UVA Darden Rises to No. 3 US Business School in New Ranking

Substantial Jumps in Compensation, Learning, Networking Categories Propel Increase

Bloomberg Businessweek has ranked the University of Virginia Darden School of Business the No. 3 business school in the United States in its new Best B-Schools 2023-24 ranking. The ranking, which measures Full-Time MBA programs, is the highest the publication has ever given the School and up six places from the prior year.

Darden remains the No. 1 ranked business school among public universities, according to Bloomberg. This latest accolade comes just seven months after the School secured the most Top 10 rankings of any business school in The Princeton Review’s annual assessment.

Bloomberg Businessweek uses input from graduating students, recent alumni and employers who recruit MBAs to determine its ranking, weighting compensation as the most important factor, followed by learning, networking, entrepreneurship and diversity.

"The big move was a result of recent alumni reporting higher starting salaries upon graduation. Darden’s median starting salary, according to this year’s ranking, of $175,000—up from $144,500—tied with Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Columbia, Dartmouth and Harvard for the highest."

Bloomberg Businessweek Best B-Schools 2023–24

The dramatic rise in rankings was driven by the School’s large gains in three of the subcategories that contribute to the overall score. Darden rose to No. 4 in compensation (up six places from No. 10), No. 4 in learning (up six places from No. 10) and No. 11 in networking (up 11 places from No. 22).

“It’s always gratifying when the positive momentum we feel here at Darden is validated by external sources,” said Interim Dean Jeanne Liedtka. “Dean [Scott] Beardsley, who is on sabbatical at Oxford, and Darden faculty and staff have created an environment where both learning and scholarship are collaborative and mutually reinforcing — all for the benefit of students.”

Darden has long been known for excellence in teaching, garneringthe top U.S. ranking for educational experience for 10 straight years in the now-retired MBA rankings published by The Economist. Darden’s unique version of the case method allows students to shape their own journeys and learn from each other, confronting practical business problems while guided skillfully by faculty. Bloomberg Businessweek noted that the School’s high score on its learning index “is supported by comments from students, who remarked on the ‘great professors and academic environment’ and the ‘focus on the actual quality of the educational instruction.’ ”

In addition to metrics, the new ranking includes a qualitative section, with students and alumni sharing “what’s best” about the MBA program. Comments about Darden included:

• “Career outcomes, alumni network and robust/engrained community at the school.”

• “Great professors and academic environment, great leadership from student organizations.”

• “Faculty, collegial environment on grounds, quality of cases and the case method in general.”

• “The opportunity to interact with colleagues from diverse backgrounds.”

• “The focus on the actual quality of the educational instruction.”

In the article accompanying the ranking, Bloomberg Businessweek noted the “greater urgency” sustainability and climate change have taken on at business schools. Darden ranked No. 1 for carbon footprint in the 2023 Global MBA ranking issued by Financial Times.

The application for admission to the Full-Time MBA Class of 2026 is now open.