Melbourne Business School among Victoria’s top institutions for aspiring business students

The countdown is on for year 12 students to pick a study course for next year, and for those considering business school, a new report has ranked the top institutions in Victoria.

Melbourne Business School has been named as Australia’s top college for aspiring business leaders in a new report released in time for students to pick their degrees for next year.

The countdown is on for thousands of Victorian year 12 students to put in their preferences for the tertiary course they wish to study once they graduate high school.

Applications are due 5pm on September 30 via the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) website, with late applications still accepted until December 6 at a higher fee.

Students then have until December 14 to change their preferences to be eligible for an offer from a tertiary institution later that month.

Meanwhile, university graduates wishing to pursue another course have more time to submit their application to their desired university.

Last year, 15 per cent of year 12 students received offers for courses in management, commerce and business in the December round, with this area of study the third most popular among high school graduates.

For those students thinking about studying a business degree next year or are hoping to learn from a top business school in the future, global higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds has released its annual rankings.

According to the report, these are the best business schools in Victoria to study at in 2025.

Melbourne Business School

The University of Melbourne’s graduate school in business and economics, Melbourne Business School, is not just Victoria’s top Master of Business Administration (MBA) provider but also takes the crown as the nation’s leader.

Home to Oceania’s best MBA program, Melbourne Business School ranks 32nd globally, behind colleges in the United States and United Kingdom.

Despite dropping two places globally compared to last year, the institution still outranks UNSW’s Australian Graduate School of Management and the University of Sydney Business School.

Melbourne Business School offers programs in business analytics and marketing as well as short courses in management, finance, leadership and strategy.

The school, which is situated across two campuses, offers a range of postgraduate degrees – meaning year 12 students must complete an undergraduate degree before they can apply to study there.

Students wishing to pursue a bachelor degree in commerce can do so at the University of Melbourne.

Notable Melbourne Business School alumni include former CEO of Australia Post Ahmed Fahour, Royal Children’s Hospital CEO Christine Kilpatrick, former Qantas chairman Margaret Jackson and former Labor leader Bill Shorten.

Melbourne Business School ranks first not just in Victoria, but also in the nation. Picture: Facebook

RMIT University College of Business and Law

Coming in second-best in Victoria is RMIT University’s College of Business and Law, ranking 7th in Australia and between 151 and 200th position in the world.

It surpasses UniSA Business School in Adelaide, the University of Technology Sydney Business School and the University of Wollongong.

Unlike Melbourne Business School, RMIT’s College of Business and Law offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees as well as research programs and short courses.

Areas of study include accounting, business, commerce, law, finance, human resources, marketing, leadership and project management to name a few.

Students have the opportunity to study at the university’s Melbourne campus, RMIT Vietnam and partner institutions around the world.

The school is led by deputy vice-chancellor business and law and vice-president Professor Colin Picker.

Unlike Melbourne Business School, RMIT’s College of Business and Law offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Deakin Business School

Ranking third in Victoria is Deakin Business School, which offers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees.

Deakin is the state’s number one university for course satisfaction, with students given the opportunity to participate in work-integrated learning, business consulting programs and overseas study.

Short business courses are also on offer providing students with the option to study fast, flexible and affordable courses.

Deakin’s MBA alumni include Stroke Foundation CEO Dr Lisa Murphy, former Woolworths head of merchandise Daniel Thorpe and Google vice-president global measurement Karen Stocks.

The business school ranks between 201 and 250th in the world, according to the QS rankings.

Deakin is the state’s number one university for course satisfaction. Picture: Facebook

La Trobe Business School

Following closely behind Deakin Business School is La Trobe Business School, ranking 12th in Australia and between 201 and 250th in the world.

The business school’s MBA has previously been crowned number one in Victoria, and number 14 globally for promoting business practice for a better world by media and research organisation Corporate Knights.

Students can study both bachelor and master degrees at La Trobe Business School in areas including business, accounting, logistics, commerce and marketing.

Those studying within the department of management and marketing also have access to state-of-the-art facilities such as a finance trading room and behavioural science laboratory to support student research.

The Barefoot Investor Founder Scott Pape and former Bendigo and Adelaide Bank CEO and managing director Marnie Baker are La Trobe Bachelor of Business graduates.

Meanwhile CAR Group – which includes carsales.com.au – CEO and managing director Cameron McIntyre graduated from the university with a Bachelor of Economics in 1993.

Students can study both bachelor and master degrees at La Trobe Business School. Picture: Supplied

Victoria University

In 14th place across the country is Victoria University’s Business School, which offers degrees in business, finance, economics, accounting, project management, human resources, supply-chain management, marketing, tourism and sports management and integrity, to name a few.

The Business School is partnered with a range of industry leaders including the Western Bulldogs, PEXA, Industry Capability Network and the Victorian Tourism Industry Council, giving students the opportunity to gain practical experience and apply their knowledge to real-world situations.

Year 12 students can apply to study a number of bachelor degrees, with the university also offering TAFE courses in accounting and bookkeeping, business and project management.

Students can also study postgraduate degrees and short courses.