Explore the best graduate business schools and MBA programs in the nation. Rankings based on a composite of indices using various metrics including post-graduate student success, peer assessment, recruiter assessment, reputation and admissions selectivity.
Methodology
See also:
Top 100 Colleges and Universities – Top 100 Most Affordable Universities – Top 100 Most Affordable Community Colleges – Top 100 Highest Acceptance – Top 100 Lowest Acceptance – Top Colleges by Major
| Rank | School Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | Earning your MBA at Stanford will set you back $185,000 but you can look forward to earning over $250,000 a year upon graduation. The full-time MBA program at Stanford enrolls about 800 students per year. The average GMAT score is 730. Stanford offers the top ranked MBA in the nation. |
 | Harvard University Boston, MA | The pre-MBA salary for graduate business students at Harvard is just over $85k a year. The starting salary for graduates is roughly $240k a year. The cost of earning your MBA at Harvard is about $140,000. About 1,800 students attend the full-time Harvard MBA program. The average GMAT score for entering students is 730. Harvard is well known for its superior entrepreneurship programs. |
 | University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) Philadelphia, PA | Even though Wharton enrolls about 1,100 students a year, it’s one of the most difficult MBA programs to get into. The total cost of attending Wharton is just over $160,000 and two year tuition is roughly $110,000. The average starting salary for grads is north of $200,000 and entering students have an average GMAT of 730. Wharton is known for its superior finance and entrepreneurship programs. |
 | Northwestern University (Kellogg) Evanston, IL | The average GMAT score for entering MBA students is 720. The average starting salary for graduates is $188k. Kellog has a strong reputation for providing one of the best marketing programs in the nation. The school has an annual enrollment of about 1,000 students. |
 | University of Chicago (Booth) Chicago, IL | The booth school has more Nobel laureate faculty than any other MBA program and has a top-flight reputation with recruiters. The average GMAT score of entering students is 730 and graduates can look forward to a starting salary of over $200k a year. 2-year tuition at Booth will cost you about $120,000. |
 | Columbia University New York, NY | The Columbia Business School is well-known for producing some of the finest consultants and finance professionals and a feeder school for Wall Street. The average GMAT score for admitted students is 716 and the average graduate will receive a starting salary in excess of $200k a year. Tuition will set you back about $140k. |
 | Dartmouth College (Tuck) Hanover, NH | The Tuck School of Business focuses almost exclusively on full-time MBA education. Consequently, they deliver the best possible full-time, two-year MBA experience. Graduates usually earn over $190k a year following graduation and the average GMAT score for entering students is 720. Tuition runs around $135k for the two-year program. The program has an annual enrollment of about 550 students. |
 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) Cambridge, MA | MIT’s Sloan School of Management offers one of the finest and most prestigious MBA programs in the world. It’s also one of the few schools to offer dual degree programs in business and an MS in science and engineering. Tuition runs about $130k for the two-year program and the average graduating salary is just over $180k. Entering students have an average GMAT of 710. |
 | University of California–Berkeley (Haas) Berkeley, CA | With its close proximity and connections to Silicon Valley Haas is known for its focus on entrepreneurship, venture capital, and technology. The average GMAT score for entering students is 720 and the average salary for graduating students is $180,000. The cost of tuition for attending Haas School of Business is roughly $110,000. |
 | Cornell University (Johnson) Ithaca, NY | Cornell’s MBA program emphasizes collaboration, leadership and analytical skills. Total tuition cost for earning your MBA at Cornell is $120,000. The average starting salary for graduates is $150,000 and the average GMAT of entering students is 700. |
 | Duke University (Fuqua) Durham, NC | With an acceptance rate of 25%, the Fuqua School of Business is a relatively selective MBA program–but not nearly as select as other top ranked schools such as Stanford and Harvard. The average starting salary of Fuqua MBA graduates is $118,000 a year with a signing bonus of $28,500. Over 80% of MBAs have job offers at graduation. The average GMAT score for entering students is 700. |
