I just found this thread and thought I would give my two cents since I just got through going this myself hunting down a MBA program and will start this August.
First off I would look at
Business Week for B-School rankings. I think they tend to be the more often quoted source for rankings. There are so many publications that rank schools you need to keep some of those rankings in perspective.
I got accepted into what I would call a solid second tier school - the first tier being the Ivy League schools and Ivy League-like schools (e.g. Stanford, NYU, Texas, Michigan, MIT, Northwestern, CMU, etc.). As such I think you want to aim for the best school you possibly can.
The problem with many MBA programs, in my humble opinion, is that so many schools have MBA programs there are a plethora of really crappy programs out there. As such I think it is in your self-interest to gun for a program that has a reputation that may assist you post-graduation. With that being said, many schools have a regional reputation but that may not necessarily translate to a positive national or international reputation.
If you are looking at a reputable program I wouldn't be too concerned about their accreditation. Sure, look into it, but if it is a quality program I can not see how they would not be accredited.
I believe every program's webpage I looked at had financial aid info and cost of tuition. Furthermore they will have info regarding part-time and/or full-time programs.
If you check out the Business Week site they have summary information for just about every MBA program out there - it can be a very useful information.
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