Bloomberg Businessweek Editors Name University of Chicago Booth School of Business #1 U.S. Business School in Biennial Ranking

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The University of Chicago Booth School of Business earned the number one spot for the fourth time in a row in Bloomberg Businessweek's biennial ranking of top U.S. business schools, followed in descending order by Harvard Business School, University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), Stanford Graduate School of Business, Northwestern University (Kellogg), Duke University (Fuqua), Cornell University (Johnson), University of Michigan (Ross), MIT (Sloan), and University of Virginia (Darden). The 24-year-old ranking includes 82 schools globally. The top 30 U.S. schools and top 10 international programs are highlighted in the November 19-25 print issue of Bloomberg Businessweek, and the complete ranking of full-time MBA programs is featured on Businessweek.com at http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings/.

“In today's economic environment, prospective MBA students need to know not only which programs are the most academically rigorous; they need information on job offers for graduates, salaries, and signing bonuses, so they know what to expect in return for their investment.”

In conjunction with the release of the ranking, Businessweek.com has launched a new online B-School finder tool, which enables readers to compare nearly 200 schools around the world based on more than 100 different data points.

"More and more people who rely on the Bloomberg Businessweek B-School rankings and editorial coverage are using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and our forums to engage with us and their peers," said Josh Tyrangiel, editor of Bloomberg Businessweek. "Our new online tool will play an important role in helping prospective MBA students find the best programs to fit their needs."

"The B-School rankings are no longer static list," said Louis Lavelle, associate editor for Bloomberg Businessweek. "In today's economic environment, prospective MBA students need to know not only which programs are the most academically rigorous; they need information on job offers for graduates, salaries, and signing bonuses, so they know what to expect in return for their investment."

The redesigned Businessweek.com B-School section has undergone its biggest overhaul since its launch in 1998. Bloomberg Businessweek's new approach enables people to compare programs based on:

Enrollment (admissions selectivity, deadlines, interviews required, importance of application elements)
Tuition and Costs (financial aid, scholarships, loans)
Academics (degree programs, program completion, faculty, classes)
Student Life (demographics, activities)
Careers and Alumni (post-graduation employment, top companies, salary, career services)

Users have access to extensive and exclusive information within each category. For example, users can view salaries for MBA graduates with up to 20 years of experience - a level of detail not available anywhere else on the web. And they can dig deeper into specific industries, functional areas, and world regions. They can also see the top undergraduate institutions, top majors, and top employers for each school’s admitted students. All of this data is presented in easily consumed charts and graphs, helping them focus on the data they need to make a better business school choice.

Visitors to the Bloomberg Businessweek B-Schools Web site will find short videos of the top-ranked schools that will give them a better sense of each school's academic and social environment. Bloomberg Businessweek contributors drove across the country filming each campus and interviewing students. For the complete web site offering, including comparative tools, videos, slideshows, notable alumni, forum discussions and LinkedIn connections to specific schools, visit here http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings/.

Methodology:

The Bloomberg Businessweek ranking is based on three elements: a survey of newly minted MBAs, a poll of corporate recruiters, and an evaluation of faculty research output. The MBA survey, which measures satisfaction with all aspects of the b-school experience, is combined with two previous MBA surveys. The corporate poll, which asks recruiters to identify the schools that produce the best graduates, is also combined with two previous recruiter surveys. Finally, Bloomberg Businessweek tallies the number of articles published by each school's faculty in 20 top journals and reviews of their books in three national publications. The total for faculty size is then adjusted and an intellectual-capital rating is assigned for each school. The MBA surveys and the recruiter polls each contribute 45% to the final ranking, with the intellectual-capital ranking contributing the final 10%.

About Bloomberg Businessweek:

Recipient of the 2012 National Magazine Award for General Excellence, Bloomberg Businessweek offers a global perspective and comprehensive insights to help senior executives profit from smarter, faster, and more informed decisions. Founded in 1929, the magazine is a trusted market leader. With a global circulation of 980,000 each week, the magazine is available in 140 countries. Drawing on more than 2,300 journalists in 146 bureaus across 72 countries, Bloomberg Businessweek covers the business world like no one else can. The award-winning Bloomberg Businessweek+ app is available on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.