Longwood University’s College of Business and Economics ranked nationally on the 2026 list of Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the U.S. compiled by Poets&Quants for Undergrads, which was released today.
This marks Longwood’s first appearance in Poets&Quants’ prestigious annual ranking of undergraduate business programs, which evaluates programs nationwide based on three equally weighted categories: academic experience, admissions standards and career outcomes.
While Longwood was 88th overall, notably, the university ranked 16th in academic experience among 110 programs, with an index score of 95.42 out of 100. Among business schools in Virginia that ranked in the top 20 in the academic experience category, Longwood ranked second only to the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Business. Longwood’s business program ranked 4th overall among the Virginia public universities that made the list.
This latest national ranking affirms our commitment to delivering the best undergraduate experience in Virginia—one defined by high-quality education, a rigorous curriculum and expert faculty who support and empower students to succeed in their careers.
Dr. Khawaja Mamum, dean of the College of Business and Economics
As part of the evaluation, Poets&Quants for Undergrads sent alumni surveys to Class of 2023 graduates to gauge their experience inside each program.
“We ask more than a dozen questions on everything from cost to career impact, from faculty responsiveness to extracurricular opportunities,” Poets&Quants for Undergrads wrote. “We think two years after graduation is an ideal time to ask alumni to evaluate their programs because they’ve had ample time to gauge their degrees’ usefulness.”
Longwood alumni who responded to the survey gave their academic experience high marks across the board. On a 10-point scale with 10 being the highest or most likely, Longwood alumni gave the availability of faculty mentoring outside of class a 9.6 and the quality of teaching in business courses a 9.4. Alumni overwhelmingly said they would recommend their alma mater to others interested in a business program, with a score of 9.4. When alumni were asked if they thought their business degree was worth its cost in tuition, Longwood scored a 9.1.
“This latest national ranking affirms our commitment to delivering the best undergraduate experience in Virginia—one defined by high-quality education, a rigorous curriculum and expert faculty who support and empower students to succeed in their careers,” said Dr. Khawaja Mamun, dean of the College of Business and Economics (CBE). “With small class sizes and individualized attention, two hallmarks of a Longwood education, we are a destination for students seeking a truly transformative, world-class business education.”
Poets&Quants, which began ranking business schools in 2016, is a leading resource in business education devoted to offering in-depth analysis, news and advice for prospective and current MBA students. Late last year Longwood earned a spot on Poets&Quants’ annual online MBA rankings.
Longwood’s CBE is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International)—a distinction that only 6 percent of business schools worldwide earn.
Read more about the most recent Poets&Quants rankings and methodology and see this year’s complete list at Poets&Quants for Undergrads.