We get lots of inquiries at Business Pundit from people who are thinking about going to business school. Most of the questions have to do with which schools are best under such and such conditions. Everyone has his or her own particular circumstances, so “the best” is going to vary.
Obviously, there are going to be lists of the top business schools based on prestige and name recognition. Then, there are lists of the best business schools based on quality of education. Others that consider “best bang for your buck” almost doing a cost-benefit analysis on business schools. Still others come up with lists based on the specific sort of degree a person is looking for (undergrad, MBA, etc.)
Since we really don’t have the information or man-power we need to tell you what the top business schools are, we have put together a list of resources who have done the hard work for a variety of different scenarios. We hope that we can point to this resource the next time we get asked for our opinion about the best business schools.
Business Week
BusinessWeek gives rankings for A) Full time MBA B) Part-time MBA C) Executive MBA D) Distance MBA and E) Undergrad business. You can see all of them here (you have to scroll to the bottom half of the page an click the tabs).
BusinessWeek also has a chart that we like that ranks the colleges based on Return on Investment. Check it out: The Best Bang For Your Business School Buck
The Financial Times
The Financial Times ranks the top 100 business schools globally. Most of the schools are within the United States, but there are plenty from other countries, both English speaking and non-English speaking. You can see their 2008 rankings here.
UT Dallas Research Rankings
The University of Texas at Dallas has a top 100 business school research ranking system that we found intriguing. Basically, this is an algorithm that ranks business schools based on the number of articles that get published in the most prestigious business journals. You can view the world wide rankings here.
US News & World Report
Many people turn to US News & World Report college rankings as authoritative. While they most well known for their general undergrad rankings, they also have one specifically targeted to the best business schools in the United States. You can view their rankings here.
You can also take a look at the way Yahoo organizes US News & World Report’s data. We find it adds value and a different perspective. Click here.
Entrepreneur Magazine
While many people want to get their education in business administration, others might want to focus on being entrepreneurs. In fact, many of the people who contact us at Business Pundit are just these sort of people… they have ideas, they want to execute, but they want to do things the right way. These people would be more suited for colleges on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 50 Entrepreneurial Colleges.
Princeton Review
The Princeton Review’s 2007 rankings are available for free online (the 2008 version requires a subscription). You can see rankings for A) Best Overall Academic Experience and B) Best Career Prospects
Other Rankings
Campus Grotto: Best Business School Programs
College Crunch: 20 Best Business Schools: Traditional and Online
