Our Commitment: The MBAGuide Code of Editorial Integrity
At mbaguide.org, our mission is to empower prospective MBA students with accurate, unbiased, and transparent information. In an industry where trust can be obscured by commercial interests, our commitment to editorial integrity is our most important asset. This Code of Editorial Integrity outlines the rigorous standards of accuracy, transparency, and independence that every member of our team adheres to in all content creation and data reporting.
1. Accuracy and Data Integrity: Our Evidence-First Approach
To deliver the most reliable information, our content is built on a foundation of verifiable, transparent data. We rely on official sources and a rigorous, multi-step fact-checking process to ensure every ranking, program detail, and outcome statistic is factually correct and current.
- Evidence-Based Reporting: All factual claims, especially those related to program rankings, costs, and outcomes, are rigorously fact-checked by our editorial team against primary sources. We use a multi-step verification process to ensure accuracy and rely exclusively on official institutional and government data whenever possible.
- Source Transparency: Our primary, publicly verifiable data sources include the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS/NCES), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the U.S. Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), and specific, official school disclosures.
- Accountable Corrections: We are committed to prompt and transparent corrections. When a factual error is identified, we will update the content, add a correction note, and maintain a public log of significant changes for accountability.
2. Editorial Independence: Your Trust Is Not for Sale
Your trust is our most valuable asset. To guarantee our rankings and editorial content are free from commercial influence, we maintain a strict separation between our business operations and our editorial decision-making.
- Strict Separation of Editorial and Commercial Activities: There is an impermeable separation between our editorial and business operations. Our editorial team makes all content decisions, including which programs to cover and how they are ranked, without any influence from our advertising, partnership, or sales teams.
- Methodology Governs Rankings, Not Payments: No school can pay to influence its rank or receive preferential editorial coverage. Our comprehensive ranking methodology is applied consistently and universally to all 556 AACSB-accredited programs.
- Transparent Disclosures: Any sponsored content, affiliate links, or paid placements are prominently and unambiguously labeled as such. These commercial relationships do not affect the integrity of our rankings or editorial content.
3. Expertise and Authority: The Team Behind the Data
Our comprehensive data is interpreted and contextualized by a team of accomplished experts. From former consultants to MBA graduates, our collective experience ensures that the information you find is not only accurate but also rich with the insight you need for your career.
- Qualified Subject-Matter Experts: Our content is researched, written, and edited by a team of subject-matter experts, including accomplished MBA graduates from top programs, former consultants, and data analysts. Each contributor is selected based on their specific, relevant expertise, ensuring that all our content is informed by deep professional and academic knowledge.
- Expert-Led Review Process: All articles, ranking analyses, and program profiles undergo a multi-step review process. Content is checked for factual accuracy, clarity, and adherence to our editorial standards by senior editorial staff with relevant credentials. The specific credentials of our key contributors and reviewers are visible on our Experts page.
- Citations and Context: We include robust inline citations and source notes to provide full context and reinforce the credibility of all data-heavy sections. This allows users to follow our data back to the primary source.
4. Accountability and User Feedback
We believe in accountability and see our readers as vital partners in maintaining our high standards. We provide a clear channel for your feedback and are committed to transparently addressing any errors.
- Accessible Feedback Mechanism: We provide a clear and easily accessible channel for you to submit questions, feedback, and correction requests.
- Prompt Review and Correction: All correction requests are reviewed promptly by our editorial team. Substantive corrections are implemented in a timely manner, and we encourage the submission of documentation to support your request.
- Methodology and Data Transparency: Our methodology and data practices are publicly available, allowing readers to understand exactly how our rankings are produced. Our commitment to this level of transparency is our promise to you.
Want to learn more about how we work?
View our Ranking Methodology | Meet Our Expert Team | See Our Data Sources
