Bloomberg BusinessWeek Ranks Ole Miss MBA Program in Top 50

National recognition given for the university's advanced degree

Officers for the 2019-20 Ole Miss MBA class include (from left) Aimee Dillenberger, vice president for recruitment; Emily Harral, president; Heath Rooks, vice president for communications and public relations; Tasia Tsiplakos, vice president for finance; and Rachael Dickens, vice president for social events. Photo by Maria White/School of Business Administration

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi‘s Master of Business Administration program has been named among the nation’s best by Bloomberg BusinessWeek. The rankings, released Monday (Nov. 4), place Ole Miss at No. 34 among American public universities.

For the 2019 edition, Bloomberg ranked MBA programs using four categories: Compensation, Learning, Networking and Entrepreneurship. The UM program came in at No. 7 in both Entrepreneurship and Learning.

“We are thrilled with the success we have enjoyed in our MBA program, and the reflection of the value of our program and the positive trend as indicated in this ranking,” said Ken Cyree, dean of the School of Business Administration. These rankings show the dedication of the faculty and staff who make the program successful, and our alumni who add additional significance with personal development programs for our students.

“We are especially proud of being ranked No. 7 in both the areas of entrepreneurship and learning, which is very impressive and indicates the tremendous value of our program and our competitiveness among our peer institutions.”

The Bloomberg Businessweek 2019-20 Best B-Schools ranking is based on 26,804 survey responses from MBA students, alumni and recruiters in 2019 about their goals and experiences, as well as compensation and job placement data from each school. 

“Many people work together to prepare our graduates for success,” said Walter Davis, faculty adviser to the MBA program. “Our faculty are highly qualified and engage students on a personal level.

“Also, our alumni are instrumental in preparing and delivering a top-notch professional development program.”

The list is based on data compiled from more than 9,000 students, 14,920 alumni, 900 corporate recruiters, and compensation and job-placement data from each school.

The market for MBA programs is increasingly more and more competitive from year to year,” said Ashley McGee, the program’s director. “To remain alongside the top programs in the country, is a testament to the true value and quality of our program.

“Knowledge gained within the classroom, coupled with networking opportunities beyond the classroom walls, provide our MBAs with competitive skills to equip them with a successful career.”

Coming in at No. 68 overall, UM ranked ahead of South Carolina, No. 70; Baylor, No. 79; Missouri, No. 80; and Auburn, No. 85.