https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/mba/rankings

Thank you.

I've noticed that Illinois iMBA is recommended by several people in the discussion boards, but doesn't make the top 20 in the above link. Also, Amherst is ranked highly on the FT, but only 28 here.

Are these discrepancies down to different ranking systems with different criteria/weighting or does it mean we really shouldn't be paying much to rankings in the first place?

Yes, different criteria and, with Illinois, I think issues with defining who is in which cohort.

[quote]Thank you.

I've noticed that Illinois iMBA is recommended by several people in the discussion boards, but doesn't make the top 20 in the above link. Also, Amherst is ranked highly on the FT, but only 28 here.

Are these discrepancies down to different ranking systems with different criteria/weighting or does it mean we really shouldn't be paying much to rankings in the first place? [/quote]

The advise is different for each individual. A lot of readers on these forums are on tight budget and the best option for them is Boston and illinois. Can't really recommend an MBA that costs 80 or 100.000 to someone on a 15k budget.

How is a school like Babson perceived? It's ranked in the USNEWS ranking, but not in the Financial Times. Is it considered a decent brand for an MBA (nationwide), or is it looked at more as a regional school? I appreciate the entrepreneurship focus, but I want to understand how a degree like this would come across if / when I apply for jobs. Thanks, JR.

Babson is certainly a nationally-known 'brand.' Its network will probably be less dense / diverse than a bigger school, though. 

They certainly brand themselves as 'entrepreneurship' friendly. Most schools do offer entrepreneurship curriculum, though, so I'm not certain that that should be a deciding factor, either way. 

Ok, thank you Larry.