 | Yale University New Haven, CT | Earning your MBA at the Yale School of Management will cost you just over $124,000 in tuition but you can expect to earn over $188,000 a year straight out of school. The Yale School of Management is best known for being one of the ‘Most Distinctively Global’ U.S. business schools. The average GMAT score for entering students is 720. |
 | University of Michigan–Ann Arbor (Ross) Ann Arbor, MI | The Ross School of Business is regarded as an entrepreneurial powerhouse with an entrepreneurship program that rivals those of Babson, Stanford and Harvard. The average starting salary for MBAs is $168k and the average GMAT score for entering students is 710. Tuition costs run just over $120k for the full-time, two-year program. |
 | University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler) Chapel Hill, NC | One of the primary focuses of the Kenan-Flagler MBA degree program is leadership. Leadership is at the core of just about everything taught. The average GMAT score for entering students is 700, the average starting salary for graduates is $105k and the average signing bonus is $25k. Earning your MBA at Kenan-Flagler will set you back about $113k. |
 | University of Virginia (Darden) Charlottesville, VA | MBA graduates from the Darden School of Business can look forward to an average first year salary and bonus of $136k. In 2018, 94% of students received job offers within three months of graduation. The majority of graduates find job opportunities in consulting, financial services and technology. Two-year tuition for attending Darden is roughly $120k. |
 | University of Texas–Austin (McCombs) Austin, TX | Located in the “Silicon Hills” of Austin, Texas the McCombs School of Business is emerging as a force in entrepreneurship. The cost of attending this two-year MBA program is roughly $100k. The average GMAT score for entering students is just over 700 and the average starting salary for recent graduates is $150k. |
 | New York University (Stern) New York, NY | If you can make it into the Stern MBA program, you can make it anywhere. At least that’s what they tout. The average starting salary of Stern graduates is roughly $150k. The average GMAT score of entering students is 710. And the tuition cost for attending the Stern MBA program is just over $130k. |
 | University of California–Los Angeles (Anderson) Los Angeles, CA | The Anderson School of Management MBA program is a great deal for candidates with modest work experience. The program is one of the most diverse in the nation with over 75% of its MBAs coming from other countries. Entering students have GMAT scores ranging from 560 to 720. The average starting salary for graduates is over $150k. Tuition costs run about $100k. |
 | Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) Pittsburgh, PA | With an annual enrollment of just over 400 students, the Tepper School of Business offers personal experience where MBAs have the opportunity to develop an intimate association with other students and professors. The average GMAT score for entering students is 700, the average starting salary for students is $150k and tuition costs are roughly $120k. |
 | Indiana University–Bloomington (Kelley) Bloomington, IN | One of the most overlooked gems of business schools, the Kelley School of Business offers a highly innovative, cutting-edge MBA program. With a class of just 200 full-time students the Kelley MBA is intentionally small and close-knit. Tuition for this two-year program runs from $100k for in-state residents to $200k for out-of-state residents and international students. Entering students have an average GMAT of 680 and starting salaries average around $130k. |
| 21 | Emory University (Goizueta) Atlanta, GA | Some people refer to the Goizueta Business Schools as the “Cheers” of MBA programs “where everybody knows your name”. The hallmark of experience at the Goizueta MBA program is the intimate, tight-knit community where students, faculty and administrators all know each by first name. Tuition for the Goizueta MBA programs is about $100k a year. The average GMAT score for entering students is 680 and starting salaries for graduates average about $132k. |
| 22 | Washington University in St. Louis (Olin) St. Louis, MO | The operating principle of the Olin Business School full-time MBA program is “Research-driven thinking, applied”. The MBA program at Olin teaches students how to approach business problems with the same analytical mind set used to conduct research. The average GMAT score for entering students is 700, graduating students have an average starting salary over $100k with a median signing bonus of $15k. Tuition runs just over $100,000. |
| 23 | Texas A&M University (Mays) College Station, TX | At Mays Business School students can earn an MBA degree in just 16 months. What other top 20 ranked MBA program offers that? The average GMAT score for entering students is 650, the average starting salary is $117k and total tuition cost is just $53k. Now that’s value! |
