Financial Times FT MBA rankings 2008

How The Financial Times Establish MBA 2008 Rankings

Most Online MBA Course potential students researched on the MBA rankings of the online MBA course that they are interested in to see if the MBA program is considered one of the top rank MBA. One of the established business magazine that publish these MBA rankings annually is The Financial Times (FT). How exactly does The Financial Times (FT) established the MBA rankings for the various certified MBA programs and online MBA courses?

The Financial Times (FT) used a number of key indexes to establish the MBA rankings of the various certified MBA programs and online MBA courses. The Financial Times ranking of MBA programs are based on KPMG’s audit of the MBA schools, and these key indexes sometimes vary from year to year.

The followings are the key indexes used by The Financial Times (FT) for its 2008 MBA rankings. The weights of the respective index for the MBA rankings are indicated in brackets.

1. Weighted salary of the MBA graduates (20)

This is the average alumni salary today of the certified MBA or Online MBA Course. This MBA graduate salary is adjusted for variations between industry sectors and include data for the current year and the one or two preceeding years.

2. Salary percentage increase (20)

The Financial Times (FT) put equal weights on the salary percentage increase of an MBA graduate. This seems to be justified considering that most MBA aspiring students who pursue a certified MBA program or Online MBA course hopes to not only recover the cost of investment but to a significant salary increment upon graduating from the certified MBA program.

This data of salary percentage increase refers to the percentage increase of average alumni salary from before the MBA to today as a percentage of the pre-MBA salary. This figure includes data for the current year and the one or two preceding years where available.

3. Value for money (3)

All students who pursue an Online MBA Course hopes to derive some value for money out of their MBA studies. This index encompasses the salary earned by MBA graduate today, course length, fees and other costs, including the opportunity cost of not working for the duration of the course.
4. Career progress (3)

Anyone who pursue an Online MBA Course hopes to see some progress in their career. Pursuing an Online MBA Course is an expensive investment, and it is not likely that anyone would pursue it purely for the purpose of passing time or just to gain new knowledge.

That is why Financial Times (FT) included this index as part of their MBA ranking calculations. This is calculated according to changes in the level of seniority and the size of the company MBA graduates are working in now versus before their MBA. Data for the current year and the one or two preceding years are included where available.

5. Aims achieved (3)

Everyone who pursue a certified MBA or an Online MBA Course, hope to achieve different aim out of their MBA Course. This index is the extent to which MBA graduates fulfilled their goals or reasons for doing an MBA.

6. Placement success (2)

Many schools that offer Online MBA Course or a certified MBA program also offers job placement for their MBA graduate. MBA graduates who used the careers service at their business school were asked to rank its effectiveness in their job search. This figure includes data for the current year and the one or two preceding years where available.

7. Employed at three months (2)

To be employed within three months seem to be a standard gauge to not only the effectiveness of the Online MBA Course or certified MBA program, but also an indicator to the economic health of the industry. All being equal, Financial Times (FT) include this index in calculation of MBA ranking in terms of the percentage of the most recent graduating class that had found employment or accepted a job offer within three months of graduation.

8. Alumni recommend (2)

Alumni were asked to name three business schools from which they would recruit MBA graduates. The ranking is calculated according to the number of votes for each school.

9. Women faculty (2)

Percentage of female faculty that offers the Online MBA Course or certified MBA program

10. Women students (2)

Percentage of female students that pursue the Online MBA Course or certified MBA program

11. Women board (1)

Percentage of female members of the advisory board of the business school that is offering the Online MBA Course or certified MBA program

12. International faculty (4)

Percentage of faculty whose citizenship differs from their country of employment.

13. International students (4)

Percentage of MBA students whose citizenship differs from the country in which they are studying.

14. International board (2)

Percentage of the board whose citizenship differs from the country in which the business school is based.

15. International mobility (6)

This is calculated according to whether the Online MBA Course graduate worked in different countries before the MBA, on graduation and also where they are employed today.

16. International experience (2)

Weighted average of four criteria that measure international exposure during the certified MBA program or Online MBA Course

17. Languages (2)

Number of extra languages required on completion of the certified MBA program or Online MBA Course. Where a proportion of MBA students require a further language due to an additional diploma, that figure is included in the calculations but not presented in the final MBA ranking.

18. Faculty with doctorates (5)

Percentage of faculty with a doctoral degree.

19. FT doctoral rank (5)

This is calculated according to the number of doctoral graduates from each business school during the past three years. Additional points are given if these doctoral graduates took up faculty positions at one of the top 50 full-time MBA schools of 2007.

19. FT research rank (10)

This is calculated according to the number of faculty publications in 40 international academic and practitioner journals. Points are awarded to the business school at which the author is currently employed. The total is weighted for faculty size.


There are also other information provided in the Financial Times MBA ranking such as the salary today of an MBA graduates and other information. Among some of the top 40 MBA ranking that we have previously published on this Online MBA Course site includes:


University of Phoenix

Robert Kennedy College, University of Wales

Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University

Please also check out the London School of Business & Finance which is also ranked highly in Financial Times MBA ranking for the year 2008.