The University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics moved up seven spots to No. 77 in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Undergraduate Business Program rankings which were released earlier this week.
The survey ranked a total of 532 accredited undergraduate business programs across the nation, putting the Lerner College in the top 15 percent of accredited schools.
Additionally, Lerner was ranked No. 114 out of 318 schools for Best Undergraduate Economics Programs.
“The recent U.S. News & World Report rankings reflect Lerner’s commitment to excellence and innovation in business education,” said Lerner College Dean Oliver Yao. “By emphasizing technology, a global perspective and hands-on learning, we empower our students to gain valuable insights with a global horizon, both in the classroom and through real-world experiences, preparing them to thrive in today’s competitive workforce.”
UD also ranked No. 86 among the nation’s best overall universities, including No. 44 among the top 225 public schools. Additionally, UD was recognized as a Best Value School, one of 206 national universities to earn this designation.
The business rankings are based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty members at peer institutions who participated in a peer assessment survey. In the spring and summer of 2024, U.S. News surveyed deans and senior faculty members at each of the 532 undergraduate business programs accredited by AACSB International.
These deans and faculty members – two at each AACSB-accredited business program – were asked to rate the quality of all programs with which they were familiar on a 5-point scale: outstanding (5), strong (4), good (3), adequate (2) or marginal (1).
U.S. News determined average peer assessment scores for each business program by computing a trimmed mean – eliminating the two highest and two lowest scores given by respondents. Average scores were then sorted, and undergraduate business programs were ranked in descending order based on the average peer assessment score.
“From day one on campus, Lerner students dive right in, leveraging our personalized Career Services Center and mentorship programs, dedicated advisors and a network of 30 business-focused student clubs. They also engage in a hands-on experiential business research project with an organization during their first semester, ensuring they start early and learn what it takes to succeed in the business world. I am not surprised that Lerner students and programs are some of the best in the nation,” said Julia Bayuk, Lerner associate dean for undergraduate programs.
Ninety-five percent of graduates from Lerner undergraduate programs in 2023 are either employed or pursuing further education. They earn a median starting salary of $67,000 and are employed by top companies such as JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, EY, Deloitte, PwC and Bank of America.
The September U.S. News rankings are for undergraduate programs only; the publication also releases rankings for MBA, Online MBA and Graduate Business programs throughout the year.