The Princeton Review, an influential list used by colleges and universities for recruitment and development, has dropped University of Missouri-Kansas City's business school from the 2014 list of top 25 entrepreneurship programs in the country.
The Princeton Review made the decision after an independent audit revealed administrators with the Henry W. Bloch School of Management had inflated data about enrollment and programs.
UMKC then asked the Princeton Review to remove the Henry W. Bloch School of Management from its list of top 25 business schools for the years 2011-2013.
In a statement released today, Chancellor Leo Morton said, "...our applications to The Princeton Review for consideration of rankings in 2011, 2012 and 2013 included inaccurate information submitted in three of 40 subject areas The Review considers for its rankings."
The independent audit, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, found the school enhanced its offerings of clubs and mentorships, and fudged enrollment numbers in certain programs.
Chancellor Morton went on to say, "Even one inaccurate data point is one too many, and our integrity is paramount."
Scott Jaschik, the editor of Inside Higher Ed journal, says it doesn't make sense for a regional business school like UMKC to worry about national rankings.
“It’s not like UMKC is getting all these students from Wharton ... and now they’ll go to Wharton," Jaschik says. "And that doesn’t mean UMKC is bad, either. Most public, urban university business schools are part of a region.”
Gov. Jay Nixon requested the independent audit after The Kansas City Star reported on what it called the school's exaggerations and misstatements this summer. The school denied the claims at that time.
UMKC did not return requests for comment.
KCUR is licensed to the Curators of the University of Missouri.
