The Hindu BusinessLine-MBAUniverse.com B-school Ranking 2016-17
Research Methodology
Since 2010, MBAUniverse.com has been conducting annual B-school Ranking which is widely recognized as one of India’s most credible MBA ranking. Ranking offers a credible yardstick for the MBA aspirant community to decide which B-school to apply to. Recognizing its credibility, The Hindu Group, one of India's most trusted newspaper groups, has joined hands with MBAUniverse.com to co-create The Hindu BusinessLine - MBAUniverse.com B-school Rankings 2017.
Ranking is conducted under the supervision of an eminent Advisory Committee, chaired by one of India's most distinguished management academics - Dr Bakul Dholakia, Former Director, IIM Ahmedabad & Former Director General, IMI New Delhi is the Advisory Body Chairman for Rankings 2017.
Commenting on this Ranking, Dr Dholakia said, “B-school Rankings serve a useful purpose of evaluating hundreds of institutions on key parameters for the benefit of student community, recruiters and other stakeholders. However, the credibility of methodology, data verification and analysis assumes critical significance in any ranking exercise. Viewed from this angle, it’s evident that all rankings are not equal in terms of the credibility! In this context, I am pleased to say that Hindu BusinessLine-MBAUniverse.com Rankings have been doing a good job over the last 7 years. This year’s Rankings 2016-17, which I have chaired, make a sincere effort to identity the Best B-schools.”
| MBAUniverse.com Rankings 2017-18 | MBA Placements | B-School Cut off | IIM Admission Criteria |
Ranking Highlights
- Conducted under the guidance of Ranking Advisory Committee comprising of distinguished management academics and researchers.
- Comprehensive 360 degree Rankings created based on three criteria: Input (Applications & Student selection), Process (Academic rigor based on curriculum, research, faculty quality), Output (Quality of Placements, Entrepreneurship initiatives).
- Follows a completely data-driven methodology. No ‘perception survey’ data is used. By comparison, almost media rankings give 50% weightage to perception survey data.
- Ranking Methodology based on advanced statistical techniques and procedures of data validation and estimation, like Factor Analysis and Principal Component Analysis.
- In line with changing trends, this year onwards, Ranking gives weightage to Top 3 International Accreditations – AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA.
- High reach & impact with The Hindu and MBAUniverse.com partnership. More than 2.0 Lakhs students and parents reached.
Research Methodology Overview
Research methodology for the Ranking had five key steps:
Step 1: Advisory Body Guidance on Ranking Approach & Key Parmeters
Step 2: Development of Questionnaire
Step 3: Data Collection & Verification
Step 4: Statistical Analysis
Step 5: Release of Rankings
Step 1: Advisory Body Guidance
Based on previous ranking experience, a draft questionnaire was developed with covered all key evaluation points of a B-school under three broad heads – Input, Process & Output. This questionnaire was shared with Advisory Committee and their feedback was sought.
‘Input’: Key Data Points Included
Quality of Students who are admitted has a major impact on academic engagement and outcomes. Quality of Students is measured on many dimensions, including:
- Past Academic Credentials
- Work-experience gained
- CAT or other National entrance-exam test scores
‘Process’: Key Data Points Included
Academic Resources available and Academic Processes adopted at a B-school determine the Outcomes. This is measured on many dimensions, including:
- Faculty Profile
- Curriculum coverage & Pedagogy
- Research Quality as measured by Journal Publications
- Accreditation earned from top 3 Accreditation bodies - AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA
‘Student Outcomes’: Key Data Points covered
Ranking measured Outcomes/Output on two broad parameters:
- Placements – Salary Indicators
- Entrepreneurship Initiatives taken
Step 2: Development of Questionnaire 2016
Advisory Committee reviewed the questionnaire and recommended changes. The same, as outlined below, were included and final questionnaire was sent to the Advisory Committee, which was approved after review.
Step 3: Data collection & Verification
Ranking questionnaire was released to 200 B-schools all over India. Only the B-schools that meet following criteria were allowed to participate in Rankings:
- Offer a 2-year full time MBA/PGDM program
- Program is officially approved by MHRD/UGC/AICTE
- Have graduated atleast 5 batches
- Head of Institution has endorsed all data submitted, and is willing to provide proper authentication of data
A team of researchers verified data in the questionnaire with AICTE/UGC Disclosures on their official websites. Where ever any discrepancy was found, clarifications/additional inputs were sought from the head of the institution. More than 20 B-schools were asked for these clarifications. More than twenty five B-schools that didn’t meet the criteria or where data was not found to be consistent were dropped from the survey.
