Having a productive business career often starts with earning your MBA from a top business school. With a degree in business from one of the nation’s top business programs, you will have a leg up on the competition in whatever industry you choose.
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Our team at Businesstudent.com has done plenty of research on the best business schools in the country, and we whittled the list down to these top 25:
#1 Business School at Harvard University
The Business School at Harvard University offers many MBA concentrations and departments for its bachelor’s and MBA programs, including:
- Economics
- EntreprenuershipEthics
- Finance
- Healthcare administration
- HR management
- International business
- Operations management
- Real estate
- Supply chain management
- Tax
- Accounting
- Technology management
Graduate students at this business school get their MBA education using the case method. It poses real-life problems that students must figure out in teams. The experiential learning also goes into the field, where small student groups perform analyses of existing companies. HBS students may complete their MBA or Ph.D. in business, and may also earn joint degrees with an MBA, such as an MD, JD, master’s in government and DDS.
#2 Booth School at the University of Chicago
The Booth School at the University of Chicago offers concentrations and departments in accounting, international business, accounting, finance, public policy, organizational behavior, operations research and general management. At graduation in undergraduate and graduate programs of business 88% of students have a full-time job.
US News and World Reports states that the University of Chicago has the following rankings for business specialties:
- Accounting: #7
- Executive MBA: #1
- Finance: #2
- Marketing: #8
- Part-time MBA: #2
#3 Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania has undergraduate and graduate degrees in business in accounting, e-commerce, economics, entrepreneurship, HR management, insurance, international business, marketing, real estate, operations research, public policy and quantitative analysis. It is estimated that 82% of graduates have full-time jobs when they complete school.
The University of Pennsylvania is especially well known for the Wharton School, which was the first business school in the US. It also has the biggest alumni network in the country.
Students can pursue a variety of joint degrees, such as an MBA/JD in three years; an MBA/MA in international studies; and various joint degree programs via the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
There are 25 research centers on the University of Pennsylvania campus and 150 organizations in which you can be involved. The campuses are in Philadelphia and San Francisco.
#4 Graduate School of Business at Stanford University
The Graduate School of Business at Stanford University offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business and related fields. Departments and concentrations include e-commerce, accounting, finance, manufacturing and technology management, organizational behavior, portfolio management, sports business, real estate, supply chain management, logistics, operations research and HR management.
At graduation, 70% of graduates have found full-time jobs. US News and World Report ranks Stanford University for the following business concentrations:
- Accounting: #6
- Entrepreneurship: #2
- Finance: #5
- Information systems: #7
- International: #9
- Management: #2
- Marketing: #6
- Nonprofit: #2
- Production and operations: #5
- Supply chain and logistics: #8
#5 Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a bachelor’s of business, MBA and many other business-related degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. levels. Departments and concentrations are economics, accounting, healthcare management, industrial management, marketing, management information systems, production and operations management, supply chain management, tax, and technology. At graduation, 84% of graduates are employed full time.
Graduate students at the Sloan School of Management study on campus in Cambridge, but their business education has a broader base. Academic classes are global and there are many opportunities for business students to study abroad. There also is an Action Lab in the Sloan School for students to work on real business problems in the US, China and India.
Approximately ¼ of Sloan graduates go on to be CEOs and company presidents, such as Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co.
#6 Kellogg School of Management
The Kellogg School of Management offers concentrations and departments in economics, general management, human resources management, nonprofit management, organizational behavior, accounting, finance, public policy, and real estate. At graduation, approximately 80% of graduates in full-time business programs are employed.
Students at the Kellogg School of Management can choose from a full-time MBA and part-time MBA, with classes on Saturdays and weekends. MBA students who want to earn more credentials also can get a master’s degree in design innovation offered by the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. Students also can earn a JD through Northwestern Law School.
#7 Haas School of Business at the University of California
The Haas School of Business at the University of California – Berekely offers concentrations and departments in consulting, e-commerce, economics, accounting, finance, general management, international business, leadership, manufacturing, marketing, management information systems, not for profit management, production and operation management, portfolio management, public administration, real estate, and supply chain management. At graduation, 66% of students from the full-time business programs have full-time jobs.
Graduates from the Haas School of Business greatly benefit from the location of the school in San Francisco. This is a hotbed of major corporations, such as Visa and Google. Many students find a business internship in the city. The MBA can be earned in 21 months in the full-time program, or in three years if they attend in the evenings. More than half of the curriculum is made up of electives. The executive MBA program can be completed in 19 months.
#8 Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan– Ann Arbor offers business and related concentrations in consulting, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, general management, healthcare administration, HR management, leadership, manufacturing, marketing, organizational behavior, portfolio management, real estate, supply chain management, operations research and quantitative analysis.
