Business Subject Ranking vs Business Masters Ranking: Which Should You Use?

Along with 47 other academic disciplines, the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018 reveals the best-performing universities around the world for business & management studies.

Featuring 300 universities from 45 different countries, the subject ranking is topped by Harvard University for a third year in a row, with three other American universities also in the top 10.

However, Harvard’s position may seem confusing, when you try to compare the business & management studies subject ranking with the QS Business Masters Rankings, released at the end of last year. These brand-new rankings of postgraduate business programs in finance, management and business analytics don’t feature Harvard at all. So, what’s going on?

Why these two rankings are different

Although, on the surface, these two rankings both appear to be very similar, with a focus on business and/or management, they actually measure two very different things. The simplest way to understand this is look at the respective focus of each ranking.

The business & management studies subject ranking assesses universities at a subject level. This incorporates multiple degree programs and multiple levels of study, from undergraduate to PhD.

On the other hand, the business masters rankings are looking at specific master’s programs within three specific specializations: finance, management and business analytics. This is why, if you look at the business masters rankings, you’ll see that specific degree programs are referenced. Here, for example, HEC Paris is ranked number one in the world for its MSc in Strategic Management.

To put it simply, the subject rankings are great at giving you an overall idea of the level of quality teaching at a university within a particular subject, while the business masters rankings are designed to help prospective postgraduates choose a degree.

Differences in methodology

As these two rankings focus on different things, they are also constructed using slightly different methodologies. The subject ranking uses four metrics: academic reputation and employer reputation (both of which are based on the results of global surveys), as well as the number of research citations per paper that university has received in that field, and “H-index” – a measure of both the productivity and impact of the published work of a university’s scholar.

By contrast, the business masters rankings focus on five metrics. While a couple of these line up with things measured by the subject rankings (employability/employer reputation and thought leadership/research impact), the other three ensure this ranking produces very distinctive results: alumni outcomes, value for money and class/faculty diversity.

These differences in methodology tie into the different intended purpose of each ranking, as things like class diversity and whether a particular degree is likely to lead to higher earnings are more suited for the business masters rankings and their program-specific focus.

For more information about the subject ranking methodology, click here, or click here for the business masters methodology.

So which ranking should you use?

The first thing to make clear is that, if trying to decide on where to study, university rankings shouldn’t be the only thing you look at. Although both of these rankings provide very useful information about universities and business schools around the world, they can’t tell you everything.

That being said, the business & management studies subject ranking is likely to be the most useful for you. Only consult the business masters rankings if:

1. You’re looking for somewhere to study a postgraduate degree
2. You already know you want to specialize in either finance, management or business analytics

The QS Business Masters Rankings can be found here, while the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018 are here.