Oct. 13, 2006

EDITOR'S NOTE: This release has been resent to correct information on recruiters' perceptions (last paragraph) and students' assessment of faculty (fourth paragraph).

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- By virtue of its 18th-place ranking in the new Business Week list of top business schools, the Kelley School of Business is among the top 1 percent of all masters of business administration programs in the nation. Among public institutions, Kelley ranks sixth.

"There are more than 3,000 business schools in the United States, and only about 550 have earned accreditation by the most demanding accreditation board, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)," said Kelley School Dean Dan Smith.

"Our ranking of 18th overall places us above the 95th percentile of AACSB accredited programs. This ranking places Kelley in the top 1 percent of all business schools nationwide. While we are pleased with this ranking, we are by no means content and will continue to find ways to make a great program even better."

Business Week is one of the nation's oldest magazines dedicated to coverage of finance and industry. The rankings are reported in its Oct. 23 issue, available on newsstands today (Oct. 13).

Business Week's BW Online also singled out majors within MBA programs but did not rank them. Kelley's marketing major was highlighted as a top program, and its management major also was prominently noted. Students gave the Kelley faculty a grade of "A-plus" for teaching.

The school's MBA program has consistently ranked among Business Week's top 20 since the magazine first began ranking MBA programs in 1988. Using surveys they conduct every other year, the magazine measures perceptions of graduating students and of the corporations that recruit them. The Kelley School was previously ranked 20th in 2000 and 2002, and 18th in 2004.

The Kelley MBA program ranked number one among universities in the state. Purdue University's Krannert School of Business was ranked 24th and the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business was ranked 26th.

Dean Smith currently is meeting with government ministers in commerce and economics in India, as well as senior administrators at companies and universities to create partnership opportunities for student and faculty exchanges, Kelley Direct programs and executive education.

"This ranking is exciting, but it would not have been possible without the program innovations introduced by past MBA Program Chair Idalene Kesner, along with the hard work of our committed MBA staff and current Chair Jim Wahlen," Smith said.

"The dedication of the outstanding faculty who teach in the MBA program and the exceptional students from Indiana and all around the U.S. and the world, make Kelley an extraordinary place for recruiters to attract the future top business leaders," he added.

Other notes from the article in Business Week support the fact that recruiters hold the Kelley School and its graduates in particularly high regard. Those recruiters ranked Kelley 11th overall for its programs and gave Kelley MBAs grades of "A" for communication skills, "A-plus" for teamwork and "A" for analytical skills.