The methodology used on economist.com takes makes factors into consideration including career opportunities, increase in salary, potential to network, etc. You can also see how the school ranks based on any one of the components used in the overall ranking. Therefore, you can get an idea of where a school stands based upon criteria that are important to you.

I would urge you to consider a variety of rankings including Business Week, WSJ, and U.S. News and World Reports. The final decision should be based upon a thorough review of many factors incl. if the school offers the courses you are seeking, if you are a competitive applicant, if the school can help you meet your careers goals, etc. Rankings are not everything however they can be an indicator of the quality of education you will receive and the quality of companies that hire directly from the school.