Latest MBA ranking places UA Walton College at No. 36 among public schools

In its latest ranking of graduate programs, U.S. News & World Report lists the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at the University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton College of Business as the 36th best business school among public business colleges in the nation and 64th in its combined public and private list.

The UA’s MBA program is the only Arkansas school included in the magazine’s ranking.

In a news release Wednesday (April 13), the UA said the recognition positions the Walton MBA in the top 13% of all U.S. MBA programs. U.S. News & World Report also ranked the Walton MBA supply chain track 10th best among public MBA programs and 13th overall.

The accolades add to the growing list of rankings for the Walton MBA, which also includes an 11th best return on investment out of 600 MBA. programs, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“This top national ranking reflects the value of our high-quality MBA program,” Walton College Dean Matt Waller said in a statement. “It also indicates the respect our faculty and graduates command from peer business schools and corporations from around the country.”

To evaluate the full-time MBA rankings, U.S. News & World Report surveyed 493 domestic business programs accredited by AACSB International. The publication reviewed assessments from peer business schools deans, directors of MBA programs and corporate recruiters. It also examined graduates’ employment placement and earnings as well as student selectivity for admissions.

“The Walton MBA is truly a transformative program,”  Adam Stoverink, director of Walton MBA Programs and associate professor of management, said in the release. “This is evidenced by the countless stories we hear from our amazing alumni. Stories about how they leveraged what they learned and experienced in the Walton MBA to innovate or to make a strategic decision or to lead a critical organizational change. Stories about how the Walton MBA positioned them for a big promotion that allowed them to make a greater impact on their company, their employees, their customers, or society as a whole … a promotion that led to significant quality of life improvements for their families … stories of how the Walton MBA transformed their lives.

“While we certainly appreciate being ranked as one of the top M.B.A. programs, and we’re very proud of these rankings, it is the remarkable success of our alumni that tell the real story of the Walton MBA.”

Upon graduation, the UA said current Walton MBA students have secured jobs with leading corporations including Walmart, Tyson Foods, Raytheon Intelligence & Space, Nestle Purina, NielsenIQ, EY-Parthenon, Henkel, USA Truck and Island Ventures.