The Best B-Schools Of 2004 http://www.businessweek.com/@@KvtwnmYQ4cS@pAAA/premium/content/04_42/b3904...

Search

Advanced Search

OCTOBER 18, 2004 • Editions: N. America | Europe | Asia | Edition Preference

Customer Service SPECIAL REPORT -- 2004 RANKINGS

Register Back to Main Story
Subscribe to BW

The Best B-Schools Of 2004

Current BW Magazine
Table of Contents

October 18, 2004 BW

Magazine Table of
Contents Graduates in the Class of 2004 had reason to smile. After three years of gloom
in the job market, things were looking up for grads of the Top 30 schools. More
October 18, 2004 Special
Report -- 2004 Rankings than 89% had job offers three months after graduation, and total compensation
Table of Contents was up about 26%, to $136,569.

At many schools, enrollment of women has reached an all-time high--and so

have tuition and fees, with increases in the double digits at some schools. The
highest? Harvard at $39,100. The best bargain? Indiana at $24,201.
Selectivity decreased for the class of 2004 due to fewer applicants at most
schools.

The letter grades (at far right) are based on graduate and corporate recruiter
surveys from the 70 U.S. schools surveyed and the 223 companies that
responded. The top 20% in each category earned As. The next 25% got Bs, the
next 35% got Cs, and the bottom 20% got Ds. Schools with too few recruiter
responses received an NA.

THE BEST B-SCHOOLS OF 2004

1 of 4 11/3/2004 12:51 PM
The Best B-Schools Of 2004 http://www.businessweek.com/@@KvtwnmYQ4cS@pAAA/premium/content/04_42/b3904...

ENROLLMENT*** GRADS AVG.

MEDIAN PAY ($ 000s) RECRUITER GRADES MBA GRADES
w/OFFER WORK
2004 2002 CORP. GRAD. INTELLECT. ANNUAL APPLICANTS BY EXP. COMMUNI- TEAM- ANALYTIC TEACHING CAREER
RANK SCHOOL RANK POLL POLL CAPITAL TUITION* ACCEPTED WOMEN INTL. MINORITIES PRE-MBA POST-MBA GRAD. (Months) CATION WORK SKILLS QUALITY SERVICES

Northwestern
1 3 2 20 $36,370 23% 30% 31% 14% $70.0 $125.0 85% 62 A A A A A
1 (Kellogg)

Grads commend Kellogg's teamwork-oriented culture. Recruiters say the innovative curriculum produces the best marketing and general management grads.
Chicago 2 1 5 14 34,400 NR 30 29 7 67.0 127.0 82 53 A B A A A
2 Ranks tops with recruiters for analytical skills and finance. Student raves across the board--from curriculum to career services--keep Chicago near the top.

Pennsylvania
5 5 3 6 35,203 16 34 33 11 75.0 144.0 86 72 A A A B A
3 (Wharton)

Revamped career services and increased global presence gains school nine spots in grad poll. The perennial powerhouse still ranks tops with recruiters in all areas.
Stanford 4 7 1 3 37,998 10 36 32 10 75.0 150.0 81 48 A A A A A
4 Grads maintain tech-savvy, entrepreneurial reputation with recruiters. Students deem their peers and the overall program top-notch.

Harvard 3 2 11 7 39,100 13 35 33 12 85.0 147.5 94 53 A A A A A

5 Students still appreciate the high-powered network of alums but downgrade an unresponsive administration. Recruiters still give high marks overall.

Michigan
8 4 9 15 32,688 35 26 29 8 62.0 115.0 85 62 A A A B A
6 (Ross)

Gets the most-improved award from recruiters who applaud grads' general management and operations skills. Students rate it tops in leadership training.
Cornell
11 8 8 5 35,660 36 27 28 10 60.0 115.0 71 60 A A A A A
7 (Johnson)

Sees a five-point jump in the corporate poll this year as recruiters take note of new curriculum. Grads compliment career services efforts and give high marks all around.
Columbia 7 6 15 4 36,295 15 33 28 11 75.0 142.5 87 59 A A A C A
8 Recruiters look to Columbia for finance whizzes with a global perspective. Students like the diverse community but complain about teaching quality and cramped facilities.

MIT (Sloan) 6 14 4 2 37,050 20 25 35 9 68.0 128.0 91 64 B C A A B

9 Recruiters knocked MIT down three spots to No.9, but grads' support of the cutting-edge curriculum and faculty is unflinching, and faculty research is top-rate.

Dartmouth
10 11 6 9 38,857 25 30 29 8 70.0 135.0 88 61 A A B A A
10 (Tuck)

Grads enjoy close relationships with faculty and a close-knit campus community. Steadfast recruiters rely on Tuck's top-notch general management program.
Duke (Fuqua) 9 12 12 10 36,399 37 33 33 13 63.0 118.0 79 68 A A A B B
11 Strong emphasis on leadership and teamwork rates high with students, but both grads and recruiters would like to see more global reach.

