The World’s Best Business Schools: MBA Employers Give Their Verdict

The results of the world’s largest ever survey of MBA graduate employability are revealed in the 2012/13 QS Global 200 Business Schools Report.

This year’s survey draws on responses from over 3,300 active MBA employers around the world, offering a unique insight into the hiring preferences of the world’s top MBA employers.

• Download the full 2012/13 QS Global 200 Business Schools Report >

Rating the World’s Top Business Schools

The report also assesses the world’s best business schools in key areas including graduate salaries, GMAT scores, candidates’ work experience, class sizes and proportion of international students make-up.
The world’s top 200 business schools have been split into four categories, based on their overall level of employer recognition: Elite Global, Emerging Global, Elite Regional, and Emerging Regional.
Based on their overall levels of recognition from employers, the top 200 schools are given a rank position within one of five regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.
Global rankings are also provided in ten key MBA subject specializations:
•    Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
•    Entrepreneurship
•    Finance
•    Information management
•    Innovation
•    International management
•    Leadership
•    Marketing
•    Operations management
•    Strategy

European Schools Lead the Way

Though global ranks are not provided, this year’s data shows that in the eyes of the world’s employers, three business schools clearly stand out from the pack: Harvard Business School, INSEAD – France, and London Business School.
The report points to a leading cluster of 39 Elite Global business schools spread across North America (22), Europe (14) and the Asia-Pacific region (3). While the US total of 15 Elite Global schools is unsurpassed, only Harvard boasts a comparable employer reputation to London Business School and INSEAD-France.
Graduates from top European schools are also shown to earn higher average salaries than their North American counterparts. Graduate salaries at Europe’s Elite Global schools averaged US$109,300, compared to US$101,100 in North America.
QS managing director Nunzio Quacquarelli, states: “Despite the ongoing Eurozone crisis, graduates of Europe’s top business schools are increasingly in demand for their ability to lead and innovate in the workplace. This year’s report finds record numbers of companies turning towards hiring MBAs, underlining the value of the qualification in today’s globalized economy.”
While Europe’s schools performed well for employability and graduate salaries, when it comes to subject specializations the US schools dominate. Harvard ranks number one in 4 of the 10 subjects covered, ahead of MIT-Sloan (2), INSEAD (1), Kellogg, Northwestern (1), Stanford (1) and Wharton (1).

Indian MBAs are World’s Most Academically Distinguished

While Europe and North America dominate in terms of overall employability and salaries, candidates at Indian schools emerge as the world’s most academically qualified. Average GMAT scores at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad are the highest in the world, comfortably ahead of any of the top schools from Europe or the US.
“The extraordinary academic credentials of candidates at India’s top schools bodes well for the nation’s ability to produce business leaders of the future”, Quacquarelli states. “Indian candidates are on average less experienced than those in Europe and North America, reflecting the tendency for Indian students of exceptional academic merit to undertake the MBA at the outset of their careers.“
A total of three Asian schools make the Elite Global category: INSEAD Singapore, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and NUS Business School, National University of Singapore.
However, there are no Elite Global schools in either Africa & Middle East, or Latin America.
The top schools in Africa & Middle East for employer reputation are University of Cape Town (South Africa), Graduate School of Business, American University in Cairo (Egypt), and University of Witwatersrand (South Africa).
Latin America’s top schools are EGADE-Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey (Mexico), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Business School Sao Paulo (Brazil).