Most universities (including Cornell) say they don’t pay much attention to magazine rankings. But that tune usually changes if they’re rated, say, no. 1.

That’s the Johnson School’s rank in a new poll by a Vanderbilt University economist. MBA rankings (like those in the almighty U.S. News & World Report) often indicate the quality of the student—not the institution, according to economist Mike Shor (left). Instead, his system is based on the gains in salary that the school appears to provide—and Cornell comes out on top.

Read more at Shor’s blog and at Insidehighered.com (see the fifth item).