The Financial Times Ranks Cornell University’s Johnson School 6th Place Among Top U.S. MBA Programs
The Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, is now ranked the #6 MBA program in the United States and #13 worldwide among 100 of the top business schools in The Financial Times’ 2025 Global MBA Ranking. The 100-ranked MBA programs represent the top 4% of the more than 2,500 MBA programs.
The rankings are based on data provided by participating schools and alumni, with significant weighting given to salary and salary increase three years after graduation, as well as academic research output, career services, and overall satisfaction.
“Despite some shifts in the rankings among the best business schools we’re reassured that the Johnson School retains its position among top MBA programs in the United States and internationally,” said Andrew Karolyi, Charles Field Knight dean, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. “While we’re pleased with several gains in our ranking standing, we recognize there is room for improvement in the area of sustainability, which relates to our carbon footprint rank and an ESG and Net Zero Teaching Rank.”
In the area of weighted salary for 2024 Two-year MBA graduates, this criteria in the FT Ranking showed an increase. Of the 291 Two-Year MBA graduates in the class of 2024, 261 were seeking full-time employment and 79% percent obtained a job within three months of graduation. On a related note, the Career Services area received a ranking of #16 among all schools.
“We’re pleased to see that in the areas of career progress and international mobility, our rankings experienced marked gains,” said Vishal Gaur, Anne and Elmer Lindseth dean, Johnson School. “Under the category of diversity, there was a rise in female faculty, specifically international female faculty, as well as women on board. At the same time, we recognize room for growth in sector diversity rank of our student career paths and remain committed to making headway in this critical area.”
Faculty research accounted for 10% of the ranking and Cornell Johnson placed #7. An example of the college’s efforts in the area of research is the annual Research with Impact Report. This compendium focuses on elevating research strengths and amplifying them to the broader community.
Related to the alumni survey data which accounted for 4% of the weight, the Cornell Johnson Alumni Network maintained its strong position of #3 among participating business schools.
All schools that participate in the Financial Times MBA Ranking are periodically subject to an audit of submitted data. The Johnson School was audited by KPMG last year and successfully completed that process.