Virginia
12 13 7 34 35,200 38 27 26 9 62.0 120.0 69 60 A A B A B
12 (Darden)

Students give high praise to Darden's faculty but long for a more diverse campus. Grads' teamwork and business ethics keep recruiters coming back.
NYU (Stern) 15 10 14 25 35,760 22 38 31 14 65.0 130.0 80 59 B B A A A
13 Jumps two spots as grads credit improved teaching quality and a helpful career services office. Financial recruiting base remains solid.

UCLA
16 21 10 1 26,691 25 30 24 8 75.0 127.0 78 56 C B B B A
14 (Anderson)

Gets high marks for faculty research, but students rate profs low on the availability scale. Recruiters still come for general management experts.
Carnegie
Mellon 19 15 19 11 37,000 28 23 30 6 64.0 110.0 77 52 C B A A B
15 (Tepper)

Again takes No.1 grade with students for focus on technology and e-business but fails to place above average in other categories. Feeling among recruiters is mutual.

2 of 4 11/3/2004 12:51 PM
The Best B-Schools Of 2004 http://www.businessweek.com/@@KvtwnmYQ4cS@pAAA/premium/content/04_42/b3904...

UNC (Kenan
18 17 17 8 33,500 47 29 27 12 60.0 110.0 68 63 B A B B B
16 Flagler)

Although students say the administration is responsive, they want better teaching in core courses. Reputation in corporate world grows with a new dean.
UC Berkeley
13 19 13 23 33,758 17 27 34 5 80.0 131.0 78 67 B B B B B
17 (Haas)

Haas loses favor with grads and recruiters, bringing it down four spots. Students say faculty are less accessible but still rate the entrepreneurship program among the best.
Indiana
20 18 18 43 24,201 33 26 30 9 52.0 103.0 67 59 A B B A B
18 (Kelley)

Overall grad and corporate rankings inch upward. Core faculty earn an A+ from Kelley grads in a year when most MBAs grumble about poor teaching quality.
Texas
21 23 22 26 30,116 43 25 24 8 55.0 110.0 65 61 A A B B B
19 (McCombs)

Dropped by a handful of recruiters since 2002. Grads express confidence in starting their own businesses with skills learned at McCombs.
Emory
22 27 20 12 32,468 37 23 30 9 55.0 107.0 74 58 B B B B A
20 (Goizueta)

Faculty research on the rise as Goizueta jumps up seven spots in intellectual capital. New leadership initiative inspires students.
Purdue
26 20 28 17 26,988 44 19 35 6 45.0 101.0 74 55 C B B C B
21 (Krannert)

As technology comes back into favor, recruiters remember an old favorite. Students appreciate the high-tech learning environment but lament the weak alumni network.
Yale 14 28 21 17 37,359 25 32 29 9 57.0 118.0 72 48 B C C B B

22 Snubbed by some recruiters who give grads low marks on analysis and teamwork. In need of technological improvements; student satisfaction falls 13 points.

Washington
24 38 16 16 34,285 54 23 35 10 50.0 110.0 64 56 C C C A A
23 U. (Olin)

Faculty recruiting efforts pay off as school gains ground in student poll. Grads laud the placement office's ability to connect them with nontraditional recruiters.
Notre Dame
29 9 35 33 30,530 49 23 28 17 51.0 102.5 63 52 B B B C C
24 (Mendoza)

Still a reliable source for recruiters looking for solid business ethics, but grads say career services lacks the networking ability of a top school.
Georgetown
30 24 26 38 32,976 41 32 37 10 55.0 115.0 75 61 C B C B A
25 (McDonough)

Maintains positive international reputation with recruiters. Enjoys a jump in the student poll because of steady improvements in teaching and job placement.
Babson (Olin) NA 16 32 44 29,900 59 27 30 7 62.0 97.5 52 72 B NA B B D

26 A recent shift to teaching entrepreneurship within corporations woos big-name recruiters. Grads praise the curriculum despite lackluster career services.

USC
17 29 23 40 34,692 36 31 22 9 60.0 100.0 55 66 B B B C B
27 (Marshall)

Suffers a 15-point drop in corporate poll. Received average ratings from grads in all areas but alumni connections, where network is as strong as ever.
Maryland
25 37 24 21 30,216 38 34 34 11 45.0 105.0 65 63 C D C B B
28 (Smith)

Building a tech-savvy reputation with recruiters. Grads find it tough to get face time with research-oriented professors. Alumni network needs strengthening.
Rochester
27 39 25 18 34,767 37 23 42 17 50.0 105.0 71 55 C B C A B
29 (Simon)

Major recruiters dropped Simon from their short lists of campus visits since 2002. International students continue complaints about career placement.
Vanderbilt
28 36 27 21 32,790 68 25 24 4 55.0 102.0 66 61 B B B C B
30 (Owen)

Owen grads have yet to see the desired curriculum enhancements and diversity on campus. Recruiters still unsatisfied but notice some improvement.

3 of 4 11/3/2004 12:51 PM