| 24 | University of Notre Dame (Mendoza) Notre Dame, IN | The hallmark of Notre Dame’s MBA program isn’t necessarily the program itself, rather it’s incredibly strong alumni network that students can take advantage of as they near graduation. Entering students have an average GMAT score of 700 and graduating students have an average starting salary of $140k. Tuition runs about $90k for two years. |
| 25 | Brigham Young University (Marriott) Provo, UT | Can everyone say VALUE!!! With an average starting salary of $121k and tuition running just $47k you can find a better value proposition for earning an MBA degree from a top-ranked program. BYU’s MBA program offered through the Marriott School of Management is known for producing graduates with real world analytical skills that can be applied in operations, logistics, marketing, finance and general business management. The average GMAT score for entering students is 660. |
| 26 | University of Southern California (Marshall) Los Angeles, CA | Ask anyone what’s distinctive about the Marshall MBA program and they’ll tell you “The Trojan Network.” The school has one of the strongest alumni networks of any MBA program. Total tuition costs peak at about $112, average starting salaries for graduates are about $130k and the average GMAT score for entering students is 690. |
| 27 | University of Minnesota (Carlson) Minneapolis, MN | With alumni in all 50 states and 78 countries around the world, and amazing relationships with 20 of the top Fortune 500 companies, graduating MBA at the Carlson School of Management are well connected. The average GMAT score for entering students is 690, the average starting salary for graduates is just over $130k and tuition runs just $94k for the full-time program. |
| 28 | Michigan State University (Eli Broad) East Lansing, MI | Students attending the full-time MBA program at the Eli Broad College of Business describe it as a home away from home. It has small class sizes and focuses on collaboration and teamwork. Tuition runs from $56k to $89k, GMAT score runs from 565-730, and first year salaries for graduating MBA average over $100k. |
| 29 | Pennsylvania State University (Smeal) University Park, PA | We believe the Smeal College of Business offers one of the best MBA programs for “value”. With starting salaries for new MBA grads averaging over $110k and total tuition of just $49k to $77k Smeal offers a great return on investment. The average GMAT score for entering students is 650. The average first year starting salary for graduates is roughly $135k. |
| 30 | University of Wisconsin Madison Madison, WI | Applied learning is the hallmark of University of Wisconsin Madison MBA program. What you learn at the Wisconsin School of Business will not only help you get a great job, it will prepare you to succeed in your chosen career path. Entering students have an average GMAT of 670. Two-year tuition runs from $65k to $92k. Average first year compensation for graduates is $120k. |
| 31 | University of Washington (Foster) Seattle, WA | Strategic thinking, global business, and last but not least, leadership are the cornerstones of the Foster MBA curriculum. Tuition costs for attending the Foster MBA program run from $60k on the low end up to $88k. The average GMAT score for entering students is 690 and the average first year starting salary for graduates is $91k. |
| 32 | Vanderbilt University (Owen) Nashville, TN | While many MBA programs require an entire year of core management courses before allowing students to specialize, Vanderbilt’s MBA allows students to start taking courses in a chosen specialty their first year. The average GMAT score of entering students is 690. Tuition for the full-time MBA program is $100k. Average first year compensation for recent graduates is $130k. |
| 33 | Georgetown University (McDonough) Washington, DC | The MBA program at Georgetown University offers students a general management degree that will help them develop the functional knowledge and skills required to lead an organization. The average GMAT score for entering students is just over 690. Average first year compensation for graduates is $141k. Tuition and fees for this two-year program are just over $113k. |
| 34 | Rice University (Jones) Houston, TX | The MBA program offered through Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Management employs a practical learning approach that focuses on strategy, leadership and creativity. Best of all students can look forward to small classes and a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1. The average GMAT score for entering students is 690. |
| 35 | Georgia Institute of Technology (Scheller) Atlanta, GA | The focus of the Scheller MBA program is technology–specifically information-technology management and operations management. The average GMAT score for entering students is 680 and the average first year compensation for graduating MBAs is just over $120k. Tuition costs range from $59k for residents to $81k for non-residents. |
