Factors That Influence Recruiters' Choice of B-Schools and Their MBA Graduates: Evidence and Implications for B-Schools

I examine what is valued by MBA recruiters by analyzing data from a sample of U. S. business schools. The study reveals that student characteristics act as the main factor in guiding firms' perceptions, above and beyond reputation derived from media rankings and program value. Moreover, this study shows that neither the research performance of b-schools nor their public or private nature are determining factors in the perceptions of recruiters. I conclude with implications and recommendations for b-schools on the basis of the findings.