A s the Kenan-Flagler Business School ponders ways to improve the ranking of its Master of Business Administration program it should shy away from methods that focus exclusively on applicants and accepted students and focus more on improving assessment of students enrolled in the program .
The methodology behind the scores given to determine rankings are based on many different factors.
It is true that a quarter of a school’s score is determined by the school’s selectivity when admitting students. However, this still leaves three fourths of the score’s basis in other areas .
Some may believe that a good place to start would be post-graduation placement, which is given a weight of .35 when determining rankings.
While nailing down high-paying jobs for graduates may be one of the most glamorous strategies, it will likely have little impact on the school’s ranking. Currently, 76.5 percent of full-time Kenan-Flagler MBA graduates are employed at graduation . As great as it would be to ensure all graduates come out of school with a job, all three of the programs tied for top dog place around 75 percent as well.
Though it may be a no-brainer, the most effective way to improve ranking will be by improving teaching. Assessments of the program by peers and of students by recruiters is given a weight of .4 in rankings.
This will not only increase the scores given to the most heavily weighted factor, but also have positive externalities on other factors. By improving their training, students will be more likely to find placement by graduation. In turn, this could entice more undergraduates to apply for the school, improving the selectivity of admissions.
