BusinessWeek magazine has billed Cornell's undergraduate business program the fourth-best in the nation, according to its most recent rankings survey.

Rising six spots from 2007, the Department of Applied Economics and Management was cited for its "challenging and practical curriculum," which leaves graduates "well prepared for first jobs." The major is offered through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Cornell's MBA program at the Johnson School earned a No. 13 spot in the magazine's section on graduate-level business education. Their position did not change since 2006, the last time BusinessWeek did MBA rankings. The Johnson School's Executive MBA program also earned the 13th spot on the rankings.

AEM's profile on the BusinessWeek rankings has improved steadily in the past three years, earning the No. 14 slot in 2006, rising to No. 10 last year and reaching No. 4 this year.

To come to its decisions, BusinessWeek took into account a variety of factors, including annual cost, size of enrollment, academic quality, average SAT score and quality of facilities and services. Also important to the outcome were the results of student and recruiter surveys.