The Best B-School 2006
October 16, 2006
No. 1:
University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
2004 Rank: 2
Annual Tuition: $42,182
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: No response given
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 72.0 / 95.0
In Brief: Students appreciate option to tailor curriculum to their interests. Living in Chicago gets pricey, but most say facilities and faculty are worth the expense.
No. 2
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Annual Tuition: $44,795
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 21
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 80.0 / 105.0
In Brief: Students say competitive program improves the academic experience. Decision to allow students to disclose grades to recruiters has many disconcerted.
No. 3
Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
2004 Rank: 1
Annual Tuition: $41,115
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 24
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 70.0 / 100.0
In Brief: The word used over and over by Kellogg students is “collegial.” School balances individual development and teamwork, case studies, and lectures.
No.4
Harvard Business School 2004 Rank: 5
Annual Tuition: $46,056
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 15
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 79.0 / 105.0
In Brief: Case method allows students to solve real-world problems. Ivory tower is not everyone’s cup of tea, but alumni network is vast.
No. 5
University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business
2004 Rank: 6
Annual Tuition: $42,024
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 28
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 60.0 / 95.0
In Brief: Lack of grades diminishes competition and increases focus on work. Facilities are lacking but undergoing a makeover.
No. 6
Stanford Graduate School of Business
2004 Rank: 4
Annual Tuition: $43,380
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 10
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 73.5 / 110.0
In Brief: With Silicon Valley around the corner, innovation reigns. Extensive electives cater to students with interests beyond banking and consulting.
No. 7
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management
2004 Rank: 9
Annual Tuition: $42,364
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 20
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 74.0 / 110.0
In Brief: MIT offers unique courses with entrepreneurial focus and attracts students with engineering backgrounds. prominent faculty remains accessible.
No. 8
The Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley
2004 Rank: 17
Annual Tuition: $36,634
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 18
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 70.0 / 110.0
In Brief: Tech and entrepreneurial specialties give Haas grads an edge in innovation. Curriculum is not as well-suited for those with eyes on Wall Street.
No. 9
Duke University Fuqua School of Business
2004 Rank: 11
Annual Tuition: $39,350
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 36
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 64.0 / 95.0
In Brief: Students on “Team Fuqua” enjoy the collaborative learning experience. Good for the hand-holding types, but some would like more debate and conflict.
No. 10
Columbia Business School
2004 Rank: 8
Annual Tuition: $40,948
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 17
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 75.0 / 100.0
In Brief: Students appreciate vast alumni network and high-profile speakers. Access to recruiters for everything from international companies to lesser-known employers.
No. 11
The Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College
2004 Rank: 10
Annual Tuition: $40,903
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 20
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 70.0 / 100.0
In Brief: Small class and small town leave something to be desired. But many appreciate the “self-selecting” crowd that attends. General management program is specialized.
No. 12
The Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles
2004 Rank: 14
Annual Tuition: $36,094
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 29
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 63.0 / 95.0
In Brief: Students go by an “excellence without attitude” mantra. Active student clubs provide career development, but there’s limited access to East Coast recruiters.
No. 13
The Johnson School at Cornell University
2004 Rank: 7
Annual Tuition: $38,800
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 36
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 60.0 / 95.0
In Brief: Particularly popular among career-switchers, Cornell offers a small class size and accessible professors. Students enjoy new immersion learning program
No. 14
New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business
2004 Rank: 13
Annual Tuition: $39,600
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 22
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 60.0 / 95.0
In Brief: Local alumni base is large, and former students are willing to lend a hand in the job search.
No. 15
University of Virginia Darden School of Business
2004 Rank: 12
Annual Tuition: $41,000
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 41
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 62.0 / 95.0
In Brief: Case method works well in small classes, which encourage Socratic learning. Students get individual attention from administration and faculty.
