Business Week rates the nation's MBA programs in even-numbered years, based on student surveys, a survey of corporate recruiters, faculty publication in top journals, SAT/ACT test scores, faculty-student ratios, class size, internships and class preparation time. The magazine's top five MBA programs in 2010 are: University of Chicago Booth School ($49K annual tuition, $105K reflects mean salary of recent grads), Harvard ($51K, $114K), Northwestern ($49K, $107K), University of Pennsylvania -- Wharton ($50K, $112K), and University of Michigan -- Ross ($48K, $103K). Tuition does not include living expenses.
Forbes magazine rated American MBA programs for 2010 according to the "return on investment achieved by the graduates from the class of 2004." Forbes surveyed 17,000 alumni from 103 schools (24% responded). According to Forbes, graduates of the top five schools typically earn more than $200K five years after graduation. The magazine's top five MBA programs are: Stanford ($51K annual tuition, $225K reflects class of 2004 median salary), Dartmouth -- Tuck ($47K, $205K), Harvard ($51K, $215K), Chicago -- Booth ($49K, $210K), and Pennsylvania -- Wharton ($50K, $200K). Tuition does not include living expenses.
U.S. News & World Report reviewed 433 MBA programs in fall 2009 and early 2010. The magazine based its rankings on peer and corporate recruiter reviews, placement success and the starting salaries of graduates. Its top five graduate business schools, in order of rank, are: Harvard ($46K annual tuition and fees, 1,837 students), Stanford ($51K, 765 students), Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Sloan ($49K, 792 students), Northwestern - Kellogg ($49K, 1,241 students) and University of Chicago -- Booth ($49K, 1,185 students). Tuition doesn't include living expenses.