Olin holds strong in the latest Financial Times global MBA ranking

WashU Olin continued to show positive momentum in the Financial Times ranking of global MBA programs, capping a five-year trend by moving up 39 spots in the tally, according to the 2022 ranking out last week.

As Poets & Quants noted in its coverage of the ranking, “no school has done better over the past five years of FT rankings than Washington University. Olin Business School has moved up 39 places since 2017.” The P&Q report came out on February 14, coinciding with the release of FT’s ranking.

“I’m gratified to see the hard work of our staff and faculty, and the commitment of our students and alumni, recognized through the trend we have seen in this ranking,” said Olin Dean Mark P. Taylor.

The FT’s 2022 ranking includes the return of seven MBA powerhouse schools after a mid-pandemic absence. With the return of those schools— Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, UC Berkeley, MIT Sloan and UCLA—WashU Olin Business School held strong in the 2022 ranking, showing excellent results in areas including career services and global course experience.

Olin came in at No. 29. Olin showed gains in areas including international course experience, which rose from 66 to 24 in the ranking, and career services, with a rise from 72 to 60 in that category.

Emphasis on global business

“We have placed a premium on establishing and building global business experience for the leaders of tomorrow,” Dean Taylor said. “It’s gratifying to see that emphasis—as well as the hard work in career services—affirmed in the Financial Times ranking.”

Objectively, Olin also showed significant gains in other categories, including the percentage of MBA students employed within three months of graduating. In that category, 94% had jobs versus 73% the year before.

Wharton topped this year’s FT ranking, followed by Columbia and a tie for third between Harvard and INSEAD. In their last appearance in the FT ranking two years ago, the four schools ranked second (Wharton), eighth (Columbia), first (Harvard) and fourth (INSEAD), respectively.

“It is a great performance when you look at the competition,” said Shannon Reid, Olin’s strategic initiatives analyst and the person with her finger on the pulse of the rankings.