none. I am very pleased to see the hard work of our faculty, staff and students recognized.”

Last year, 93 percent of Georgia’s Full-Time MBA graduates were employed within three months of graduation –which matched a record for the program – and graduates reported to U.S. News an average starting salary and bonus of more than $100,000.

The 93 percent employment rate ranked 17th overall among business schools ranked in the top 50, according to U.S. News.

“Our efforts in offering a curriculum that is market-driven and experiential, and a steadfast focus on student experience both inside and outside the classroom, are proving to be transformational,” said Santanu Chatterjee, director of the Full-Time MBA Program. “The U.S. News ranking underscores the support and effort of all our stakeholders, including our vast alumni network.”

Terry College’s Professional MBA Program maintained its top 50 placement at No. 44 overall in U.S. News’ part-time MBA ranking, and among public business schools it ranked 25th.

U.S. News' full-time MBA ranking is based on surveys of 480 MBA programs accredited by AACSB International. The methodology includes an assessment of quality (40 percent), placement success (35 percent) and student selectivity (25 percent).

The part-time MBA ranking methodology is based on five factors: peer assessment (50 percent), standardized test scores (15 percent), student undergraduate grade point average (12.5 percent), percentage of MBA enrollment in the part-time program (12.5 percent) and years of work experience (10 percent). For its academic reputation among peers, Terry's Professional MBA Program ranked 29th overall and 18th among public business schools.

The rankings appear in the 2019 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools guidebook, available March 20, 2018.