Quality of Life would be an outstanding ranking taxonomy in my opinion. Isn’t that why most people work after all? And doesn’t measure outcome, which is what business schools teach?

So any idea what the Gaap equivalent of Quality of Life is?

Thanks also for your perspective on people like me “blaming” b-schools. That’s good fodder for another post, to be sure.

I am sure there are examples of schools where this may be the case. But business schools programs are not homogenous, and there are some very exciting business school programs that are relevant, market responsive, and are graduating students who are turning innovative ideas into new business ventures.

At Sonoma State University, our students receive a hands on curriculum which can prepare them to be entrepreneurs (if that is their desire). In our Small Business Consulting Class students work with real businesses to help them solve problems and pursue new market opportunities. Many students participate in our internship program which gives them on the job experience in a professional environment. Through our Mentor program, students are paired with business leaders and learn the ins and outs of running a business. In our capstone business plan class, students integrate all they have learned and prepare a plan for a new business venture which is evaluated by a panel of angel investors.

Does this experience produce entrepreneurs? It can. Some of our recent graduates now reside in a business incubator where they are growing the very same businesses they developed as part of their business plan class. Some have gone on to further education. And many have chosen to find jobs. The choice is the student’s – we encourage and support many avenues for career and life success.

So I believe a business school can teach entrepreneurship effectively. As in any industry with many competitors, some do it better than others.

Love the personal advisory analogy.

“Because entrepreneurship education is still relatively ‘new’ as a discipline, what schools offer is often reflective of the faculty involved in creating the programs.”

The earlier Forbes article was also interesting.. The grad school ratings focus on the amount of money earned and the % graduating with a job.. There is no good way to track it, but what if they instead evaluated them on the “Value their graduates create”; be that in jobs created from their efforts or successful (profitable) business ventures (startup or within a corporation) based on good decision making… The current system seems analgous to rating your investment advisor based on how low you get his fee to be and how quickly he gets your money deployed across investment – not on the return he generates…

The fact is, most of the things you need to know to successfully start and grow a startup are learned in the trenches and not easily taught in a classroom, which makes it tough for schools. Kenan-Flagler at Chapel Hill has a unique approach, they require students to spend at least one sememter interning for one of the local VC’s portfolio companies… That way they get that hands-on experience that will never be found inside a book….