The Best Business Schools of 2008

The Top 10 U.S. Business Schools

Responsiveness to the community's needs, academic rigor, relationships with top recruiters, and dedication to excellence are among the qualities necessary for a business school to be considered one of the best. Every two years, BusinessWeek consults students, recruiters, and academic research to determine which business schools fit the bill. Here's this year's look at the best U.S. full-time MBA programs.

No. 1: University of Chicago
Booth School of Business
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 1
Total Tuition and Fees: $97,165
Applicants Accepted: 22%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 78.0/105.0
In Brief: This year's No. 1 has it all: ambitious students, academic rigor, and top-notch faculty.

Photo: Richard Chase

No. 2: Harvard Business School
Boston
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 4
Total Tuition and Fees: $101,660
Applicants Accepted: 12%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 77.0/121.0
In Brief: A century old, Harvard's case-based curriculum continues to set the standard.

© Nathan Mandell

No. 3: Northwestern University
Kellogg Graduate School of Management
Evanston, Ill.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 3
Total Tuition and Fees: $93,918
Applicants Accepted: 20%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 75.0/110.0
In Brief: Kellogg's distinct culture of collaboration and competition sets it apart.

No. 4: University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School
Philadelphia
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 2
Total Tuition and Fees: $100,860
Applicants Accepted: 18%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 80.0/120.0
In Brief: Highly competitive program features flexible curriculum, diverse student body.

No. 5: University of Michigan
Ross School of Business
Ann Arbor, Mich.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 5
Total Tuition and Fees: $90,879
Applicants Accepted: 20%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 63.5/105.0
In Brief: School spirit runs high at Ross, where students are highly sought after by recruiters.

No. 6: Stanford University
Graduate School of Business
Palo Alto, Calif.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 6
Total Tuition and Fees: $97,842
Applicants Accepted: 8%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 75.0/125.0
In Brief: Small classes and sense of community in the heart of Silicon Valley are hard to beat.

No. 7: Columbia Business School
New York
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 10
Total Tuition and Fees: $94,104
Applicants Accepted: 15%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 75.0/110.0
In Brief: Finance focus and access to Wall Street are pluses—or used to be before the investment banking industry collapsed.

No. 8: Duke University
Fuqua School of Business
Durham, N.C.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 9
Total Tuition and Fees: $99,906
Applicants Accepted: 30%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 65.0/100.0
In Brief: Passionate teachers and competitive, collaborative learning environment all get high marks.

No. 9: MIT
Sloan School of Management
Cambridge, Mass.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 7
Total Tuition and Fees: $93,568
Applicants Accepted: 15%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 70.0/116.0
In Brief: Quantitative skills and entrepreneurship are this program's strong suits.

No. 10: University of California-Berkeley
Haas School of Business
Berkeley, Calif.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 8
Total Tuition and Fees: $84,055
Applicants Accepted: 12%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 78.0/110.0
In Brief: Small size, diverse class, and attentive faculty are pluses. Access to Silicon Valley doesn't hurt either.

View the full list of Best Business Schools

Note: Tuition and fees reflect cost of total program, excluding living expenses. Program description based on graduate comments.

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