We attempt to learn what we can from them, and what they tell us about how we are perceived by various groups. The foremost problem involves inscrutable methodologies. The methodology employed by Business Week , for example, is considered proprietary and is thus only partially revealed. As a result, no one has ever been able to independently assess its validity. We don't know, for example, whether the differences between schools in the ranking are large or statistically insignificant.
Structural issues impact the results of rankings, as well.
Many of these schools have two to four times more MBA students than the Haas School. In addition, private business schools tend to dominate the Business Week survey, as well as other rankings. One of the top priorities of Dean Tyson is to gain a new level of flexibility and to generate higher levels of funding for the Haas School so that it can be more competitive. Finally, the fairness of some rankings, including Business Week 's, have been questioned because of alleged ethical improprieties at some schools. Varying methodologies also lead to variable results.