Princeton Review Ranking: Darden Comes Out on Top Powered by No. 1 for Best Professors, No. 1 Best Campus Environment and Top 10 Rankings Strength

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business came out on top for the second year in a row in The Princeton Review’s Best Business Schools 2024 edition of all graduate MBA schools, based on the strength of multiple Top 10 ranking categories and overall composite methodologies.

The exceptional results are Darden’s best ever and include No. 1 for Best Professors – a rewarding result for a School that prides itself on the quality of its professors and an unparalleled classroom experience – and No. 1 for Best Campus Environment, No. 2 in Management, No. 2 in Consulting and No. 3 in Finance. These accolades reflect Darden’s focus on student experience and outcomes, and relevance to the business world.

With 10 Top 10 rankings this year, Darden has had over the past two years more Top 10 Princeton Review rankings than any other graduate business school in the U.S.

Darden’s 2024 Princeton Review Top 10 rankings, with last year’s rank in parentheses:

• 1 for Best Professors (4)
• 1 for Best Campus Environment (2)
• 2 for Best MBA in Consulting (4)
• 2 for Best MBA in Management (3)
• 3 for Best MBA in Finance (7)
• 4 for Best Classroom Experience (2)
• 6 for Greatest Resources for Women (9)
• 7 for Best Career Prospects (2)
• 8 for Best Administered (Not ranked)
• 8 for Most Family Friendly (10)

This is the second consecutive year Darden has finished as the top business school overall based on an assessment used by the industry publication Poets & Quants. In 2023, Poets & Quants determined Darden as the No. 1 overall winner of The Princeton Review rankings. When applying the same assessment methodology, which compares total Top 10 category scores and the most important Top 10 category rankings, Darden again this year finishes at No. 1.

The new 2024 results build on a year of remarkable accolades for Darden and a record number of MBA applicants for the Class of 2026 starting in a few weeks’ time.

In the past academic year, Darden was ranked the No. 1 public business school in the world by Financial Times, the No. 1 public business school in the U.S. across all rankings by Poets & Quants, and No. 3 business school overall in the U.S. by Bloomberg Businessweek.

Also, during the year, Darden’s ranking by U.S. News & World Report climbed to No. 10 overall (No. 2 public), and No. 8 overall in Poets & Quants composite ranking across all rankings among graduate business schools. Collectively, these rankings in the 2024 academic year were Darden’s highest ever.

“These results are an outcome of and a tribute to Darden’s unparalleled culture, mission focus and unwavering commitment to excellence as well as the collective impact of our incredible faculty, staff, students and alumni,” Darden Dean Scott Beardsley said.

Darden’s Best Professors result in the new Princeton Review ranking continues the School’s long-established reputation for exceptional teaching and the classroom education experience. Darden has received over 10 No. 1 rankings in these categories in recent years, across all major rankings. The use of the case method and Socratic dialogue provides students with a rigorous, collaborative experience and toolkit to delve into, discuss and solve real-world business problems and complex societal issues that prepares them for successful careers as responsible business leaders after graduating from Darden.

The School continues to invest in its faculty. Last fall, after completing its $400 million capital campaign two years in advance, which has included raising 30 faculty chairs, Darden launched Faculty Forward, Milestone II of Darden’s Powered by Purpose campaign. Faculty Forward focuses squarely on hiring, retaining and developing professors and further unlocking the immense potential of the faculty’s thought leadership. Milestone II highlights to date include a new University professorship chair in business ethics and Darden’s largest gift ever, supporting an institute in artificial intelligence. Darden’s Master Plan projects include expanding and modernizing its Faculty Office Building and Faculty Research Building.

Including new faculty joining the School for the upcoming academic year, Darden has appointed 65 new faculty members since 2015.

Read more in Beardsley’s “State of the School” remarks about Darden’s dynamic Master Plan, faculty emphasis and its continued momentum to provide MBA students the best experience in the country.

Find more about The Princeton Review’s ranking and methodologies at its website.