The Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware was once again recognized as a top undergraduate business school by Poets&Quants For Undergrads, a leading online business school publication, placing 53 out of 93 schools across the country, up from 61 in 2019.
The Lerner College was specifically lauded for its admissions standards and employment outcomes. According to the Poets&Quants for Undergrads website, “The ranked schools in this report reflect the top 12% of the more than 840 business schools accredited by AACSB International, the main accrediting body for business education.”
“We are proud that Lerner continues to perform well in the Poets&Quants rankings,” said Lerner College Dean Bruce Weber. “This ranking is unique in that it uses alumni feedback, as well as admissions and career outcomes data, in order to create the results. We excel in preparing students for success and we focus on these areas to ensure that our students have a positive learning experience and are ready to take on professional life after college.”
Poets&Quants equally weighs admission standards, the academic and co-curricular experience as measured by student satisfaction and employment outcomes. The data used is self-reported by the schools or from alumni through extensive surveys. Schools have a chance to earn 100 points in each category. A weighted scale is used to award schools points based on how they compare with each other.
The Lerner College has invested in changes to its four-year program over the last three years to allow for customization of course study and out-of-classroom learning opportunities. Programs such as the Lerner Executive Mentoring Program, which pairs students with practitioners with 10+ years of experience, provides students with a unique one-on-one mentoring opportunity and further augments their classroom learning.
“We make it a priority to invest in our students and provide a unique blend of classroom and experiential learning opportunities,” said Jack Baroudi, senior associate dean of academic programs. “In fact, 96% of Lerner students graduate with real-world experience, including internships and 91% rate their experience with Lerner as excellent or good. “
Other programs such as Lerner Careers on to Wall Street allows students to connect with alumni in the financial district for mock interviews, networking and referrals. Students can further customize their learning experience with minors, including trust management, or they can choose to double major. Over 20% of students chose to double major. Students can also gain a global perspective through study abroad and build networks and connections through student organizations.
In their rankings, Poets&Quants noted that, “We’ve created this ranking as a starting point for those interested in pursuing business education in any capacity….Take a look at the previous three rankings we’ve published and look at how schools have changed over time. A college decision is an increasingly important one. It’s one of the biggest investments of a person’s life and should not be taken lightly.”
The soundness of this ranking is part of why UD’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRE) has included Poets&Quants in its list of UD Primary Rankings.
Click here for more information about the Poets&Quants 2021 Undergrad business programs ranking.