Top 10 Best Business Schools in USA
When it comes to business and management education, the US leads the world. Home to 43 of the 100 best business schools worldwide including six of the seven elite M7 programs, it remains unrivaled when it comes to education in this arena.
Harvard Business School once again takes first place on this year’s list, while joint second-placed MIT Sloan made gains thanks to its unique networking opportunities for graduates.
1. Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is widely considered one of the premier business schools worldwide, due to its wide-ranging alumni network and prominent faculty members as well as their ability to publish well-respected research papers.
HBS maintains a stringent policy regarding attendance. While other business schools allow students to view lectures later or skip classes without penalty, HBS requires every class be attended and participation counts towards about 50% of your grade.
Students coming from non-business disciplines such as the arts or humanities may find it challenging to transition to a business school environment, while unfamiliarity with case method pedagogy may prove daunting. However, the school offers numerous academic support options to assist its students through this rigorous experience such as free tutoring sessions with professors as well as an extensive student & academic services department that are all designed to ease transition.
2. Stanford Graduate School of Business
Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), located near Silicon Valley, has long been considered one of the premier business schools worldwide. Their MBA program is highly selective – only 426 out of 7,367 applicants were accepted this year alone! Their graduates enjoy starting salaries that rank among the highest worldwide – especially within financial services and management consulting.
GSB’s full-time MBA program aims to foster general management knowledge and international exposure through electives in its second year. Its students boast impressive accomplishments: 19% hail from private equity/investment management/venture capital roles; 17% from consulting; and 12% from technology. Furthermore, unlike many of GSB’s competitors, their students do not come from an undergraduate business background – having averaged over four and a half years of work experience prior to enrolling at the school.
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3. University of Pennsylvania
As one of the oldest of the top five best business schools in America, University of Pennsylvania boasts an enviable legacy. Its Wharton School has built its name by teaching its students to think ‘outside the box’ based on its university motto of mens et manus (mind and hand).
Selected to join the elite M7 group alongside Stanford, Harvard, Chicago Booth and MIT Sloan universities, this school boasts graduates with average annual base salaries averaging an estimated $175,352–the third highest in the US. Graduates enjoy an employment rate of 89.3% upon graduating.
This school ranks joint 19th globally and takes great pride in offering an MBA experience ‘at the very heart of global business.’ Furthermore, Harvard boasts several Nobel Laureates amongst its ranks as well as providing various executive education programs – with its entrepreneurship program standing out among these offerings and also being first to implement virtual classroom technology.
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stanford’s close ties with Silicon Valley technology startups, venture capital firms and entrepreneurs gave it an edge in this year’s rankings. Furthermore, Stanford came first in the Entrepreneurship category offering programs and specializations designed to support those starting their own businesses.
This year’s US News MBA rankings have seen some dramatic shifts. Columbia Business School will no doubt be disappointed to have fallen from its lofty perch at number 10, while UC Berkeley Haas managed to claw its way back up and join them as top 10 schools.
US business schools boast some of the world’s premier business schools, with MBA degrees from these renowned universities providing unparalleled career prospects and access to a global alumni network. However, these prestigious degrees come at steep price tags with fiercely competitive admissions processes; for a more cost-effective solution consider enrolling in MIT Sloan or Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business’s Masters of Management programs as alternatives.
5. University of Chicago Booth School of Business
University of Chicago Booth stands as one of the nation’s oldest graduate business schools, boasting an outstanding tradition. Winning more Nobel Prizes in Economics than any other business school and known for research in finance, regulation economics and decision making; University of Chicago Booth continues its legacy today.
On average, MBA applicants come to school with five years of professional experience, and tend to opt for careers in financial services, consulting or healthcare as their top choices. Alumni can be found all around the globe but are most commonly found in Northeast and Asia regions.
This year saw many surprises among the top business schools. Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and Washington University in St. Louis’ Mendoza College of Business made headlines for leaping five positions into the Top 25 this year; Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business saw its ranking decline dramatically from 55th last year to 85th this year – two impressive examples.
6. University of Michigan Ross School of Business
Christian, with a background in both education and e-commerce, chose Michigan Ross for his MBA studies due to its reputation for developing leaders who make an impactful difference – that factor really determined his decision, according to him. To gain entrance at Michigan Ross, students do not require having completed an internship but instead must demonstrate strong logistical problem-solving capabilities and show initiative.
This full-time MBA program lasts one full year and consists of seven-week terms. Coursework covers topics in accounting, analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, global economy and management, marketing health care administration strategy management information systems supply chain logistics.
Experience-driven learning has resulted in innovative programs like the Living Business Leadership Experience – in which students take charge of running an entire division within a sponsoring company – and Crisis Challenge, in which participants role play executives trying to respond to a real-world catastrophe. Such innovative business school practices make for a highly-respected school both among recruiters and prospective students.
7. University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business
Berkeley Haas stands out as one of the premier business schools in America due to its innovative thinking and close ties to Silicon Valley, making it one of the premier choices for students interested in business studies. Furthermore, Berkeley Haas gives access to an expansive network of alumni and faculty who have made meaningful contributions in business fields worldwide.
Elle Wisnicki chose Haas as her business school of choice due to the people. “I wanted to join an inclusive and supportive student culture – one which speaks out about difficult topics,” she says.
Berkeley Haas MBA was recently recognized by Bloomberg Businessweek with 10th place for full-time MBA programs, according to input from current and former graduates, alumni, employers, network contacts and diversity organizations. Berkeley Haas earned four stars for experiential learning while six stars in networking compared with its competitors.
8. University of California Irvine Haas School of Business
Berkeley Haas’ full-time MBA program ranks ninth worldwide and is recognized for its academic rigor, distinguished faculty and vibrant business ecosystem. Graduates of this UC Berkeley program boast strong career progression and lifelong networks; according to 2021 data compiled by Poets + Quants they earn $8.25 Million throughout their lives!
Berkeley Haas and UCLA Anderson both fared better in this year’s Financial Times rankings than Stanford GSB, which experienced a precipitous plunge to 23rd. Both schools remain among California’s Top 10 business schools; additionally both rank extremely highly on two important metrics used by FT: salary and alumni network; however they lagged their counterparts when it came to faculty research or international mobility.
9. University of California Los Angeles Anderson School of Management
The University of California Los Angeles Anderson School of Management has earned a stellar reputation among US business schools. Adherence to values-based management practices is strongly advocated at this school; students learn to share success, think fearlessly and drive change while alumni network across the world and job placement success is consistently excellent.
US News recently ranked our school 19th. Additionally, it ranks among the top ten graduate business school programs nationwide and offers both an MBA and executive MBA degrees.
Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Chicago Booth, MIT Sloan Kellogg and Columbia are collectively known as the M7 schools; another notable group includes UC Berkeley Haas Dartmouth Tuck UVA Darden Cornell Johnson NYU Stern and CMU Tepper.
10. University of California Irvine Haas School of Business
Finding a business school can be an intimidating task, with so many rankings available to choose from. Luckily, there are reliable resources that can assist in making an informed decision for your career goals.
Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and MIT Sloan are widely-renowned business schools in the US, renowned for their rigorous programs and renowned faculty as well as their vast alumni networks that can assist you with finding employment and beginning a successful career path.
Poets & Quants ranks both schools equally, while BusinessWeek lists MIT at eighth place and Berkeley tenth. Both schools enjoy great reputations due to their innovative programming, social responsibility and robust alumni networks.