Balancing management fundamentals with a socially and environmentally conscious approach has earned the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business the number one ranking in the U.S. and number two globally.

Out of 149 full-time MBA programs in 24 countries, Beyond Grey Pinstripes, a biennial survey and ranking of business schools, ranked U-M’s Ross School number two overall, behind the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto.

"Beyond Grey Pinstripes schools are thoughtfully pursuing new approaches," stated Rich Leimsider, director of the Aspen Institute's Center for Business Education, which conducts the survey. "They are preparing students who take a more holistic view of business success, one that measures financial results as well as social and environmental impacts."

That social and environmental responsibility is a cornerstone of the Ross School's broad-based management education, stated Dean Robert Dolan in a release. “"We don't view social and environmental responsibility as a realm separate from that of everyday business. As part of their natural life, businesses address issues of social impact, environmental sustainability and their place in civil society.”

One example of the school’s progressive approach is the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, which is a partnership between the school and the U-M School of Natural Resources and Environment. The Erb Institute fosters global sustainable enterprise through interdisciplinary research and education initiatives.

"For 15 years, our faculty and programs have challenged students to put sustainability to work in the real world," stated Rick Bunch, managing director of the Erb Institute.

The Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey also ranked the Ross School’s MBA program number 1 in course content and second in research relevant to social and environmental responsibility.