Poets and Quants Ranks Dyson School No. 2 Among Business Programs
The Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, is now ranked No. 2 among the top U.S. undergraduate business programs in Poets & Quants’ Business Undergrad Ranking 2025. The overall ranking of the Dyson School rose four positions to its highest rank to date, from last year’s rank of No. 6, with notable improvements in the key areas of academic experience, career outcomes, and admissions. For 2025, the Dyson School’s composite score is 98.9 out of 100, with last year’s score at 96.41.
The Poets & Quants rankings are based on data provided by participating schools and alumni, with weighting given to academic experience, career outcomes and admissions, each accounting for one-third of the final ranking score. The largest ranking increase for Dyson is in the area of academic experience, which advanced from 12th to 9th place. For career outcomes, the rank climbed from 5th to 3rd, and in admissions it improved from 3rd to 2nd place.
“We’re pleased to see Dyson School’s business program has advanced to No. 2 in the Poets & Quants ranking among all U.S. undergraduate business programs,” said Andrew Karolyi, the Charles Field Knight Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. “The Dyson School continues to improve and maintains a consistently high standard of excellence, thanks to the many contributions from dedicated faculty, staff, students, and alumni – all committed to providing an outstanding undergraduate business education and experience.”
This year Poets & Quants introduced a few methodology changes for the ranking calculation, all within the admission standards score. Poets & Quants reverted to school reporting for the metric of percent of students in the top 10 percent of their high school classes and reduced the weight to 10 percent of the total admission standards score. They also added two new metrics – average high school GPA and six-year graduation rate. Previously, the average of these metrics counted for 15 percent of the admissions standards score.
“We are continuously enhancing our students’ learning experiences by providing a forward-thinking curriculum, innovative pedagogy, and dedicated student support, which is reflected in the rise of our ranking,” said Jinhua Zhao, David J. Nolan Dean of the Dyson School. “We are guided by our ethos, “Our Business is a Better World,” as we educate future business leaders who recognize the profound impact their decisions can have in creating positive changes for society.”
This year, the alumni class of 2022 was surveyed. Alumni responses used in the ranking calculation include responses from the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022, with the responses from ’20 and ’21 rolling over from surveys completed in the past two ranking cycles.
This year’s ranking saw significant shifts, with only five schools remaining in their previous positions, and Wharton holding in first place. Seven of last year’s top 10 schools remained in the top tier, with McIntire, Ross, and Scheller dropping out of the top 10.