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Business up 47 spots in U.S. News rankings

September 17, 2013

U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges: Undergraduate Business 2014The Northern Illinois University College of Business is among the top 30 percent of business schools in the nation, according to rankings released last week by U.S. News and World Report magazine.

The college ranked number 119 on the list of Best Undergraduate Business Programs, climbing 47 spots from last year. The college now sits among the top 30 percent of the 388 schools ranked by the magazine. This year’s rankings are based exclusively on ratings from deans and faculty at other colleges of business.

“We are extremely proud to once again be included in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, and delighted by this year’s jump in the standings,” said Denise Schoenbachler, dean of the college, noting that the college has been included in the rankings for two decades.

“Our faculty has been working hard to find innovative ways to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and it is gratifying to see that our peers are taking note of the quality of education offered here in the NIU College of Business.”

The college brands itself as the place “Where the classroom meets the business world.”

Denise Schoenbachler

Denise Schoenbachler

Programs put a premium on providing students with opportunities to learn from business professionals. During the school year, business leaders can be found in classrooms every day demonstrating real-world applications of textbook learning. Students also have opportunities to work with business professionals on projects.

Each semester, a select few enrolled in the college’s highly competitive Experiential Learning Center, work on projects for Fortune 500 companies such as McDonald’s, Caterpillar and Walmart. For the past few years, the college’s sales program (ranked among the best by the Sales Education Foundation) has hosted an international sales competition.

The NIU College of Business also has built a reputation for excellence in accounting (ranked in the top 10 by the Public Accounting Report for 20 years) and has attracted national attention for its innovative ethics education program (rated among the top three in the nation by Business Week magazine for four straight years.)

The school, which has maintained continuous AACSB accreditation since 1969, also has strong programs in human resources, information systems and financial management.