In the just-released rankings of MBA programs around the world, The Economist ranks the Neeley School of Business at TCU No. 1 in the world for Faculty Quality, and the overall MBA program No. 35 in the U.S. and No. 61 in the world, up ten places from last year to make it one of the fastest-rising MBA programs on the worldwide list.

The Economist ranks MBA programs around the world on faculty quality, student quality, jobs found through career services, salary increases for graduates, depth of alumni network and more, which accounts for 80 percent of the overall ranking. Survey responses from students and recent graduates make up the other 20 percent.

“This recognition provides clear evidence that our faculty members deliver first-rate education, our TCU MBA graduates prove their effectiveness in the marketplace, and our alumni stay connected and committed to help those who come after them,” noted O. Homer Erekson, John V. Roach Dean of the Neeley School.

TCU/Neeley’s 2013 full-time MBA ranking in the top programs in the world from The Economist:
Specialty
1 Faculty Quality
22 Percentage increase on pre-MBA salary
25 Potential to network
27 Breadth of alumni network
36 Student rating of alumni effectiveness
36 Student assessment of career services
Overall
35 Full-time MBA program in the U.S.
61 Full-time MBA program in the World

Only four MBA programs from Texas were included in the world ranking: UT Austin/McCombs at No. 31, Rice/Jones at No. 39 and SMU/Cox at No. 93.

Just last week, the Neeley School was featured as one of the top business schools in the nation for earning an MBA, according to The Princeton Review’s just-published Best 295 Business Schools: 2014 Edition. It was ranked No. 9 for Most Competitive Students.

The Princeton Review does not create overall hierarchical rankings of business schools, but selects the best business schools based on the school’s academic programs and offerings, and survey opinions of 20,300 MBA students. Specialty rankings include Most Competitive Students, which ranks Neeley at No. 9, and Best Campus Facilities, which ranks Neeley No. 6 in the nation.

The Most Competitive Students ranking is based on TCU MBA students’ assessments of how competitive their classmates are, how heavy the workload is, and the perceived academic pressure. In survey responses, Neeley students said there is an “extremely heavy workload in the beginning” of the fulltime MBA, and “All of the students in the program hold each other to a high standard.” In this “applicable career-focused program,” professors are committed to “pushing our limits and growing our skills in communication, presentations, etc. from the moment classes begin.”

The incoming full-time TCU MBA class is 26 percent larger than last year and has the highest average GMAT score to date at 652. More than half scored above 650.

“It is gratifying to be included in The Princeton Review’s top choices for MBA degrees over the years, because it shows that the TCU MBA is rigorous, relevant and fulfills the promise it makes to students that a TCU MBA degree will be a life-changing experience,” said Bill Cron, senior associate dean of graduate programs and research at the Neeley School.

“We are continually raising the bar for the TCU MBA degree, including adding an MBA for Energy Professionals, which is especially relevant in Texas,” added Bill Wempe, executive director of graduate programs at Neeley.

The Best 295 Business Schools: 2014 Edition also has advice on applying to business schools and funding the degree. It is one of the more than165 Princeton Review books published by Random House. For more information, visit www.PrincetonReview.com.