No.16
Carnegie Mellon David A. Tepper School of Business
2004 Rank: 15
Annual Tuition: $42,288
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 29
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 59.0 / 95.0
In Brief: Tepper’s small class size fosters intense focus, intimacy, and hands-on involvement. Curriculum is geared toward the quantitative mind.
No. 17
Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill
2004 Rank: 16
Annual Tuition: $36,383
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 47
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 55.5 / 90.0
In Brief: Job placement leaves most grads smiling, but international students may not have the same luck. Extracurricular activities and pleasant location add to the appeal.
No. 18
Indiana University Kelley School of Business
2004 Rank: 18
Annual Tuition: $30,458
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 40
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 50.0 / 87.0
In Brief: Kelley is praised for general education but is found lacking in specialties like consulting and investment banking. Strong regional bias limits recruiting options.
No. 19
Yale School of Management
2004 Rank: 22
Annual Tuition: $42,685
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 22
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 55.0 / 95.0
In Brief: Small program size means easy access to alumni and faculty. Students applaud new dean for being a visionary leader
No. 20
The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin
2004 Rank: 19
Annual Tuition: $36,200
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 37
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 60.0 / 90.0
In Brief: Complaints include unresponsive administration and poor career placement for international students. Variety of classes and other resources balance equation.
No. 21
University of Southern California Marshall School of Business
2004 Rank: 27
Annual Tuition: $39,000
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 36
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 60.0 / 89.0
In Brief: Strong community and alumni network offer lifelong career contacts. Decline in 2004 rankings led to major program overhaul, but students want further improvements.
No. 22
Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
2004 Rank: 25
Annual Tuition: $36,000
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 41
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 53.0 / 90.0
In Brief: D.C. area offers students many opportunities for work in the public sector and international business. Demanding classes are taught by diligent professors.
No. 23
Emory University Goizueta Business School
2004 Rank: 20
Annual Tuition: $37,826
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 34
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 54.0 / 90.0
In Brief: Students extol leadership development, accessible professors, and caliber of classmates. One-year program offers a popular alternative to traditional two-year MBA
No. 24
Purdue University Krannert School of Management
2004 Rank: 21
Annual Tuition: $30,310
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 42
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $thousands): 45.0 / 85.0
In Brief: Students laud financial aid offerings and diverse, international student population. Curriculum emphasizes quantitative skills and teamwork.
No. 25
University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business
2004 Rank: 28
Annual Tuition: $36,444
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 39
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 50.0 / 85.0
In Brief: Smith grads gripe about regional recruiting and inadequate career services. But tight-knit community and affordable tuition help ease the strain.
No. 26
University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business
2004 Rank: 24
Annual Tuition: $34,045
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 49
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 45.0 / 85.0
In Brief: Students miss proximity to big city but enjoy the tight-knit community and finance training. Recent switch from semesters to a seven-week system gets mixed reviews.
No. 27
Washington University Olin School of Business
2004 Rank: 23
Annual Tuition: $36,655
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 54
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 40.0 / 85.0
In Brief: Small class size means personal attention from faculty, but on-campus recruiting is a disappointment. School hosts a noteworthy leadership speaker series.
No. 28
Simon Graduate School of Business
2004 Rank: 29
Annual Tuition: $39,711
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 36
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $thousands): 40.0 / 83.0
In Brief: Quality of education, analytical skill development, and personal attention from faculty is highly rated, but poor showing by recruiters frustrates students.
No. 29
Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business
2004 Rank: Unranked
Annual Tuition: $25,046
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 33
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 45.0 / 85.0
In Brief: Teamwork focus means most grades are based on group, rather than individual, performance. Students praise outstanding career services center and faculty.
No. 30
Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management
2004 Rank: 30
Annual Tuition: $39,249
Percentage of Applicants Accepted: 44
Median Pay (Pre-MBA/Post-MBA in $ thousands): 55.0 / 87.0
In Brief: Students praise the overall experience at Owen. Grads say that rigorous curriculum leaves them well-equipped for future careers.
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