Full-Time MBA Rankings

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We then calculate a denominator, which is the sum of the number of times each school is identified as a recruiting location multiplied by the number of MBAs hired by each recruiter who mentions it. Finally, for each school, we divide the sum of its numerators by the sum of its denominators.

How is the intellectual capital score determined?

BusinessWeek scours 20 top academic journals for articles published by each school's faculty, reviewing all editions published in the previous five years. The journals are The Harvard Business Review, Journal of Marketing, Operations Research, Information Systems Research, Journal of Finance, American Economic Review, Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Financial Economics, Management Science, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Marketing Research, Strategic Management Journal, Accounting Review, Academy of Management Journal, Production & Operations Management, and Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Consumer Research, Review of Financial Studies, Administrative Science Quarterly and Marketing Science. Extended articles receive three points; short articles receive one point.

We also check The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and BusinessWeek for reviews of books written by the schools' professors, awarding 5 points for each one. The two tallies are combined and then adjusted for faculty size by dividing the total number of points by the number of fulltime faculty at the school. The list of journals is reviewed each year and suggestions for additions are considered.

How are the various factors weighted?

The three most recent student surveys are first combined for a total student score that counts toward 45% of the final ranking. (The current survey counts for 50% of the total student score. The two previous surveys count for 25% each.) The three most recent recruiter surveys are combined for a total recruiter score that contributes another 45%. (The current survey counts for 50% of the total recruiter score. The two previous surveys count for 25% each.) The intellectual capital rating contributes 10% to the final ranking.

Do schools ever get dropped from the rankings? Why?

Yes. If a response rate falls below the minimum threshold, a school will be dropped. If one of the initial requirements for consideration is not met -- for example, if a school loses its accreditation or its enrollment falls below our threshold -- then a school will be dropped.

Is there a minimum response rate for the student survey? How are the response rate and minimum response rate calculated?

The response rate for each school is calculated by dividing the number of replies by the total number of surveys sent. The minimum response rate is determined after a review of all school response rates with a goal of eliminating outliers.

What alternatives are there for schools that do not want to supply student e-mail addresses?

Schools can ask students to "opt out" of the survey, then supply BusinessWeek with the e-mail addresses for those who remain. A second alternative, known as the "opt-in" method, is permitted but strongly discouraged: schools send students an e-mail about the survey and give BusinessWeek a list of e-mail addresses for those who permit the release of that information.

How is the response rate calculated for schools that choose the "opt-out" method?

If a school chooses the opt-out method, the response rate is calculated using the number of e-mail addresses supplied to BusinessWeek. If 500 students are given the choice to opt out and 100 do, the school would supply 400 e-mail addresses. If we survey those 400 students and 200 complete the survey, the response rate is 50%.

How is the response rate calculated for schools that choose the "opt-in" method?

To calculate a response rate for schools choosing the "opt-in" method, BusinessWeek divides the number of responses by the number of students who received the "opt-in"

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