| 36 | Ohio State University (Fisher) Columbus, OH | Students attending the Ohio State MBA program will develop a solid understanding of key management principles. They’ll also have the opportunity to major in one of nine disciplines including corporate finance, international business and healthcare. Students accepted to this program have an average GMAT score of 670 and MBA graduates have an average first year salary of $120k. Tuition is just over $98k. |
| 37 | The University of Texas–Dallas (Jindal) Richardson, TX | The Jindal School of Management is one of the few top ranked programs that allows students to earn an MBA in just 16 months. The school also offers a part-time, online, executive and self-paced evening option for aspiring MBAs. Tuition for residents is $15k–for non-residents $30k–making the University of Texas–Dallas MBA program one of the most affordable options for earning an MBA. |
| 38 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | Is it possible to earn an MBA degree from a top-ranked residential program for just $20,000? Well, it is now. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently launched an online MBA at a highly affordable price of just $20k per student. The cost of the campus-based, full-time MBA program is $70k, the average GMAT score for entering students is 680, and the average first year salary for graduates is $126k. |
| 39 | University of Maryland (Smith) College Park, MD | Students who attend the Smith full-time MBA programs will gain an intimate understanding of globalization, entrepreneurship and technology (GET) as they relate to today’s ever evolving business environment. The average GMAT score for entering students is 640. The average starting salary is about $130k. Tuition runs from $82k to $98k. |
| 40 | Arizona State University (Carey) Tempe, AZ | Through the Carey School of Business, Arizona State University offers a highly innovative MBA program designed for aspiring managers, leaders and entrepreneurs. The average GMAT score for students entering the ASU MBA program is 680. The average starting salary for graduates is about $100k. |
| 41 | Purdue University (Krannert) West Lafayette, IN | Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management full-time MBA that promotes learning through management decision-making scenarios, case competitions, and in-class market simulations. The average GMAT score for entering students is 620. The average first year starting salary for graduates is $100k. Within 3 months of graduation 75% of students receive a job offer. |
| 42 | University of Iowa (Tippie) Iowa City, IA | Tippie School of Management MBA curriculum is based on experiential and project learning and focuses on real-world application of marketing, finance and strategy. Tuition for in-state residents runs $42k, for non-residents $76k. The average GMAT score for entering students is 670. The average starting salary for graduates is just under $90k. |
| 43 | University of Georgia (Terry) Athens, GA | Terry MBA students are first introduced to the fundamentals of business management and then given the opportunity to focus their business education in a specific area of study relating to their chosen career path. The average GMAT score for entering students is 640. Starting salaries for recent graduates are about $85k. 89% of Terry students receive a job offer within 3 months of graduation. |
| 44 | University of Florida (Hough) Gainesville, FL | University of Florida’s MBA program offered through the Hough Graduate School of Business is designed for aspiring leaders and managers with diverse academic and professional backgrounds. Tuition is $26k for residents and $61k for non-residents. GMAT scores for entering students range from 640 to 730. Median base starting salary for graduates is just under $90k. |
| 45 | University of Rochester (Simon) Rochester, NY | The Simon Business School MBA program takes an analytics and economic-based approach to business. Most of its faculty are either economists or statisticians. With big data gaining prominence in big business, the Simon MBA is also growing in prominence. Tuition is $51k. The average GMAT score for entering students is 690 and the average starting salary is just over $91k. |
| 46 | Southern Methodist University (Cox) Dallas, TX | The SMU MBA offered through the Cox School of Business is a 22-month program designed to provide aspiring business professionals with a general business education as well as in depth knowledge and skills development in one of several business concentrations. Total program cost runs about just over $100k and the median starting salary for graduates is just under $99k. The average GMAT score for entering students is 650. |
