Indian B-schools gain ground in QS Global Full-Time MBA Rankings 2020

IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) continues to be the top ranked Indian B-school in QS Global Full-Time MBA Rankings

B-schools in India, led by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), have gained ground in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Global Full-Time MBA Rankings 2020 for their residential programs offered to candidates with prior work experience.

IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) continued to be the top ranked Indian B-school in QS Global Full-Time MBA Rankings, climbing eight spots to stand at 40th rank, up from 48 last year for its MBA program for executives. IIM Bangalore, however, registered the highest jump among Indian B-schools from 71st place last year to 44 this year, followed by Indian School of Business (ISB) at 98 as against 100 last year.

IIM Calcutta and SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) too improved their performance by getting ranked in 101-110 and 151-200 bands in the latest rankings, up from 111-120 and 201+ bands last year, respectively.

The QS rankings seek to evaluate how successfully business schools are performing relative to their key missions, whilst accounting for what matters most for prospective students. The core metrics that are weighted as part of the methodology include employability (40 per cent), entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes (15 per cent), return on investment (20 per cent), thought leadership (15 per cent), and class and faculty diversity (10 per cent).  

As per the ranking agency, QS's measurements provide a new lens for the growing audience of prospective MBA students seeking to start their own business or seeking leadership roles in non-profit organisations; whilst also examining classic MBA career outcomes like partnerships in consulting or directors roles.

"Prospective students today face countless options when considering an educational degree of management. These rankings help clarify the market in terms of identifying potential opportunities worldwide and illuminating the highest-quality options. Our unique perspective is partly based on the collective knowledge of tens of thousands of global employers and thought leaders, who strive to select candidates from highly-respected institutions," said Nunzio Quacquarelli, CEO, QS.

The QS Global MBA ranking is released alongside QS's Masters in Management, with 128 programs ranked; Masters in Finance, featuring 155 programs; Masters in Business Analytics, (84 programs); and Masters in Marketing tables (77 programs). Collectively, these rankings cover the post-graduate programs most in-demand amongst employers around the world.

In the Masters in Management (MiM) rankings, which cover flagship two-year management programs of B-schools that are open for both freshers and candidates with prior work experience, IIM Bangalore retained its top ranked Indian institute tag at 26th, though it fell from 22nd position last year.

Following closely is IIM-A which also fell from 24th position last year to be ranked at 27th this year, followed by IIM Calcutta at 46th rank as against 41st last year. Three Indian B-schools debuted in the QS Masters in Management 2020 rankings including IIM Indore, IIM Udaipur and T A Pai Management Institute, all in the 101+ band.

For Masters in Management 2020 rankings, QS's methodology carried weightage of 35 per cent for employability, followed by value for money (20 per cent), though leadership (20 per cent), alumni outcomes (15 per cent) and class and faculty diversity (10 per cent).