The Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis, has been listed among the top business schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report, which released its rankings today. The management school surged from 59th a year ago to 39th, putting UC Davis in the top 20 in the nation among public business schools. U.S. News & World Report determined the rankings for the nation's 292 accredited MBA programs using four measures: student selectivity, placement success and two measures of reputation. The rise isn't a surprise to Robert Smiley, dean of the 15-year-old business school. "We've developed a curriculum that provides students with unique opportunities for personal and professional growth. The school brings together some of the best students in the nation with top scholars to create an MBA program that emphasizes individual development of each student's potential." "Our data analysis gave high marks to UC Davis in two specific areas," said Bob Morse, director of research for U.S. News & World Report. "The Graduate School of Management received recognition for the high number of students employed within three months of graduation and its reputation among corporate recruiters increased." "Frankly, I'm not surprised. We have the critical elements of success -- a great dean and a highly respected faculty," said UC Davis Chancellor Larry N. Vanderhoef. "As a result, the word about the school's achievements is rapidly becoming known, and its programs are meeting the needs of our most accomplished students." The school's location in Northern California makes it attractive for students who are highly sought by the state's computer-based and other high-technology industries, Smiley noted. Within three months of graduation, 95 percent of the newly-awarded MBA graduates last year had been hired -- making the business school among the best in the nation for job placement, according to the magazine's ranking system. "Our school's surge into the 'top 50' was certainly influenced by the increasing number of corporate recruiters who are now paying attention to our graduating students," said Donald Blodger, director of student services for the management school. The school's reputation for maintaining an intimate learning environment continues with a student-to-faculty ratio of 10-to-one. "What really sets our faculty apart is their commitment to management research and enthusiasm for teaching which is the basis for our success," said Smiley, who has been dean for seven years. When he began Smiley believed that the management school needed to place greater emphasis on allowing students opportunities to design their MBA curriculum to suit their special interests and talents. That adjustment added flexibility to a student's career goals and gave them some academic options. The UC Davis business program attracts some of the nation's best students. This year's entering class averaged 640 on the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) and a grade point average of 3.3. The average GMAT score for the top 50 ranked schools in the survey is 620. "Our student selectivity continues year-after-year to bring high-caliber students into our program," said Blodger. The management school offers two ways for students to earn their MBA degree -- full time, or part time through the MBA Program for Working Professionals. The full-time program currently enrolls 121 students. The Working Professionals program has 190.