The MMSU ranks 16th in the list of 20 best accountancy schools, and 12th in the list of 22 pharmacy schools in the Philippines  for 2017.

This was released by the LocalPulse,  a social news and entertainment network that provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and a menu of accurate, complete and relevant information.

The rankings are based on the results of two Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Licensure Examinations conducted last May and October  this year, plus other factors including level of accreditation and faculty-student ratio to find out which schools offering undergraduate programs in accountancy have the most valuable degree programs to produce batch of examinees with high CPA licensure examination passing rate.

The ranking uses the same performance indicators as the Local Pulse School Rankings. However, the weightings for number of examinees were adjusted to reflect programs with less number of examinees.

In the criteria that were used in the rankings, schools in the Philippines offering a particular program are assessed and rated according to a number of factors. Local Pulse used these ratings to rank the schools offering a specific program in order to determine which ones are the best choice for students.

Local Pulse School Rankings was created to guide students who are planning to take any degree program in one of the colleges and universities in the country. The 2017 criteria include the overall board exam performance, number of examinees, top performing examinees, accreditation level, and faculty-student ratio.

“These rankings are an important tool for parents, students, and schools seeking the right academic setting,” LocalPulse said.

Other possible factors which may affect school rankings are planned to be included in the next versions of schools rankings. These factors include international linkages, community involvement, employer reputation, research outputs, and research citations per faculty.

The methodology used in the rankings are the Weighted Overall School Board Performance in a Year (40%), Number of Total Examinees (20%), Top Performing Examinees (10%), Level of Accreditation (20%), and Faculty-Student Ratio (10%).

In the Overall School Board Performance in a Year, the results in the number of examinations each year are weighted based on the total number of examinees in the number of examinations. Schools with less than 50 examinees and with less than n percent passing percentage in the year are excluded. In the Number of Total Examinees, the number of total examinees is considered in order to rate impartially schools with large number of examinees. Theoretically and according to the application of law of large numbers, as a number of examinees increases, the percentage rate of passing becomes increasingly difficult to maintain.

In the Top Performing Examinees, consideration of top performing examinees was included with the highest ranks as the highest scores. Schools without top performing examinees are given considerable scores.

Also, in the Level of Accreditation, the method was part of these rankings to rate the schools according to their accreditation status with Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA), Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACUP), or Commission on Higher Education (CHEd). Schools with a program recognized as Centers of Excellence and Development get the highest scores.

Lastly, the Faculty-Student Ratio was included because of its importance in the criteria of ranking. Based on several studies, low student to teacher ratio significantly increases success rate of a student.

LocalPulse is a private social media surveyor that treat its readers, viewers, and online users as fairly and openly as possible. It is committed to the pursuit of truth and to the values of accuracy, fairness, impartiality, and open-mindedness.

It is a a group of tenacious, resourceful writers and researchers who are always eager to seek out the truth, provide thoughtful and stimulating opinions and foster informed discussions.

Besides running news reports on various issues, LocalPulse carries special reports, human-interest stories, exciting features, and provocative personal essays on diverse topics, which currently features 20 of the 528 colleges and universities offering undergraduate programs in accountancy.