TAMPA 鈥� The 51在线鈥檚 graduate full-time MBA program has broken into the top 75 on the national rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report.
USF鈥檚 full-time MBA program in the USF Muma College of Business clinched the No. 73 spot, the first time the program has landed among the top 100 schools in the country. Among public universities, the program ranks No. 39 in the nation and No. 2 in the state.
The Best Business Schools rankings also put USF鈥檚 part-time MBA program in the , up seven positions from last year. The part-time program ranks No. 43 among public universities in the nation and No. 3 in the state.
鈥淲e know our MBA programs are rigorous and place graduates on a path toward higher earnings outcomes and career success,鈥� said GJ de Vreede, interim dean at the Muma College of Business. 鈥淥ur continued upward trajectory signals the strength of our program and makes us extremely proud.鈥�
USF鈥檚 nationally ranked MBA program helps students develop analytical skills and creative abilities and promotes collaboration with experienced and diverse classmates.
鈥淭his is a significant jump from the past two years and illustrates what a high-quality program can do for students seeking to land those coveted professional jobs after graduation,鈥� said Eric Douthirt, USF鈥檚 MBA program director.
Douthirt pointed out that USF鈥檚 full-time Vinik Sport and Entertainment Management MBA program had a 100% placement rate by three months after graduation, a perfect three-month placement rate shared by only 14 other full-time MBA reporting programs.
In its methodology, U.S. News computed its Best Business Schools rankings based on academic quality and graduate success. Half the rankings formula evaluated institutions on the successful placement and earnings outcomes of its graduates.
The remaining factors considered the academic metrics of incoming students and the opinions by business schools, corporate recruiters, and company contacts on overall program quality.
Each school鈥檚 overall rank was derived from scores on eight distinct ranking factors 鈥� employment rates at graduation, employment rates three months after graduation, mean starting salary and bonus, peer assessment score, recruiter assessment score, median GMAT and GRE scores, average undergraduate grade point average, and acceptance rate.
Here is a look at each ranking factor and its weight in the publication鈥檚 ranking formula:
- Placement success (50%) looked at employment rates at graduation, three months after graduation, and the average starting salary and signing bonus.
- Quality assessment (25%) considered surveys from business school deans and directors from each AACSB-accredited MBA program and corporate recruiters and company contacts.
- Student selectivity (25%) measured the median GMAT and GRE scores, the average undergraduate grade point average of entering students, and the program鈥檚 acceptance rate.
For the part-time MBA degree programs, U.S. News considered the following ranking factors and its weight: peer assessment (50%), part-time student ratio (12.5%), part-time students total (12.5%), GMAT/GRE scores (10%), undergraduate grade point average (10%), and work experience (5%).
In January, U.S. News ranked USF鈥檚 online MBA program No. 19 in the nation and No. 15 among public universities for delivering an online graduate business degree in its annual survey of the .