BusinessWeek Ranks Northeastern University Undergraduate Business School One of the Top 50 in the US; No 1 for Internships

For the Third Consecutive Year, Students give College of Business Administration
A+ for Job Placement

Boston, MA—March 26, 2008—Northeastern University’s College of Business Administration has announced that, for the third consecutive year, its undergraduate business school is ranked in the top 50 undergraduate business schools by BusinessWeek. The College of Business Administration (CBA) was ranked 34th in the United States overall, and was again named the No. 1 college for internships. More than 98 percent of students at CBA have an internship, and the hands-on, real-world experience is considered “one of the most important aspects of an undergraduate business education,” according to the editors at BusinessWeek.

“At schools like Northeastern, our No. 1 internship champ, every student is required to work a co-op that gives them lengthy work experience as an undergrad,” said Louis Lavelle, B-school editor for BusinessWeek. “I know the students at these schools find the experiences very enriching and valuable preparation for life in the world of work.”

In terms of job placement, Northeastern students gave the school the highest grade possible – an A+ rating – citing the importance and value placed on the cooperative education (co-op) program. CBA also ranked 22nd in academic quality and 28th in the student survey rankings, compared to last year’s rankings of 25th and 30th, respectively.

“Nothing helps to move business education down from the ‘ivory tower’ like real-world experience; our students’ required participation in up to 18 month of cooperative education gives them a truly unique opportunity to put what they’ve learned in the classroom into practice, and then bring those experiences back into the classroom,” said Thomas E. Moore, dean of the College of Business Administration. “Northeastern University pioneered the cooperative educational experience 100 years ago, and students and alumni alike continue to tell us how valuable the co-op experience has been to them.”

According to BusinessWeek, student internships are a top priority because more and more employers hire through those programs. The editors also point out that some school internships stand out from the rest.

“No. 34-ranked Northeastern requires student participation in a co-op program – a sort of souped-up internship – virtually guaranteeing that every business major graduates with extensive work experience. Elsewhere, students aren't so lucky," the editors said.

“Globalization has definitively changed the way we conduct business, as well as how we communicate. The College of Business Administration delivers a real-world business education through the Bachelor of Science in International Business (BSIB) program, and emphasizes international protocol through classes and co-op experiences. Our attention to globalization helps our students communicate with companies overseas, as well as U.S.-based companies with a presence abroad,” explained Peggy Fletcher, associate dean of undergraduate business programs, highlighting another important component of the College’s success. “Companies in Europe, such as Gucci, Versace, and BMW have hired BSIB graduates to work abroad.”

BusinessWeek’s ranking of the best academic programs in the United States began in November. The magazine partnered with Cambria Consulting in Boston to consider 127 programs from 127 colleges. For this year’s rankings, 80,000 graduating seniors were polled via a 50-question survey on things such as quality of teaching and recreational facilities. 22,905 students responded for a response rate of 28 percent. In addition, BusinessWeek polled 618 corporate recruiters, asking them to identify which schools have the most innovative curricula and best career services. This year, 244 corporate recruiters responded for a response rate of 39 percent. Some of the original schools were eliminated from the rankings due to low response rates. In the end, 96 schools out of 127 were ranked by BusinessWeek. For BusinessWeek’s complete rankings of the Top 50 Undergraduate Business Schools, visit http://bwnt.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/undergrad_bschool.

About Northeastern University College of Business Administration
Northeastern University College of Business Administration, established in 1922, provides its students – undergraduate, graduate and executive – with the education, tools, and experience necessary to launch and accelerate successful business careers. The College credits its success to expert faculty, close partnerships with industry, and its emphasis on rigorous academics combined with experiential learning.

The College is highly ranked by several prestigious publications. BusinessWeek ranks the College 34th in its “Best Undergraduate B-schools" and #1 in internships. The College’s Bachelor of Science in International Business program is ranked #16 by U.S. News & World Report. The undergraduate program is also distinguished by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine as one of the U.S. top 25 entrepreneurship programs. Financial Times ranks the College’s Executive MBA program in the U.S. top 50 and U.S. News & World Report ranks the College’s part-time MBA program #21 in the country. For more information about Northeastern University’s College of Business Administration, visit http://www.cba.neu.edu/.