Notre Dame Business School Ranked #1 by Bloomberg (Again!)

March 19, 2011
By: MyBayCity Staff

Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business ranked No. 1 for the second year in a row in Bloomberg Businessweek's sixth annual survey of "The Best Undergraduate Business Schools."

"Our students, faculty and staff pour their hearts into everything they do here at Notre Dame," said Carolyn Y. Woo, the Martin J. Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College. "We appreciate the ranking as a reflection of not just academic excellence, but also our particular mission of educating students to think about the big picture and how they might use business to impact the greater good."

The Mendoza College's top ranking was due in large part to the school's 98 percent job placement rate three months after graduation and student satisfaction that's higher than any other school in the rankings, according to the Bloomberg Businessweek website. Additionally, Mendoza's business program has also focused on the demand for global exposure and experience by offering study abroad programs, and students are encouraged to take on a business-related research project while away from South Bend.

"We've seen one common theme in our 2011 rankings: prospective students are increasingly seeking undergraduate business school programs that provide international experience," said Josh Tyrangiel, editor of Bloomberg Businessweek. "This year's rankings reflect programs that have undertaken efforts to answer the call from students by enhancing their international curriculum."

Notre Dame also earned the No. 1 spot in the student satisfaction ranking, and "A+" in teaching quality, facilities and services, and job placement. The school placed third in the recruiter ranking across a three-year average.

Rounding out the top five were University of Virginia (McIntire), Emory (Goizueta), University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), and Cornell University (Dyson).

"Our business program is unique in that it prepares students for a career in business, but it still puts a focus on maintaining an ethical approach to job searches, work ethic, promotions, etc.," commented a graduate on the survey. "The network of Notre Dame business alumni is extremely willing to help students in their job searches, since alumni realize that we are well prepared to be strong employees immediately after graduation."

Another graduate said, "All professors have very successful business careers behind them, they are great people, and they take great interest in your school/post-school career. The advisors in the business school work very well with you, and the business clubs available provide great opportunities to get out and observe the workforce while in school."

Bloomberg Businessweek used nine measures to rank 113 programs, including surveys of senior business majors and corporate recruiters, median starting salaries for graduates, and the number of alumni each program sends to top MBA programs. The publication also calculated an academic quality rating for each program by combining average SAT scores, student-faculty ratios, class size, the percentage of students with internships, and the number of hours students devote to classwork.

"The Best Undergraduate Business Schools" is featured on businessweek.com and includes expanded content, the full ranking and methodology.

The Mendoza College of Business currently enrolls 1,759 undergraduate students in four majors: accountancy, finance, management and marketing. After completing the University's innovative First Year of Studies program, Notre Dame business majors enter the Mendoza College in their sophomore year.

The Mendoza College also offers graduate degree programs - including a Master of Business Administration, Executive Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Accountancy, and Master of Nonprofit Administration - as well as non-degree executive education and nonprofit professional development programs.