The University of Michigan and the Ross School of Business stresses action-based learning, which is a concept that teaches students to ask relevant questions, pinpoints important problems and becomes more effective leaders. Students have the choice of a full time, part time, global or executive MBA. There are graduate-level programs in management, accounting, entrepreneurship, supply chain management and a Ph.D. program in business.
#9 Columbia Business School at Columbia University
The Columbia Business School at Columbia University has a 70% employment rate for all business students upon graduation. These departments and concentrations are offered: accounting, consulting, economics, international business, marketing, nonprofit management, portfolio management, real estate, quantitative analysis and statistics, and operations research.
US News and World Report state that Columbia University has the following rankings for its business concentrations:
- Executive MBA: #4
- Finance: #4
- International business: #7
- Management: #10
- Marketing: #7
- Nonprofit: #9
#10 Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University
The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, including an MBA. Concentrations are available in consulting, accounting, e-commerce, economics, healthcare administration, industrial management, leadership, manufacturing, nonprofit management, organizational behavior, portfolio management, real estate, supply chain management and logistics, and quantitative analysis and statistics. It is estimated that 80% of graduates have a full-time job when they graduate.
The Tuck School of Business is known for its intimate campus community; graduate students are immersed in it from the first day. Students are put into small study teams when they start their business studies, and more than 50% of the student body lives on campus in Hanover, New Hampshire.
#11 Fuqua School of Business at Duke University
The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business and related fields in accounting, consulting, ethics, finance, healthcare administration, leadership, marketing, nonprofit management, production and operations management, organizational behavior, operations research, technology, and entrepreneurship. At graduation, 87% of graduates of the full-time MBA program have jobs.
US News and World Report states Duke University has the following rankings for various business concentrations in the MBA program:
- Executive MBA: #5
- Management: #9
- Marketing: #3
- Nonprofit: #6
There are 882 students enrolled in the full-time MBA program, and 34.1% are female.
#12 School of Management at Yale University
The School of Management at Yale University offers business concentrations and departments in ethics, general management, healthcare management, HR, international business, leadership, nonprofit management, production and operations management, public administration, portfolio management, logistics, quantitative analysis and operations research. At graduation, 75% of MBA graduates have full-time employment.
As part of the MBA curriculum at Yale, graduate students focus on what are known as ‘raw’ cases. These cases require them to study a wide array of data and materials, including articles and stock charts, rather than standard business case studies. All students must complete a leadership development program as well as complete a global studies requirement, which often involves a trip overseas.
Yale University’s full-time MBA program is ranked #1 by US News and World Report for its nonprofit management concentration.
#13 Leonard N. Stern School of business at New York University
The Leonard N. Stern School of business at New York University offers the following concentrations and departments for its MBA program: arts administration, accounting, consulting, manufacturing, international business, leadership, technology management, production and operations management, supply chain management, logistics, international business, and general business. At graduation, 79% of full-time MBA graduates are employed.
MBA students at the Stern School of Business are in blocks of 60 before they begin the program. This grouping has a major impact on their business graduate school education for two years. Students in one block take their core classes together. When not taking classes in their block, students can choose up to three concentrations, such as innovation, entrepreneurship or luxury marketing. For students interested in going to school part-time, the Stern business school sports the #4 best part-time MBA program, according to US News and World Report.
#14 Darden School of Business – University of Virginia
The Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia offers the following concentrations for its MBA and related programs: consulting, e-commerce, leadership, portfolio management, supply chain management, operations research, tax, technology, nonprofit management, manufacturing and technology management, and ethics. At graduation, 83% of students in the MBA program have full-time jobs.
Students at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration use the case method to learn about business management and related disciplines. First-year students deal with case studies in their assigned learning teams, which are groups of six or so students. The Darden Graduate School of Business Administration also has executive MBA and Ph.D. degrees, and global MBAs for executives.
Each MBA class has about 350 students, and ⅓ or so are usually female. The full-time MBA program is ranked #6 in the country for management by US News and World Report.
#15 Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University
The Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University offers the following concentrations for its full time and part time MBA programs: finance, general management, healthcare administration, hotel administration, HR management, leadership, nonprofit management, organizational behavior, real estate, supply chain management, economics, and finance. At graduation, 80% of students have full-time employment.
#16 UCLA Anderson School of Management
The Anderson School of Management at the University of California – Los Angeles offers these concentrations in its MBA and related business programs: manufacturing, entrepreneurship, economics, accounting, real estate, organizational behavior, supply chain management and real estate. At graduation, 75% of graduates in the full-time MBA program have full-time employment.
At UCLA, full-time MBA students spend their first year on core business classes, followed by a year of electives. Students can work in tracks and specializations with their electives, or can also work on a concurrent degree, such as a JD or MD.
There are more than 37,000 in the UCLA Anderson alumni network, who can be of great help to securing high-level employment opportunities. The part-time MBA program is ranked #5 in the country by US News and World Report.
