The Best Business Schools of 2008 - by Francesca Di Meglio and Alison Damast

No. 1: University of Chicago
Booth School of Business
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 1
Total 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.

No. 2: Harvard Business School
Boston
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 4
Total 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.

No. 3: Northwestern University
Kellogg Graduate School of Management
Evanston, Ill.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 3
Total 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. 4: University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School
Philadelphia
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 2
Total 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. 5: University of Michigan
Ross School of Business
Ann Arbor, Mich.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 5
Total 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. 6: Stanford University
Graduate School of Business
Palo Alto, Calif.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 6
Total 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. 7: Columbia Business School
New York
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 10
Total 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. 8: Duke University
Fuqua School of Business
Durham, N.C.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 9
Total Tuition and Fees: $99,906
Applicants Accepted: 30%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 65.0/100.0
In Brief: Passionate teachers and competitive, collaborative learning environment all get high marks.

No. 9: MIT
Sloan School of Management
Cambridge, Mass.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 7
Total Tuition and Fees: $93,568
Applicants Accepted: 15%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 70.0/116.0
In Brief: Quantitative skills and entrepreneurship are this program's strong suits.

No. 10: University of California-Berkeley
Haas School of Business
Berkeley, Calif.
2006 BusinessWeek Rank: 8
Total Tuition and Fees: $84,055
Applicants Accepted: 12%
Pre-MBA/Post-MBA Pay in $ Thousands: 78.0/110.0
In Brief: Small size, diverse class, and attentive faculty are pluses. Access to Silicon Valley doesn't hurt either.