Programmes must meet certain criteria to be eligible for ranking – e.g. they must be accredited by either the US’s Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) or Europe’s EQUIS. The rankings are based on information collected in two separate surveys. The first is of the business schools and the second of alumni who completed their degrees in 2017. There are 17 criteria in the pre-experience ranking (alumni responses inform seven categories, the other ten categories are calculated from the school data). The post-experience table has 16 criteria (alumni responses inform seven criteria, the remaining nine categories are taken from the school data). Weights for the ranking criteria are shown in brackets — (pre-experience) [post-experience]. 

Salary today US$ (20%) [20%] - Average alumnus salary three years after graduation, US$ purchasing power parity (PPP) equivalent.

Salary percentage increase (10%) [20%] -  Average difference in alumnus salary between first post-masters job (pre-experience) or pre-masters job (post-experience) and today.

Value for money (5%) [3%] - Calculated according to alumni salaries today, course length, fees and other costs.

Career progress (5%) [5%] - Calculated according to changes in the level of seniority and the size of company alumni are working for between graduation (pre-experience) or before their masters (post-experience) and today.

Aims achieved (5%) [3%] - The extent to which alumni fulfilled their goals.

Careers service (5%) [3%] - Effectiveness of the school careers service in terms of career counselling, personal development, networking events, internship search and recruitment, as rated by their alumni.

Employed at three months (5%) [3%] - Percentage of the most recent graduating class that found employment within three months.

Female faculty (5%) [5%] - Percentage of female faculty.

Female students (5%) [5%] - Percentage of female students on the masters.

Women on board  (1%) [1%] - Percentage of women on the school advisory board.

International faculty (5%) [5%] - Calculated according to faculty diversity by citizenship and the percentage whose citizenship differs from their country of employment.

International students (5%) [5%] - Calculated according to the diversity of current students by citizenship and the percentage whose citizenship differs from their country of study.

International board % (1%) [1%] -  Percentage of the board whose citizenship differs from the school’s home country.

International mobility (8%) [8%] - Based on alumni citizenship and the countries where they worked before their masters, on graduation and three years after graduation.

International course experience (8%) [8%] - Calculated according to whether the most recent graduating masters class completed exchanges, attended short classes or study tours, or had company internships in countries other than where the school is based.

Extra languages (1%) [n/a] - The figure shows the number of languages required for graduation minus the number required for entry. For example, if a school requires two languages on entry and two on graduation, the figure is zero.

Faculty with doctorates (6%) [5%] - Percentage of full-time faculty with doctoral degrees.

For all gender-related criteria, schools with a 50:50 (male/female) composition receive the highest score.