UA Business School No. 33 Among Publics in Bloomberg Businessweek Rankings

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration at The University of Alabama is listed No. 33 among public universities in the Bloomberg Businessweek rankings released Thursday, placing the business school among the top 5-6 percent of public institutions.

Among Southeastern Conference business schools, UA was third behind the universities of Florida and Georgia. Among all universities, both public and private, UA was ranked 75^th.

Seven of the top 10 business schools were private institutions, with Notre Dame being No. 1. Public institutions in the top 10 were the universities of Virginia, Michigan and North Carolina.

“Rankings can be useful in helping us learn how our graduates and others perceive us and we are pleased that we show well on Bloomberg Businessweek,” said Dr. J. Barry Mason, dean of the Culverhouse College of Commerce. “However, as the University continues to grow, so will business school enrollment and we must continue to find ways to meet the challenges posed by eroding state and federal support.”

Bloomberg Businessweek uses a methodology that includes nine measures of student satisfaction, post-graduation outcomes, and academic quality, according to the ranking website.

More than 86,000 graduating seniors at the participating schools were asked to complete a 50-question survey on everything from the quality of teaching to recreational facilities. Overall, 28,377 students responded to the survey, a response rate of 33 percent.

The results of the 2011 student survey were then combined with the results of two previous student surveys, from 2010 and 2009, to arrive at a student survey score for each school. The 2011 survey supplies 50 percent of the score; the two previous surveys supply 25 percent each.

In addition to surveying students, Bloomberg Businessweek polled 775 corporate recruiters for companies that hire thousands of business majors each year. The firms were asked which programs turn out the best graduates, and which schools have the most innovative curricula and most effective career services. In the end, 246 recruiters responded, a response rate of about 32 percent.

Culverhouse was ranked 30^th in the recruiter survey section, and received a “A+” for facilities and services from graduates, and received a “B” in job placement and quality of teaching. The report also said that the median starting salary for a UA business school graduate is $57,000. The median starting salary listed for a Notre Dame graduate is $55,000.