KNOXVILLE, Tenn., March 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Haslam College of Business continues its upward progression in the latest U.S. News and World Report's Best Graduate Schools Rankings of Full-Time Business Schools. This year, among all institutions, Haslam placed at No. 39, up seven spots from 2020. Haslam climbed from No. 23 in 2020 to No. 18 among public schools in 2021. This is Haslam's highest ranking in U.S. News Best Graduate Business Schools and places the college among the top 20 U.S. public universities.

In departmental categories, Haslam's Supply Chain Management MBA dropped slightly, to No. 7 overall and No. 5 among publics, but marked its sixth consecutive year in the top 10.

In U.S. News' peer assessment portion of its ranking, which rates how schools perceive one another, Haslam rose from 3.1 last year to 3.3 this year (with "5" as the highest possible score). This assessment, which accounts for 25 percent of the ranking, indicates peer institutions recognize Haslam as a school that is rising in stature.

Stephen L. Mangum, dean and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair of the Haslam College of Business, said the increase in Haslam's peer assessment is a welcome development.

"It's always good to be acknowledged by one's peers," Mangum said. "Deans and MBA program directors from across the country see Haslam as a school whose alumni generously give back to make possible increased numbers of graduate student scholarships and whose staff and faculty strive to provide the best educational experience possible, which in turn creates a supportive environment for students to grow and prosper."

Bruce Behn, associate dean for graduate and executive education and Deloitte Professor in Accounting, said Haslam's continuing rise in these MBA rankings reflects the quality of students the program attracts and the importance of the real-world preparation they receive.

"While we are proud that our MBA students enter the business world ready to make an immediate impact, we are not resting on our laurels," Behn said. "We work constantly to improve Haslam's overall educational experience, and we look forward seeing those efforts continue to benefit our stakeholders in the future."

The U.S. News graduate business rankings are based on surveys sent to all 486 accredited MBA programs. The publication received 364 responses, and of those, 143 business schools provided sufficient data to calculate a weighted ranking. In addition to peer assessments, the rankings consider such factors as recruiter reviews, job placement, graduates' starting salaries, mean GMAT and GRE scores and more.

About the Haslam MBA

The Haslam MBA is a 16-month, residential, full-time MBA program targeted to high-potential professionals who want to acquire a full range of technical skills in a hands-on, applied learning environment. The program offers concentrations in business analytics, consulting, entrepreneurship and innovation, finance and supply chain management. MBA/MS Business Analytics, MBA/MS Engineering, JD/MBA and MBA/MS Agricultural Economics dual degree programs also are available. Learn more at the Haslam full-time MBA program page.

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SOURCE University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Haslam College of Business