Losing the blues

DESPITE its reputation as a finance powerhouse, and a churner-out of super-quants, the return of Chicago’s Booth School of Business to the top of The Economist’s full-time MBA rankings is proof that it is a well-rounded school. Our ranking measures the things that MBA students themselves say are important. Not surprisingly, for a degree that can cost more than $100,000, the extent to which a programme opens new career opportunities comes highest on their list. In this regard, Chicago has few peers. Its graduates find employment in the widest range of industries; its students gushed about its careers service.  Chicago has topped the ranking for two of the past three years, briefly losing its crown to Dartmouth’s Tuck school last year. North America and Europe account for all the schools in the top 25. The highest-placed school from outside those regions is the University of Queensland, at 27th. The highest-placed Asian school is the University of Hong Kong, which ranks 41st. The Economist ranks schools on four measures: their ability to open new career opportunities; personal development and educational experience; the salary increase graduates can expect; and the potential to network. Data are collected from schools and from a student questionnaire. The full ranking and methodology can be found here....