No. 7: Columbia Business School
New York

2006 Rank: 10

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. 6: Stanford University
Graduate School of Business

Palo Alto, Calif.

2006 Rank: 6
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. 5: University of Michigan
Ross School of Business

Ann Arbor, Mich.

2006 Rank: 5

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. 4: University of Pennsylvania

The Wharton School

Philadelphia

2006 Rank: 2

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. 3: Northwestern University
Kellogg Graduate School of Management Evanston, Ill.


2006 Rank: 3
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. 2: Harvard Business School
Boston

2006 Rank: 4
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.

The Best Business Schools of 2008

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 Rank: 1

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.