Do Business School Rankings 'Fit' Into Your School Search?

When it comes to experts on business education, few have more longtime interest and experience than Matt Symonds. The “S” of QS (Quacquarelli Symonds)—an early and lasting publisher of university rankings—Symonds is a renowned consultant, author, columnist, and speaker on the topics of business schools, rankings, and the MBA.

We had the opportunity to speak with him recently on the role business school rankings should play in a student’s school search. Symonds cautions that, while business school rankings are one factor in evaluating business programs, prospective students should not neglect other important considerations, such as outreach to schools; interaction with staff, students, and alumni; and a school’s accreditation status.

While rankings go up and down and new ones crop up nearly every year, the abundance of available information and inconsistency of school placements can be outright dizzying to a prospective student. In the end, Symonds says, students should think “not which is the best business school but what’s the best business school for me?”

See more of Symonds’ insights on the role of rankings in school selection as well as projections for the future of business school rankings.