#17 Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University
The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University offers these concentrations in its MBA programs: ethics, finance, marketing, operations research, economics, entrepreneurship, and quantitative analysis. At graduation, 81% of full-time MBA students have employment.
The Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business was the pioneer of the mini-semester system. This is four quarters of 6.5-week courses. MBA students can focus on the general management curriculum, or follow one of several MBA tracks, such as business analytics or technology leadership. The university also has a part-time MBA program, executive MBA program and a distance learning, online MBA. This MBA program is ranked #2 in the country in information systems according to US News and World Report.
#18 Mccombs School of Business at the University of Texas
The Mccombs School of Business at the University of Texas – Austin offers concentrations in its MBA programs in entrepreneurship, consulting, accounting, finance, general management, international business, marketing, management information systems, nonprofit management, real estate, public policy, and supply chain management. At the time of graduation, 81% of graduates of the full-time MBA program have employment.
MBA students who are interested in an accounting career may look closely at UT; it is ranked #1 in the country for its accounting concentration by US News and World Report.
#19 Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
The Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill offers the following concentrations in its MBA and related business programs: accounting, finance, general management, healthcare management, marketing, leadership, organizational behavior, real estate, supply chain management and logistics and technology. Seventy-nine percent of students have full-time employment upon graduation.
This business school places an emphasis on developing strong leadership skills with hands-on experience and teaching advanced business strategy that creates profit but is sustainable for the planet. The Global MBA program is known as OneMBA and it allows students to learn from five accredited campuses all over the world.
UNC has more than 30,000 business school alumni around the world.
#20 Goizueta Business School at Emory University
The Goizueta Business School at Emory University has options in its MBA program that include accounting, consulting, finance, entrepreneurship, general management, international business, marketing, management information systems, real estate, supply chain management, operations research and logistics. At graduation, 84.5% of MBA graduates have found full-time employment.
According to US News and World Report, 27% of full-time MBA students are female.
#21 Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California
The Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California has concentrations in economics, accounting, consulting, entrepreneurship, administration of healthcare, international business, operations management and production, leadership, management information systems, operations research, tax, and technology. Approximately 75% of students have full-time employment when they graduate from the full time and part time MBA programs.
This university has the #11 part-time MBA in the country, according to US News and World Report.
#22 Michael G. Foster School of Business at University of Washington
The Michael G. Foster School of Business offers concentrations for its MBA in accounting, e-commerce, consulting, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, general management, healthcare administration, international business, leadership, manufacturing and technology management, nonprofit management, portfolio management, real estate, and supply chain management. Upon graduation from the full-time MBA program, 85% of graduates have secured full-time employment.
This program is situated in Seattle, which is the home of powerhouse firms such as Amazon, Starbucks and Microsoft. The MBA program focuses on vital dynamics of leadership in business organizations and learning best practices to make the best business decisions.
The program offers a full-time MBA, evening MBA, executive MBA and a technology management MBA for tech professionals who want to be business managers.
#23 Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University
The Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University has the following MBA concentrations available: accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, general management, healthcare administration, marketing and real estate. At the time of graduation, 83% of MBA graduates have full-time jobs.
Rice University is based in Houston, which is the fourth-largest city in America. The business school focuses on offering small class sizes and field-based electives to provide students with at least a year of real-world experience before graduation. The student to faculty ratio of 9 to 1 gives students a better and more intimate business learning experience and greater access to professors.
#24 Olin Business School at Washington University
The Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis offers concentrations and departments in its MBA program including accounting, consulting, entrepreneurship, finance, general management, healthcare administration, international business, leadership, marketing, production and operations management, portfolio management and supply chain management. At graduation, 72% of MBA students have full-time employment.
MBA students at Washington University in St. Louis are taught a core set of courses, and then specialize in one Career Platform: Consulting and General Management; Corporate Finance and Investments; Marketing; Entrepreneurship and Operations and Supply Chain Management.
#25 Robert Emmett Mcdonough School of Business at Georgetown University
The Robert Emmett Mcdonough School of Business at Georgetown University offers concentrations in accounting, consulting, e-commerce, entrepreneurship, ethics, finance, general management, health care administration, international business, leadership, manufacturing and technology management, marketing, nonprofit management, production and operations management, organizational behavior, and public policy.
Students in this school of business benefit from strong competition from other students and practices that are team centered while following Georgetown University’s core values of learning, possessing a global mindset, professionalism, integrity, and community. The school offers a full-time MBA, global executive MBA, and an executive master’s in leadership; this is a 12-month MBA program that offers a complete education in leadership theory with business strategies.
Each of these business schools are elite choices, and competition to enter them is intense. Be sure to work as hard as you can on your undergraduate studies, and study hard for the GRE/GMAT exams, as most of thes elite programs require high scores on standardized examinations to be considered for admission.
References
- Top Business Schools – MBA Rankings. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/mba-rankings
