ROI and Focus on Ethics Drive Georgetown MBA to a #9 Rank in the Financial Times

The Full-time MBA Program at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business rose to 17th in the world and 9th in the United States in the 2021 Financial Times Global MBA ranking, up from 31st overall and 17th domestically last year. 

Driven by a 132% increase in salary for the class of 2017, McDonough was 7th among U.S. schools for the percentage the class’ salaries rose from the time they enrolled in the MBA to three years after graduation. The school also is 7th in the United States for the percentage of course content devoted to issues of corporate social responsibility, ethics, or the environment. 

“We are thrilled to be considered among the best MBA programs in the world,” said Prashant Malaviya, senior associate dean for MBA Programs. “While any program at the top of this list will provide a rigorous academic experience, what separates McDonough is our commitment to community, our culture of collaboration, and our genuine care for the whole person. Fueled by these values, our alumni go on to achieve their goals and make a lasting difference in the world.”

Georgetown McDonough also received high marks for the percentage of alumni who said the program helped them achieve their goals for enrolling in an MBA, as well as for the global diversity of the faculty. 

The Financial Times places a strong emphasis on the success of alumni three years after graduation, as well as the international character and diversity of the school. It collects data from surveys of alumni and business schools.

Amid the pandemic, some schools opted not to participate in the ranking. Additionally, the Financial Times adjusted its methodology to remove questions about required and optional global travel — metrics for which the McDonough MBA usually ranked in the top five. 

“We know this was a difficult year for many schools and their students, and I am proud of how the McDonough community came together to support one another and to continue to advance our program,” Malaviya said. “We dug into the numbers, and if you add the missing schools back into the ranking, Georgetown McDonough would likely have still risen in the ranks even without the consideration of the strength of our global, immersive programs. I can’t think of a better testament to the resilience and dedication of our staff, our faculty, our students, our alumni, and our school and university leadership to continue to drive our program forward during unprecedented challenges.”

Over the past year, the Georgetown MBA has launched several key initiatives, including a new Virtual Recruiting Summit to prepare students for their internship and job searches during the pandemic, a Mentorship Program that paired 130 students with alumni mentors this year, and a new MBA Advanced Access Program that allows students in their final year of undergraduate or graduate study who have not previously had professional work experience to apply for deferred enrollment two to four years later.  

The school also continues to see success in its MBA admissions efforts, recruiting one of the most diverse classes in the program’s history in the fall of 2020, as well as in the career search, ranking as one of the top schools for employment outcomes during the pandemic.