You're right that Edinburgh is a great school, and clearly one that is performing very well, as the QS rankings show. Perhaps the small size of the programme is both a strength and a weakness: It allows very rich educational experiences, but it means that it struggles to get the number of survey completions needed to get into the FT rankings.

The FT data students show that Durham students do well three years out from their degrees, more or less on a par with Bath and Birmingham in terms of 'careers', 'aims achieved' and alumni recommendations. However, the 78% employment within 3 months of graduation does worry me, and that is reflected in the school's very low ranking (90th) for its placements service. On most of these factors Bath is better. It also has better gender diversity and, of the schools you are considering, the most UK students.

For me, the choice would be between Bath and Lancaster, which is higher ranked and better value.

I would recommend Lancaster as they actually care for MBA rankings. The school also guarantees a 6 week summer internship and has been rated highly in REF (meaning high caliber academics). However Edinburgh will be more recognised locally and internationally, so you have to trade between MBA rep vs overall university rep.

thanks for the response , both of you.It really helps me.
I just got the scholarship from lancaster today and after what i read from both of you.I am seriously considering going to lancaster but my finance is going to work in the uk to accompany me while I'm studying. He thinks it's easier to land a job in Newcastle which is 15 mins train ride from durham.And he probably won't get a job in lancaster . manchester seems too far from the school as well :(
though I have the visa to work in the UK but if the job search doesn't have a positive outcome. I will need to return to asia to work.Many of the employers in my country don't know the business schools in the uk. they will simply just search the overall ranking and durham is at least in the top100 . I know lancaster has a better and stronger business school and there are more chances to break into consulting. I am wondering is the gap between lancaster and durham business school is big enough to outweigh the overall rep ?
ps. 2015 applicant are you also applying for mba this year? : )
thank you again for answering my questions.

Durham offers a very poor MBA. It is very academic. Just look at the state of their business school website, it is appalling.

Why not just go for the Edinburgh MBA? It is a big city with jobs and is globally recognised (ranked 29th this year in the times reputation rankings..)

I guess this person is your fiance rather than your finance, but what a great slip that is. Bath is very close to Bristol so if you want to maximise work opportunities that is perhaps better than Newcastle. But for maximum work opportunities then Edinburgh and Birmingham are good options.

PS How about Warwick? That is also close to Birmingham.

The Durham MBA is not only academic: just look at the outcomes. What the website shows you is that it is a full-service business school with a lot of programmes, but honestly I don't think you can pick a school on the basis of its website unless you are looking for to study web design.

Just one last comment about the 'Lancaster cares about rankings' thing. It might be possible to dismiss this as a suggestion that Lancaster is gaming the rankings. Certainly it has risen sharply in the rankings over the last few years but, whatever else it shows, it does mean that the school is working well to support students into finding work with MBA-level salaries. I think that higher ranking is important because Lancaster students earn less than the Bath and Durham students before the MBA, but earn slightly more afterwards.

I think this is quite a complex choice because all the schools being discussed are in flux: Lancaster rose from 77th to 50th this year, while Durham was not even in the top 100 last year and has all the disruption of the move out to Ushaw. Bath is the only (fairly) stable school.

One more thought. I think you have to speak to students who graduated last year. I know Durham has been improving its careers services, and the FT data show a $9k surge in the average starting salary from the previous year. To British eyes, Durham and Bath are certainly posher brands than Lancaster although, as has been said, for research the Lancaster business school is on a much higher level.

Comparing Bristol and Newcastle as 'satellite' cities, Bristol has a GDP per capita that is around 44% higher than Newcastle. It is also a larger city (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_districts_by_population) so for work I would choose Bath over Durham.

A nice comparison using LinkedIn data, which will include all graduates rather than just MBAs: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11133948/Want-to-be-an-investment-banker-Head-to-LSE.html

hi duncan,
i truly appreciate all the suggestion you gave.I've contacted a few alumni from durham lancaster and bath. though lancaster is the only school requires gmat but offers me scholarship,the amount is attractive .the alumni mentioned about the location is little disconnected but it seems to have more students break into consulting than durham and bath.
durham has many students who want to work it companies. Bath business school does have better rep in asia than durham and lancaster but the university ranks 179th compare with durham 92th ,lancaster 160th .
And yes Bristol is much easier for my fiancé (finance) to settle a job. the weather seems nicer as well.
thank you so much for the the analysis.I am trying to use LinkedIn to find the best for me as your suggestion.

If you are looking at traditional MBA employers then the FT rankings will matter much more than world university rankings, which typically favour science and engineering schools.

Any idea about Job scenario at Lancaster..?? I am Joining der in October Intake but still need to take a final call because of VISA regulations(gonna be more tougher in coming days) and not so good employment reputation.

The most recent FT data are positive: http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/lancaster-university-management-school/global-mba-ranking-2015#profile

I've contacted a few alumni from lancaster . They mentioned that it's quite difficult to find internship through school's career service and the location is quite disconnected regarding company recruitment . As durham ,a current mba mentioned Mckinsey's campus recruiting program has taken place in 5 schools in uk. one is durham and the rest are in london. i've got positive and negative feedback from both school.
thank you duncun, using linkedln to search is very helpful :)

Are these recent alumni? The most recent FT data show a huge improvement in placement and employment figures there.

Indeed, I would expect the top strategy consulting firms to hire at the schools with the highest GMAT scores. Durham is perhaps an exception because one of the McKinsey recruiters in the UK is an alum but, as far as I can see on LinkedIn, no Durham graduates in the last ten years have gone there. DUBS alumni seem to be more likely to end up in the accounting firms.

After LBS, it seems to be Oxford and Cambridge with the most MBA-holding alumni at McKinsey's UK offices. I think it would be odd to overlook Oxbridge for the number 3 and 4 schools in London. Honestly, what even is the number 4 MBA in London?