| 47 | University of California–Irvine (Merage) Irvine, CA | The core focus of the business education provided via the Merage School of Business MBA program is strategic innovation, analytic decision making, and information technology. Tuition runs $77k for residents and $95k for non-residents. The average GMAT score for entering students is 670 and the median base first year salary for graduates is $84k. Over 90% of graduates receive a job offer within 3 months of graduating. |
| 48 | University of Buffalo Buffalo, NY | The MBA program offered through the University of Buffalo School of Management helps students develop a strong foundation based in leadership, strategy and general management on which they can build their professional careers. Tuition for in-state residents runs $30k–for non-residents $47k. The average GMAT score for entering students is 604 and the average starting salary for graduates about $60k. |
| 49 | University of Pittsburgh (Katz) Pittsburgh, PA | Students can take advantage of a one-year MBA program or a two-year program. Both offer an intimate experience and a world-class graduate business education. Tuition for residents is $49k and for non-residents $64k. The median GMAT score for entering students is 630. The average base starting salary for graduates is $80k with a $9k signing bonus. 96% of graduates received a job offer within 3 months of graduation. |
| 50 | Boston University (Questrom) Boston, MA | This MBA program offers a revolutionary approach to business education. It focuses on three sectors of the economy that promise tremendous future growth in job creation, financial market creation, and value creation for society. Total program cost is roughly $128k. The median base starting salary for graduates is $99k with a $15k signing bonus. Over 91% of graduates receive a job offer within 3 months of graduation. |
| 51 | Boston College (Carroll) Chestnut Hill, MA | Experiential learning is at the core of the MBA education offered through the Carroll School of Management. Students will develop essential skills, build their understanding of strategy, and broaden their business knowledge and capabilities. Tuition is $90k. The median GMAT score for entering students is 670. The median base salary for graduating students is $95k and over 93% of graduates have a job offer within 3 months of graduation. |
| 52 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC | The education offered through the Wake Forest University MBA program takes an entrepreneurial approach to analyzing and solving business problems. Students will learn functional business skills and gain in depth business knowledge in focus areas relating to their future career path. Tuition is $83k. The median GMAT score for entering students is 650. The median base starting salary for graduates is $85k and over 93% of students have a job offer within three months of graduation. |
| 53 | Temple University (Fox) Philadelphia, PA | The hallmark of the Temple University MBA program is its unwavering focus on the fundamentals of graduate-level business education: real-world learning, value, integrated curriculum, and personalized service. In-state tuition is $43k. Non-resident tuition is $64k. The median GMAT score for entering students is 620. The median base starting salary is $52k and roughly 88% of graduates receive a job offer within three months of graduating. |
| 54 | University of Alabama (Manderson) Tuscaloosa, AL | Manderson delivers a cross-functional integrated approach to providing students the basics of all business management disciplines. Students will learn managerial problems solving and decision-making skills and be introduced to the tools successful managers need. Tuition for residents is $21k. Non-resident tuition $47k. The median base starting salary for graduates is $60k with a $5k signing bonus. About 75% of graduates receive a job offer within 3 months of graduation. |
| 55 | University of California–Davis Davis, CA | The UC Davis approach to MBA education focuses on the real-world application of management theory–turning ideas into action–within interactive and experiential learning environments, with the ultimate goal of producing effective business managers. Tuition for in-state residents is $73k. Tuition for out-of-state residents is $98k. The median GMAT score for entering students is 676 and 94% of students have at least one job offer within three months after graduation. First year salaries average $90k with an $18k signing bonus. |
| 56 | University of Missouri Columbia, MO | The Crosby MBA at the University of Missouri offers an inviting, welcoming atmosphere where the focus is on each student and their individual goals. Students are provided the ability to personalize their programs and select an area of focus. GMAT scores for entering students range from 600 to 700. The median based starting salary for graduates is $57k with a $4,000 signing bonus. Over 70% of graduates receive a job offer within 3 months after graduation. |
