Student survey ranks business schools

Five hundred and twenty MBA students participated in the survey from University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB), University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (GSB), Wits Business School (WBS) and University of South Africa Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL).

GIBS rankings, findings

GIBS MBA students ranked the following as critical:

• Business school ratings/rankings in the media;
  
• Accreditation of the institution (nationally and internationally);
  
• Good reputation in the business community;
  
• Working relationship with the corporate world; and
  
• Exchange programme/business school studies abroad.

Among the business schools surveyed, it rated higher for satisfaction overall at 4.5 against 4.2 of other schools surveyed, with 100% of its students taking part in the survey, saying that they would recommend the business school to others.

Included in the key findings of the survey, the average expected salary before taxes (excluding commission and bonus) after graduation of a GIBS MBA student was R1,016,405 compared to R879,637 for graduates of other institutions. The preferred industries for its MBA graduates included management consulting, financial services and investment banking.

The preferred industries for MBA students of other institutions included management consulting, financial services and telecommunications, while the top university experience was the reputation of the university/business school, the quality of the education and the choice of courses.

The top career goals of GIBS graduates surveyed were to be:

• competitively or intellectually challenged;
  
• a leader/manager of people; and
  
• entrepreneurial or creative/innovative

Other highlights

• 94% of the students surveyed said that they were satisfied/very satisfied with the business school's lecturers;
  
• 95% were satisfied/very satisfied with the choice of courses;
  
• 97% were satisfied/very satisfied with the reputation of the school;
  
• 96% were satisfied/very satisfied with the environment of the business school;
  
• 93% were satisfied/very satisfied with the business school's contacts with the business community; and
  
• 97% were satisfied/very satisfied with the quality of education