Heard Harvard is interested in becoming the BYU of the East.

Outstanding!!! Where is Thunderbird? they fell from #1 to #11. Did they lose to Appalachian State too?

Is there any payola involved in these rankings?

If the U is second-to-none and such a great MBA program that cannot be properly assessed by national rankings because they are "special" then why is the placement % way below leading schools, and why is their average salaries so low that it is embarrassing to see them printed? At least their graduates are "special", even if they get poor jobs.

nice rankings if you want to be in this grouping. all the rankings says is that you are strong if you want to stay and work in utah... not a huge feat consdering competition among byu and utah. same with the other schools on this list.

Nice article Wendy! As a student of the Marriott School, I feel this is a well deserved accolade. I've had nothing but good experiences with many aspects of the Marriott School.

This feedback comes from employers. How is that weak? Your grammar is weak, but that's another topic for another day. I would say these rankings are much more meaningful than you realize. The opinions of the people who do the hiring are the opinions that matter.

The rep from Utah said there are more entrepreneurial opportunities at the U of U. Maybe that's true. If so, she's right that the rankings don't measure the quality of their program as accurately. But the rankings do represent the reputation of a school's program. Being at the top of this list is a huge feat, if for no other reason than that.

BYU is #1. They don't trash themselves with useless drinking and they are producing the best businessmen in the nation! I'm a proud alumnus!

if you are trying to discredit BYU for being named #1! I mean how many of you want to attend a school who is in the bottom 40! Get a life! Congrats BYU!

My alma mater, BYU, finally has a college in the top national rankings and its... business? How I wish it were in arts or letters or sciences rather than in making money.

But although Brigham would probably be dismayed I think he would also understand. We Mormons have always seemed to excel at Babylon.

This is a regional ranking. Repeat: REGIONAL. The headline and first paragraph are a bit misleading. Crowing about this is crowing about being the best of the second tier. Hooray! BYU is second tier!!

Attention BYU students and alumni: The article reports that BYU is the #1 REGIONAL school. It still comes nowhere close to high-caliber schools like Wharton, Kellogg, HBS, Stanford, etc. Make sure that in your excitement you tell everyone that BYU is the #1 Regional school, not just #1.

JBH: Good point. It would have been much more rewarding to see our proud university at the top in Finger Painting or Poetry, rather than in something as useless as building a more fiscally sound society, or "Babylon," as you put it. Let me break it down for you: "Making money" = "Providing a needed product or service at a net benefit for both parties." It is a shameful mantle, but I'll carry it if need be. By the way, I'd like to know how the sciences and arts are faring in those societies that do not benefit from the contributions and consequent cultural freedoms provided by strong leaders in business. Pick up a globe. Find those countries from which the greatest discoveries in sciences are springing. Now, how is the business environment in those same countries? Uh-huh. Thought so. Thank us later, after you've spent the grant we provided with our profits. -Proud Marriott graduate.

Sure, it may be regional. But by some of the tone I'm sensing here...you'd think they're being compared to College of Eastern Utah and Southern Utah. Somehow the REGION includes Ohio State, Wake Forest, Indiana, Florida, etc. I'd be curious to know what "region" means.

This is a regional ranking. Repeat: REGIONAL. The headline and first paragraph are a bit misleading. Crowing about this is crowing about being the best of the second tier. Hooray! BYU is second tier!!

JBH and Cameron: Get off your high hobby horses! Shameful mantle? Babylon? I hope you two will enjoy the solitude of your pristine little kingdoms.

"REGIONAL" means programs with fewer than 400 students graduating per year. It is not a geographic term. It simply means a smaller school.

Strong. What is your basis for saying Harvard wants to be the BYU of the East? Surely not this MBA ranking. Harvard is in the International Classification. They graduated 900 MBA's this year, who's average salary was over $120,000, 35% greater than BYU graduates. They are in entirely different leagues. But kudo's to BYU for being the top of their league. -kk

CJB: Somehow I sense JBH and Cameron's "pristine little kingdoms" aren't going to have the solitude you imply. I think you're in the minority here. Anyone who's had had a high school economics class will recognize the validity of Cameron's argument. Don't assume that spirituality and fiscal success are mutually exclusive. There's plenty of people brethren with great seats to general conference who were successful businessmen.

Note to all the faultfinders... BYU is in the process of expanding the Tanner building--a 50% increase in square footage, and a $35 million project--and it will soon be able to significantly increase the amount of students admitted to the program. Unfortunately, some have displayed their ignorance here by harping on the #1 "Regional" ranking. For those who can't see past their own biases, classifications are based on the total number of students graduated. With the increase in space, BYU plans on expanding the program, thus increasing its graduate numbers. Soon the Marriot school will be right next to the other National programs. BYU's business school and law school are certainly the best in the state, and among the top in the western region. Awesome!

Sweet...the Mormons dominate once again! BYU owns the state. Mormons rule the state of Utah, and always will! Awesome.

Those who are criticizing BYU in this thread are not very bright in my opinion. If any of you critics actually took the time to read the WSJ article you would find how regional and national are defined. First of all it is the #1 Regional School. What this means is that there are "National Schools" that feed markets anywhere in the country (not many of those) and the remainder are "Regional" meaning that the majority of students end up working within the region of the school. The fact that BYU is classified as Regional is not a bad thing at all, just a fact of where most jobs are landed.

