MSU upholds No. 1 ranking for supply chain among Best Grad Business Programs

Spartans are known around the world for our strengths in supply chain management. Through best-in-class academic programs and passionate faculty, Michigan State University continues to inspire the future of this critical and ever-changing industry.

And U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Business Schools ranking, released today, marks a seven-year streak for MSU as the No. 1 graduate program in the supply chain/logistics specialty.

“Given the prominent role that supply chains have played, particularly in the past few years, the strength of our programs recognized through our seven-year No. 1 consecutive supply chain/logistics ranking is a source of great pride at the Broad College, and our supply chain faculty, staff, students and alumni continue to inspire the future of business,” Judith Whipple, Broad College interim dean and Donald J. Bowersox and Robert W. Thull Professor in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, said.

MSU’s strong legacy has persisted for decades, with the Broad College’s graduate programs ranking either No. 1 or 2 since 2004. On the undergraduate side, Spartans have also proudly held the No. 1 spot for supply chain programs for 12 consecutive years in U.S. News & World Report’s national rankings.

The prowess of the faculty in the college’s Department of Supply Chain Management is also noteworthy, as they have helped shape the very definition of supply chain and take on research topics that solve real industry problems — like tackling cybersecurity issues or offering insights on e-commerce for retailers. As such, MSU has ranked No. 1 on the SCM Journal List for research productivity in empirically oriented journals since 2010.

“The fact that our programs continue to maintain the top spots in U.S. News’ rankings against fierce competition is a testament to the hard work of everyone in the supply chain management department to continue to extend the boundaries on both teaching and research,” Jason Miller, interim chairperson of the department and associate professor of supply chain management, said.

Faculty like Whipple and Miller also share their expertise frequently with national media outlets, like CNBC or The Wall Street Journal, and engage with industry leaders at events, like the MSU Detroit Executive Forum, hosted by the college on April 12.

Broad graduate programs reach No. 13

Beyond supply chain success, the Broad College continued its streak among U.S. News’ top 15 public institutions, improving this year to rank No. 13. Overall, the college’s graduate programs were ranked at No. 33.

“We are honored to be recognized among the top 15 public institutions because it not only reflects the quality of our graduate curriculum, programs and specialty areas but also the passion and expertise of our faculty and staff, who help students reach their goals every day,” Whipple said.

U.S. News’ annual Best Business Schools rankings compare Full-Time MBA programs, with data supplied by participating schools and drawn from surveys of AACSB-accredited business schools in the United States. These surveys also include a qualitative assessment component asking experts to nominate graduate business programs for excellence in specialty areas. Broad continues to perform well in these specialty rankings:

• 8th for Production/Operations Management, ranked in the top 15 since 2015
• 20th for International Business, for the third consecutive year
• 22nd for Accounting, up from 28th last year
• 29th for Marketing

“Year after year, the Full-Time MBA program has consistently improved, and I am exceptionally proud of our students, our alumni, our staff and faculty — all of whom deserve the credit for our continuous ascension,” Richard Saouma, associate dean for MBA, EMBA and professional master’s programs, said. “Every decision, every commitment and every action undertaken by the FTMBA program is in service of accelerating the careers of our amazing MBA students, and it’s heartening to see that reflected in the rankings.”

In addition, this year’s ranking demonstrated how Spartan students succeed after they leave MSU, with employment rates reaching an all-time high of 90.6% of MBAs employed at graduation.

For more details on the 2024 Best Graduate Programs rankings, visit usnews.com.