For the multi-criteria decision making problems with indirect preference information, a method for ranking is proposed by using the additive utility function theory. In this approach, a simple optimization model is constructe, and the utility of evaluation values are obtained, which are compatible with indirect preference information. The utility of remaining evaluation values are calculated by using linear interpolation idea. Furthermore, the overall utility and ranking of all alternatives are obtained. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.