I think that the choice is really between Manchester and Cranfield. And if you'd asked this question two years, it would have been Cranfield, hands down.

However, Manchester has been rising in the rankings over the past few years, and I'd say that the two schools are pretty neck and neck in terms of reputation and overall student satisfaction.

For operations in the UK, I'd also check out Cambridge/Judge and Oxford/Said - I'm not sure what your profile is - one could be a reach school - but definitely worth looking into.

Thanks...

What about Cass? The school has a very interesting program and they also have good connection in London. Also the faculties seems great specially for stratey and finance...

I am more inclined between MBS and Cass because I would like to live in a big city rather than on campus....

One thing that I would like to know is wheter MBS and Cass will sustain their porgram among the TOP 30 in the world...

It's true that Cranfield is in the middle of nowhere, but it's very good for strategy, and its alumni can be found in many consulting firms. Cass is good for strategy, maybe not as good, perhaps because it's more closely associated with finance and the City. IMO Manchester is not worthy of comparison with either of these BS.

Manchester is a strong all-rounder with a good reputation for operations/strategy. It has a number of well respected research units based at the business school. It has been top 30/40 for many years.

Cranfield has an excellent reputation for operations/strategy. It also has a number of well respected research units based at the business school. Again top 30/40 for many years.

Cass is not well known for this area, but for finance and quantitative analysis. In these areas it is very strong.

Rankings wise, Cranfield and Manchester are head and shoulders above Cass. They're part of the well-respected second-tier schools along with Warwick, below Oxford, Cambridge and LBS. Cass is in the tier below with Lancaster, Durham, Ashridge and probably Strathclyde. The tier below that being well-respected universities with average business schools (Edinburgh, Birmingham, Nottingham, Henley etc)

Remember you're only there for a year to 18 months, and in my opinion the being close to a big city thing is very overrated when it comes to actually finding a job or having expert links to a generic area like ops/strategy. Not all large firms and therefore not all large consultancies are head quartered out of London. Infact most non-professional services firms are based outside of London, and those that are have large regional offices.

The best business schools in the US are based in Palo Alto (Stanford) and Cambridge (Harvard), neither in New York or LA.

Thanks for the contributions.

In terms of course, all the three schools are about the same, each with its characteristics being MBS with lots of real projects with clients and exchange opportunities, Cranfield with strong emphasis on personal development and Cass with its reputable strategy/finance faculties and location.

But in terms of brand, especially international recognition, Manchester is well ahead Cass and Cranfield, specially for a South American such as me who intends to come back to Brazil after 3 years of graduation. On the other hand, my short term goal is to remain in Europe, so local awareness is relevant as well and they are more or like the same, aren?t they?

Any thoughts?

If we're talking about just reputation in Europe and beyond, then go with Manchester or Cass.

If we're talking about just reputation in Europe and beyond, then go with Manchester or Cass.

I can't think of a recent ranking that places Manchester ahead of Cranfield. Cass there may be some, but most would place Cranfield higher I think.

Hi all...i am in my final year of graduation in India...m plannning to apply for MBA in the University of Bedfordshire, in September nxt yr as this is the only Uni wich considers u widout any work exp and it provides u wid 8 months internship...plz tl me is it a gud University??? and wl i be able to find a job in UK after completing MBA (if i polish my skills to d best and learn as much as possible during my internship)??? plz reply ASAP

very good perspectives.

in terms of rankings, FT ranked both Manchester and Cass ahead of Cranfield.

however, rankings must be used as a parameter not as a end itself.

I think these are also very different programmes. Manchester is extensive, Cranfield is intensive and Cass really trades on its City locations. Manchester has a huge advantage for non-Europeans or younger students with a paid ten-week internship, an international exchange and I assume a wider range of elecives. I think the quality of teaching and of students will be more consistent and generally higher at Cranfield. The location sort of forces people to study, so I think if you want a really intensive MBA it's perfect. Cass has great outcomes because of its City location and finance focus. If you don't want finance, then go elsewhere.