The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (US) claimed the number one spot in Forbes’ 10th biennial ranking of US business schools.

Second among international one-year programmes was INSEAD (France), with a five-year gain of USD 150,400, followed by IE Business School (Spain) (five-year gain, USD 145,400), Cambridge University’s Judge Business School (UK) (five-year gain, USD 140,000), and Italy’s SDA Bocconi (UK) rounding out the top five, with a five-year gain of USD 138,100. Of course, the opportunity cost associated with attending a one-year programme is significantly lower than a two-year programme given that tuition is less and lost income is also minimised by less time out of the workforce. Leading the way among international one-year MBA programmes was IMD (Switzerland), with a whopping five-year gain of USD 194,700. HEC Paris took fourth (five-year gain, USD 85,300), and ESADE Business School (Spain) rounded out the top five (five-year gain, USD 58,700). Next up was CIEBS (China), with a five-year gain of USD 95,000. IESE Business School (Spain) followed at No. The median salary for the LBS Class of 2012 when it entered was USD 73,000, and total compensation five years out was USD 212,000. LBS has held the top spot in the Forbes ranking on five consecutive occasions out of the ranking’s 10 publications. The typical LBS graduate took 3.4 years to pay back their investment. The two-year international MBA ranking was topped by London Business School (UK), with alumni of its Class of 2012 realising a five-year gain of USD 119,100, the highest of any two-year programme in the world. Responses are then used to calculate the five-year MBA gain, or the net cumulative amount the typical alumni would have earned after five years by getting their MBA versus staying in their pre-MBA career.

For its biennial rankings the magazine surveyed schools and alumni from the Class of 2012 regarding their pre- and post-MBA compensation, career choice, and location.

Forbes magazine top high schools 2017