Since BusinessWeek published the first business school ranking in 1988, rankings have become one of the defining features of the sector. Fewer full-time MBA and business master’s candidates are researching programme rankings. Among full-time MBA candidates specifically, our 2026 Prospective Students Survey found research into rankings dropped from 37% to 29% between 2023 and 2025. But, compared to candidates, employers place more emphasis on human skills like initiative, coachability, and emotional intelligence. Business school leaders should treat rankings as the beginning of a conversation, not its conclusion.