Birthplace of Management Education: MBA Programs in North America

TopMBA.com provides an overview of MBA programs in North America, the birthplace of management education. 

The QS Global 200 Business Schools Report 2012

Despite the ongoing economic troubles over the past few years, business schools in the USA and Canada remain highly relevant to global MBA employers and a must-have for domestic employers.

As the historical home of business schools, and MBA education, North America has always been an attractive prospect for employers to recruit MBAs from, with The Wharton School established in 1881 as the first ever collegiate business school, and Harvard Business School in the USA, which introduced the first MBA over a century ago.

In fact, for more than half of that 100-year period, the MBA program was largely confined to the USA, allowing long-standing US-based business schools to develop a significant reputation among international employers. This is evident through the dominance of US business schools in the North America regional rating.

Business schools featuring in the top 10 by and large remain the same as last year, with the exception of UCLA Anderson School of Management, which has climbed into the top 10. Those featuring in the top 10 have received more than 95 in the employers’ index vote, a testament to the quality, and high level of competition among business schools in North America. Harvard Business School; Stanford University Graduate School of Business; The Kellogg School of Management and The Wharton School perform consistently well in producing employable MBA graduates, all of which appear in the top 10 year-on-year.

Maryellen Lamb, director of MBA career management at The Wharton School says the business school is particularly appealing to employers because of its “ability to nurture thoughtful leaders, thoroughly trained in all the core business disciplines, leading to an analytical recruit who is ready to take on globally complex challenges. This adds to a strong group of lifelong learners who put knowledge into action.”

Although average salary figures do not make up the QS rating, the North America table indicates a clear correlation between the highest average salaries and the business schools that appear in the top cluster. This is indicative of the salaries that employers are prepared to pay graduates from the business schools that they value the most for recruitment.

The following six business schools featuring in the top cluster have shown huge improvements in employer reputation. Each school has improved consistently, and year-on-year has climbed further up the ratings. The schools in the top cluster showing the biggest improvement this year are Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, with both schools making a 13-place jump up the North American rating.

Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University;

Queen’s School of Business;

Rotman School of Management;

Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management;

Sauder School of Business;

Schulich School of Business.

Eight business schools have been rated in the second cluster for the first time, signifying the constant improvement in the quality of MBA education in the region, as employers realize the employability of graduates from schools that were previously under their recruitment radar. In particular, the six institutions below have made year-on-year improvements.

Alberta School of Business;

Claremont University: Drucker;

Florida International University’s Graduate School of Business;

George Washington University;

Ohio State University: Fisher;

Tepper School of Business.

There are 10 new schools entering the QS Global 200 Business Schools Report from North America. The majority of them have entered the ratings in the third cluster – jumping ahead of some schools that have featured in the North American rating since 2009. These include:

Zicklin School of Business;

University of Saskatchewan;

John Molson School of Business;

Loyola University Chicago;

The University of Texas at Dallas;

Smeal College of Business;

The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School;

Leeds School of Business;

Daniels College of Business;

Masagung Graduate School of Management.

William Kooser, associate dean for students at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, which has entered the rating this year, says: “We think employers are attracted to our students for the breadth of experiences and the unique skill set that our program delivers.”

He adds: “Our students develop strong skills in ethical leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, technology transfer, and a global mindset. They are well positioned to help lead organizations that recognize the importance of innovative approaches to business and have the skills to adapt to business needs around the globe.”