The Kelley School of Business Indianapolis has moved up 10 spots to No. 31 for the best 2013 part-time MBA programs, according to Bloomberg Businessweek and, most importantly, is ranked No. 1 for academic quality. 

“The No. 1 ranking in academic quality reflects the core principle of our program’s curriculum design—to deliver all the knowledge content and experiences of a full-time program but to do so in a format that meets the needs of working professionals,” said Idalene Kesner, dean of the Kelley School and the Frank P. Popoff Chair of Strategic Management.

The Bloomberg Businessweek rankings are based on a survey of recent graduates, an academic quality measure that combines six school-reported data points—including  average GMAT scores, class sizes and completion rates—and a calculation of post-MBA outcomes. The ranking separates schools into six geographic regions and ranks each separately. 

The Kelley Evening MBA ranks No. 5 in the Midwest, the most competitive of Bloomberg Businessweek’s six regions with nearly 20 ranked part-time MBA programs. It ranks third in the Big Ten, after the universities of Michigan and Nebraska, and is the top ranked part-time MBA in Indiana. 

The program also received “A” grades for teaching quality and caliber of classmates. 

“The caliber of our students creates an atmosphere that demands the best from each of them and, in turn, contributes to a highly-charged learning environment that equips them to realize their potential,” said Steven L. Jones, chair of the Evening MBA program and associate professor of finance.

Kelley’s cohort structure places strong emphasis on collaborative decision making, teamwork and networking. The fall 2013 cohort scored an average 651 on the GMAT and held an average 79 months of work experience, far surpassing past high measurements. 

“We are very proud to once again be listed among the top business schools in the country,” said Philip L. Cochran, executive associate dean for Indianapolis and the Thomas Binford Chair in Corporate Citizenship. “Our mission is to transform lives through business education, and it is an honor to have the efforts of our faculty, students and alumni recognized for the impact they make on central Indiana and beyond.”