Forbes Top 20 U.S. MBA Programs in 2015

Here are the top 20 MBA programs in the U.S. according to Forbes:

A Few Points (from the Lead Article)

• The average five-year gain at the top 25 U.S. business schools was $61,700. That's down $6300 from two years ago, and down $56,300 since 2003.

• The average debt for students reporting debt to Forbes from the class of 2010 was $80,000, $15,000 more than it was two years earlier.

A Word on Forbes' Methodology

Forbes surveyed 17,400 alumni at 95 schools, and had a 24% response rate. MBA program graduates answered questions about pre- and post-MBA compensation, career choice, and location.

Alumni earnings in the first five years after graduation were weighed against the opportunity cost of attending business school (the cost of the program plus two years without a salary). Earnings include salary, bonuses, and stock options, and there is an assumption made that alumni would have experienced a 50% slower compensation increase had they not received an MBA.

These rankings include only U.S. schools with a two-year, full-time MBA program. Schools where alumni had a negative ROI after five years are not included in the rankings.

You can view Forbes international MBA rankings here.

Learn more about Forbes' methodology here.

Related Resources:

• Bloomberg Business MBA Rankings
• Rankings: Why Should I Care? [short video]
• B-School Zones for Top MBA Programs

This article originally appeared on blog.accepted.com.

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