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Are you trying to distinguish between the valuable online MBA college rankings and the invaluable ones? As you start to compare different colleges offering reputable MBA programs, you will notice that there are several different sources that publish their own rankings of each program based on a set of data. While the data that is used to to rank an MBA college can educate you and guide you in making an informed decision, some education experts believe that some ranking systems are ineffective and biased. Here is a guide to help you choose which rankings you should value and which rankings do not hold much weight:
Only Rely on Rankings Published on Trustworthy and Official Sites
There are so many different MBA programs that you can apply to, but not all of these online colleges are considered to be reputable. If you are trying to make the process of selecting a school to attend easier, using a college ranking list can be the solution. While rankings do help you narrow down your selection, you should only trust information that is published by an unbiased and official third-party. If the research was conducted by the school itself, or you are reviewing rankings on a site that is geared towards promoting specific colleges, you may be trusting inaccurate rankings that are in the favor of a specific school.
There are a variety of different third-parties that collect data and rank online MBA colleges for the public. The Economist, Forbes, and Businessweek are all trustworthy sources that rank MBA colleges on an annual basis by using a large set of data. The Economist ranking uses answers to a survey to assess a school’s reputation, and the Forbes best school ranking is entirely based on the Return on Investment within the next 5 years by assessing the incomes of graduates and the salary gains within this period of time.
Understand the Limitations of Rankings Systems
Now that you know to avoid the rankings that are funded by or decided by schools, you need to understand the limitations of a legitimate ranking system. Different agencies and organizations who take the time to rank online colleges will use a different set of criteria to determine which online college is ranked number one and which one is ranked dead last on the list. There are specific sets of data that can distort a picture, and just because one school makes the list on a single best list does not mean it is necessarily the best choice. The best indicator of an online MBA school being a good choice is when the school makes a high rank on several different unbiased lists. Just make sure that public information and accurate financial data is used.
Now that you know how to assess the validity of rankings when you are applying to an online MBA college, it is time to start doing your research. A Master of Business Administration is a highly regarded degree that distinguishes some candidates from others, but degrees from less reputable colleges may not work in your favor when you are applying for upper-level business leadership roles. Make sure that you scope out the ranking systems, find out what data is used to calculate the rankings, and only use valuable online MBA college rankings to help guide your decision-making.