Step 4: Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis, using advanced statistical techniques and procedures of data validation and estimation, was conducted under the leadership of Dr Rajesh Shukla, one of India’s best known market research gurus.
Dr Shukla along with his team, comprising of Mr Bijay Chauhan and Ms Pooja Sharma, lead the research and analysis of the MBAUniverse B-school ranking survey data. Advanced statistical techniques and procedures of data validation and estimation, like Factor Analysis and Principal Component Analysis, were used to identify indicators and its standardization, giving weights and finally aggregation to generate relative ranking of covered B-schools of India.
Dr Rajesh Shukla is a well known Market Research Guru and Former Director of NCAER Center Macro Consumer Research. He has been India’s leading and highly respected voice in the arena of profiling and conceptualizing India’s changing consumer landscape, executed over 30 landmark primary data based national studies for Goverment of India (GOI), NCAER and corporate bodies. He is currently the Managing Director & CEO of People Research on India's Consumer Economy (PRICE), a not-for-profit research think-tank.
Step 5: Release of Report
Ranking and analysis was shared with the Ranking Advisory Committee. Their queries and clarifications were answered by Ranking Research team. After receiving approval of Advisory Body, Rankings are being published by The Hindu BusinessLine and MBAUniverse.com.
We are very thankful to our distinguished advisory body for their guidance.
| MBAUniverse.com Rankings 2017-18 | MBA Placements | B-School Cut off | IIM Admission Criteria |
The Hindu BusinessLine-MBAUniverse.com B-school Ranking 2016-17
Advisory Body
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Chairman Dr Bakul Dholakia Former Director, IIM Ahmedabad; Former Director General, IMI New Delhi |
Much respected for his bold stance on the ‘Autonomy of Higher Education Institutions’, Padma Shri awardee Dr. Bakul Dholakia has been a major motivator and guiding force behind the expansion of activities at IIMA. He is widely recognized for his contribution to Management Education in India
Dr Bakul Dholakia served as a Director of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad and Director General of IMI New Delhi. He has been a Consultant to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank besides advising various National and International organizations. He has authored numerous books in Business Economics, Corporate Strategy, and Development Economics etc. Dr Dholakia was awarded Padma Shree in 2007.
Commenting on this Ranking, Dr Dholakia said, “B-school Rankings serve a useful purpose of evaluating hundreds of institutions on key parameters for the benefit of student community, recruiters and other stakeholders. However, the credibility of methodology, data verification and analysis assumes critical significance in any ranking exercise. Viewed from this angle, it’s evident that all rankings are not equal in terms of the credibility! In this context, I am pleased to say that Hindu BusinessLine-MBAUniverse.com Rankings have been doing a good job over the last 7 years. This year’s Rankings 2016-17, which I have chaired, make a sincere effort to identity the Best B-schools.”
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Members Mr Raghavan Srinivasan Editor, BusinessLine |
R. Srinivasan is the Editor of the Hindu Business Line Newspaper. He is a senior business journalist and columnist, who has been reporting, analyzing and interpreting the India growth story since the inception of economic reforms in India. He was one of the pioneers of corporate journalism in India, bringing first hand experience and insight to reporting on Indian business, since he switched to journalism after nearly a decade long stint in marketing in major corporate.
An investigative journalist of repute, Mr Srinivasan has been responsible for breaking major stories like the Harshad Mehta stock scam, the return of Coke to India, the collapse of UTI among many others. He has held senior editorial positions in major newspapers around the country, including the Times of India, Indian express, Hindustan Times, Mail Today, Financial Express and Business Standard.
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Dr R K Shukla MD, ICE360; Market Research Guru and Former Director, NCAER Center Macro Consumer Research |
Dr Rajesh Shukla has been India’s dominant and highly respected voice in the arena of profiling and conceptualizing India’s changing consumer landscape, executed over 30 landmark primary data based national studies for Government of India (GOI) and corporate bodies. He is currently the Managing Director & CEO of People Research on India's Consumer Economy (PRICE), a not-for-profit research think-tank.
| MBAUniverse.com Rankings 2017-18 | MBA Placements | B-School Cut off | IIM Admission Criteria |
