Rankings rancor: Harvard and Wharton vow to withold list information.

The same week that U.S. News & World Report issued its rankings of the "Best Graduate Schools," two heavy-hitters, the Harvard Business School and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, declared they would withhold some information that helps publishers compile their annual rankings. The schools say that such rankings are misleading and simplistic.

Specifically, both schools will no longer release the e-mail addresses of students and graduates. (Critics allege that U.S. News and Business Week use the info to ask students and alumni about their school experience and to find out how grads fare in the job market.) M.I.T.'s Sloan School of Management and the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business are also considering withholding the information.

U.S. News' director of Media Relations claims the annual rankings have never used student or alumni e-mail addresses to survey students. Instead, the rankings are based on "objective data," says Richard Folkers, referring to admission and placement statistics. U.S. News does survey deans and academics to help in the process, he adds.

Business Week, however, acknowledged in an online statement that it relies on "customer satisfaction" surveys to compile its rankings. The statement indicates no change in methodology and says that the editors will continue to count on the 100 other major business schools to continue providing e-mail addresses.