CSOM Program Ranks in Top 50

The Carroll School of Management (CSOM) ranked among the top international business schools this year, according to a recent report by the Financial Times.
With the release of this year's Financial Times' Business School Rankings, CSOM finds itself among the world's best graduate business programs. A year after being ranked 89th in the world, CSOM's MBA program placed within the top 50 international programs at 47th worldwide, and saw its national rank rise to 23rd, a far cry from 2009's rank of 50th.

Charlotte Clarke of financialtimes.com, said that the main factors that determined each school's rank included the salaries of recent alumni, the international reach of the MBA program, and the research capacity of the school.

CSOM experienced improved rankings in, most notably, the salaries of alumni and in research capabilities. Boston College's average annual salary of alumni rose to just over $118,000, up by about $10,000 from 2009's $108,000 estimate.

In a different area, what The Financial Times calls Career Progress Rank, BC saw its rank swell from 64th to 26th in the world. The Career Progress Rank measures promotions and salary increases that alumni experience and takes into account the size of the companies that employ them. "We do a good job of preparing our students for the business world in what we do both inside and outside the classroom," said Jeffrey Ringuest, associate dean of graduate programs for CSOM, of the rank.

In another improvement, CSOM's rank for faculty research increased from 43rd to 26th best in the world. CSOM Dean Andrew Boynton pointed to faculty research as one of the main reasons for the MBA program's surge into the top 25 national programs.

"We have a terrific faculty, and their commitment to excellent teaching and conducting outstanding research have really boosted the rankings," Boynton said. "The Financial Times rankings take a close look at faculty research because knowledge creation plays an important role in the learning experience in any highly rated MBA program, like ours … the faculty and staff have created a very innovative and truly student-learning centric MBA curriculum."

Administrators partially attributed the high rankings to the program's faculty and student performance, elements which transcend numbers, they said.

 "Rankings are volatile," Rienguest said. "You'll see schools moving up and down. But a good faculty, good staff, and good programs are much more constant. Our students leave here with a foundation that should truly allow them to build a successful career in business and to be good global citizens."