The fact that they were the best of the Regionals is a tremendous accolade. Look at some of the other "Regional" schools that BYU beat, there are some amazing schools on that list.

Congrats to BYU, you really do have an amazing business program.

Also, a word to the critics: Learn to be secure enough with yourself to recognize others accomplishments.

DB: I think you misread or misunderstood my comments--there was more than a little sarcasm included. I meant that they would be quite alone in their kingdoms. I realize there are plenty of good people who succeed in business and other worldly endeavors, and I'm all for it. I'm a BYU grad (Advertising) with my own ad agency.
I'll admit that I read Cameron's comments too quickly, and didn't realize he was actually trying to defend the right of people to make money. It's JHB's comments I find a bit off. I doubt Brigham, who had no small measure of fiscal success, would be "dismayed" that a university named after him should be lauded for its business school.
I'm proud to see BYU recognized.

Hey, "Your proving that your an idiot": I admire that you're defending BYU, but don't you think your argument would be stronger were it to read "You're proving that you're an idiot"?

As an online reader of the DesNews, and up until now the "comments," I'm glad to be away from Utah, and embarrassed by what goes on here. Hopefully, the rest of the nation doesn't bother to read it.

What's regional mean? Standford is in a region, as is the University of Pennsylvania and USC. "Regional" is double speak for a stacked deck?

I worked with the accounting students at BYU for several years in a volunteer program and there are no greater. They deserve this honor.

Rankings are good for one thing, in this case, showing that soooooo many people are either stuck on themselves or envious

Good job to the Y

I did not go to the Y, I have never applied, but found that the school I recently graduated from with my MBA is not on this list (My school is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the AACSB and the ACBSP - these are the same accreditations that the Y, the U and even Harvard go after). I have recently hired a MBA grad from the Y and have an employee going to the U's program - I would agree that the Y prepares their students to be in the finance sector. I bring this up because each school has its strength - the Y got a POOR ranking on their Exec MBA program and the U got a GREAT ranking on theirs last year - so depending on what you are going after, a specific business discipline, you can find what you are looking for and find that each school has its strengths!

Rankings? What good are they? To sale more WSJ subscriptions and to have it posted on the local news circuit which increases readership and advertising dollars - sounds like capitalism to its finest!!!

I hope people dont make their education decisions based off of these rankings!!! Rankings are a statistic that can be manipulated and taken sooo many different ways!!! Besides, look at the variables of these rankings and you will quickly understand and see how ranking are not conclusive of what education you will recieve, but strictly an average of salaries compared to another average - what does this prove? That going to school 'a' might mean that your average starting salary COULD be higher. What happens 10 years down the road when you actually start working in a job that has some real money or real responsibility? I would say that that a fancy education from a fancy school with a fancy ranking is only good as a starting point, after that, you better keep up on the latest business skills and work hard if you want to see real success!

I am not a BYU fan, I am not a Utah fan - but when I hear comments like "I worked with the accounting students at BYU for several years in a volunteer program and there are no greater. They deserve this honor." I totally get why people hate the Y! PLEASE, just because you have worked for some volunteer program does not mean you know how good the BYU program is!

With that said, I think that the Y's program is good and that its strongest aspect is its accounting/finance - I just think that LAME comments like the one above really show the ignorance of many people and that a relation between that persons ignorance and the school is created, which then make the average person say 'hey, people who go to that school are ignorant, pompous or simply full of themselves. If I went to the Y I would hate to have a lot of these comments posted in behalf of the Marriot School

BYU has without question, the finest business school in the world – if, of course, you are an intellectual of the fourth grade.

BYU has one of the weakest MPA programs I’ve ever seen. I’m surprised it’s even accredited.

Wonderful for the BYU. The article is lean on relevant detail on who/how these rankings are made. Seems a little like boasting. Russia once boasted alot.

Are people really online bragging and fighting about this "ranking"?
This is not football, people. Grow up. Act like adults. This is education. These rankings mean very little to anyone other than people that like to revel in statistics. I'm just glad people are getting their college degrees, regardless of where they come from.

Well, U of U's chess club could make a stew out of BYU's Art History Department. Oh, and don't get me started on the Library Superiority Award. And the accounting tutoring program? Good grief, it's not even a contest. And what about the square footage of the quads?

Wow, anyone else here think this rivalry has gone just a tad too far?

CJB - Thanks for the clarification. I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment.

Die Hard Ute - Thank you for your comments.

I grew up around the U and basically lived at the U and went to all the games, worked at the Hospital and played many rounds of golf with my dad on campus (sorry to the VW bug owner who I knocked out their head light on the 6th hole in 1974). I went to the Y and graduated from the Y in Business no less and loved BYU. But I remain an advid Ute fan. No hatred just respect for both.

Congrats to BYU for the #1 ranking. But for the Record Utah is an excellent school as well with many good people. Die Hard Ute is a prime example.

Let's just clarify two important points:
1 - This article was specifically speaking of MBA programs. So while some may think the MPA program is weak or the accounting program really strong, they are a non-issue--they aren't part of the MBA program and the subject of this ranking.
2 - A school's classification as regional or national has to do with class size (as many have previously mentioned that others can't seem to understand). Harvard churns out 900+ students every year, BYU 150. There's definitely going to be a difference in one, the sheer number of recruiters that come to the school and therefore, they are considered in different classifications. While BYU is expanding the Tanner Building and planning to increase the class size, they will still keep it below 400 and part of the regional classification.