Same as it ever was: Recognizing stability in the BusinessWeek rankings

Since their arrival in 1988, the BusinessWeek rankings of full-time MBA programs have had an increasingly greater influence on business school education. Implicit in attempts to improve in the rankings is the assumption that it is possible to improve. We empirically examine the BusinessWeek rankings and find that they are highly stable over time, and that some of the best predictors of rankings are characteristics that cannot be changed. In addition, we find that the most recent rankings are driven largely by student perceptions of placement outcomes, suggesting that a focus on the rankings may cause business schools to shift their focus away from their primary mission of educating students. Implications for business school education are discussed.