| 57 | Rutgers University-Newark and New Brunswick Piscataway Township, NJ | Students who pursue an MBA at Rutgers Business School have the option of earning their degree in just 12 – 21 months. This is one of the few programs to offer a “interfunctional Management” course where student teams are assigned to real world consulting projects. Tuition for residents is $22k. Tuition of non-residents is $36k. The media base salary for recent grads is $85k with a $10k signing bonus. Over 80% of students receive a job offer within 3 months after graduation. The mean GMAT score for entering students is 640. |
| 58 | College of William & Mary (Mason) Williamsburg, VA | Through its Leadership Advantage Program, summer internships, Career Acceleration Modules and a Field Consultancy project,the College of William & Mary provides students the unique opportunity to stay connected to real business markets throughout their entire MBA program. Over 70% of students who graduate from this program will receive a job offer within 3 months after graduation. Tuition and fees for in-state residents average $50k. Tuition and fees for out-of-state students average $74k. With an acceptance rate of 52%, this is one of the easier MBA programs to get into. The median base first year salary for graduates is $75k with a $10k signing bonus. |
| 59 | Northeastern University (D’Amore-McKim) Boston, MA | The D’Amore-McKim School of Business is to integrate a real world MBA experience within the framework of a solid academic structure. Curriculum focuses on the acquisition of practical skills. Nearly 94% of graduates from this program will receive job offers within 3 months after graduating and will have a median base salary of $76k with a $7,000 signing bonus. Tuition is $78k and GMAT scores for entering students range from 580 to 690. |
| 60 | Tulane University (Freeman) New Orleans, LA | Tulane’s MBA program focuses on skill-building, with the end goal of producing superior business managers, leaders and entrepreneurs. The total cost of attending the Tulane MBA program is roughly $107k. GMAT scores for entering students range from 610-730. The median base salary for graduating students is $82k (with a $10k signing bonus) and 83% of students receive a job offering within 3 months after graduation. |
| 61 | George Washington University Washington, DC | The George Washington University MBA is based on the belief that being a successful business leader is just as much about character as it is business knowledge and acumen. This MBA is designed to prepare students to become passionate leaders who act responsibly and think globally. The average base first year salary for graduates is $83k (with a $14,000 signing bonus). A little over half of students receive a job offer by the time they graduate and over 84% receive a job offer within 3 months after graduation. GMAT scores for entering students range from 570 to 710. |
| 62 | Babson College (Olin) Wellesley, MA | Every graduate program offered at Babson College focuses on rigorous analysis, experimentation and business fundamentals–and the Olin MBA program is no exception. The primary goal of both the college and the MBA program is to educate and develop entrepreneurial leaders who will create economic and social value. The average base starting salary for Babson MBA graduates is $89k. The cost of attending the MBA program is roughly $110,000. About 85% of graduates receive a job offer within three months of graduating. |
| 63 | University of California–San Diego (Rady) San Diego, CA | The Rady School of Business offers a small full-time MBA program that enrolls just over 50 students per year–with almost half of these being international students. GMAT scores for entering students range from 630 to 710. Tuition for residents is $38k. Non-resident tuition is $43k. The average GMAT score for entering students is 678. The average first year salary for graduates is $81k with a $20k signing bonus. Nearly 83% of graduates receive a job offer within 3 months of graduating. |
| 64 | Baylor University (Hankamer) Waco, TX | Baylor University through the Hankamer School of Business offers an accelerated MBA program that can be completed in 16 or 21 months. Program specialties include entrepreneurism and healthcare administration. |
| 65 | The University of Tennessee–Knoxville (Haslam) Knoxville, TN | The University of Tennessee Knoxville offers an accelerated, full-time MBA program designed for aspiring professionals seeking to advance their careers in business, government and non-profit organizations. GMAT scores for entering students range from 540 to 690. Tuition for residents is $29k. Tuition for non-residents is $55k. The median base salary for graduates entering the workforce is $75k (not including a $16k signing bonus). |