Our MBA ranking emphasizes value for money. An MBA is an investment in yourself, and you should get a decent return. Therefore, we screen for programs that provide a good classroom experience that doesn’t remove you from the workforce for an extended period, produce a decent salary bump compared with tuition and put a recognizable name on your resumé.

The Canadian Business Top 10 relies on a mix of self-reported quantitative data from MBA programs and independent qualitative data. Weighting is as follows:

• 25% reputation (see below)
• 25% salary boost (pre- and post-degree)
• 15% classroom experience (student-teacher ratio and cohort diversity)
• 10% average GMAT scores
• 10% tuition (lower is better)
• 10% required work experience (more is better)
• 5% program length (shorter is better).

Five schools — UBC, McGill, Toronto, Western and Windsor — refused to provide data, making this ranking incomplete. So while we believe that these are 10 excellent MBA schools, like any ranking, it’s not the whole picture.

[size=1.6]Ryerson University, Toronto
Standard degree length in months: 12
Tuition: $21,248

[size=1.6]University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Standard degree length in months: 12
Tuition: $35,000

This year, the Asper School of Business overhauled its MBA program. The school now offers functional concentrations in finance, leadership and organizations, and marketing (supply-chain management is on the way), as well as courses relating to three different business themes: sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation, and international and emerging markets. Degree candidates can focus on two concentrations, two themes or a combination of both.

[size=1.6]University of Calgary, Calgary
Standard degree length in months: 16
Tuition: $33,927

The Haskayne School of Business boasts small class sizes and ample internship opportunities. It also provides summer exchange programs with 10 schools around the world, and two more added this year: Neoma Business School in France and Jou0308nkou0308ping International Business School in Sweden. Since the university is located in the heart of oil country, energy and sustainability are a big focus, and a course on the carbon economy was recently created.

[size=1.6]University of Ottawa, Ottawa
Standard degree length in months: 12
Tuition: $24,347

Telfer is updating its part-time program starting next year to provide more flexibility, allowing students to better balance their professional and academic lives. The school is also expanding its relationships with industry to give degree candidates more connections, particularly in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. Prospective students interested in management consulting will be intrigued by the chance to learn and apply best practices by working with executives of local companies.

[size=1.6]University of Victoria, Victoria
Standard degree length in months: 17
Tuition: $32,452

Gustavson offers a variety of ways to gain international experience. Students can complete a 12-day consulting project abroad in places like India, China and Brazil, as well as exchange programs with 32 graduate schools around the world. Joint degrees with the Thunderbird School of Global Management in the U.S. and the EDHEC in France are available as well. There are two specialization options: entrepreneurship or service management (the only one of its kind offered in Canada).

[size=1.6]University of Alberta, Edmonton
Standard degree length in months: 16
Tuition: $26,640

MBA candidates looking for choice should consider the University of Alberta. The school offers a range of specialties, including natural resources, energy and the environment, and innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition, the university has seven different combined degrees—this year marks the introduction of a joint MBA and library and information studies degree.

[size=1.6]Concordia University, Montreal
Standard degree length in months: 16
Tuition: $14,000

Sustainability-minded students will find an array of courses and support systems offered through the David O’Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise. Social responsibility is key to the Molson MBA program, with mandatory classes on business ethics and managing strategic action. Students can specialize their degrees through their elective course choices, with options including an MBA community service initiative and a corporate social reporting, responsibility and accountability class.

[size=1.6]York University, Toronto
Standard degree length in months: 16
Tuition: $65,811

Last year’s No. 1 ranked program, Schulich markets itself as Canada’s Global Business School, playing up its international ties and two overseas campuses (in Hyderabad, India, and Beijing). It offers 20 specializations, including business and sustainability (one of the first of such programs to be offered in North America), and global retail management, a new addition to the roster this fall. Coming next year: real estate and infrastructure.

[size=1.6]Montreal
Standard degree length in months: 12
Tuition: $15,000

Revamped this year, the HEC MBA employs a theme-based structure and faculty from across disciplines to deliver a holistic business education, rather than focusing on functions. The themes include managing, communicating and leading, managing in context, managing using financial information, managing value creation, and managing processes and systems. MBA candidates undertake a mandatory five-week consulting project at the end of their 12-month teaching period, which pairs teams of students with actual local or foreign companies.

[size=1.6]Queen’s University, Kingston
Standard degree length in months: 12
Tuition: $77,000

Queen’s University offers a program steeped in tradition and academic rigor, integrating case studies, class instruction, discussion, experiential learning and travel, simulations, real-world business projects, and small team–based learning. It’s organized in a modular format; students can earn a graduate certificate in their chosen specialization, such as consulting, finance, marketing and sales, or the school’s new health-care management major. Students may also opt for a double-degree option, pairing the MBA with a master in finance, management analytics or law.