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8th Annual MBA Program Rankings

The Masters of Business Administration (MBA) is a degree that generates headlines in publications across the business press. Articles from U.S. News & World Reports to Forbes try to dissect what the best MBA programs are and why. Rankings can focus on how innovative a school’s curriculum is, the percent of graduates with a job in hand before graduation, or the return on investment (ROI) for one program versus another. Whatever the angle of the headline, the MBA degree piques reader interest and sells magazines.

Why is there so much interest in finding the best MBA programs? Few degrees can have such an immediate impact on career trajectory and earning potential. But an MBA is a big investment of time and money and not every newly-minted graduate will get a huge boost in salary at graduation. This creates intense discussion on which program is the “right” one.

An MBA is not a one-size-fits-all degree. Tuition costs can range from $208 at Texas A&M’s Corpus Christi campus to $132,000 at Dartmouth College. There are plenty of other choices potential students must think through beyond cost. Should they attend full-time or part-time? On campus or online? To find the MBA program that will work best for you, you need to get past the headlines and dig into the details of what these degrees offer. This site will help you do just that.

Click through our discussion and rankings on topics from tuition costs, best alumni, GMAT score, and faculty strength to start considering what you want from an MBA program. Once you have a handful of schools in mind, you can dig deep into the data to get to know a program in-depth. This research will make sure you get the very most from your MBA experience.

100 Best MBA Programs

Rank University Online College Name Based In
1 The University of Texas at Dallas Yes Naveen Jindal School of Management Richardson, TX
2 Indiana University Bloomington/Indianapolis Yes Kelley School of Business Bloomington, IN
3 Harvard University No Harvard Business School Boston, MA
4 University of Washington No Michael G. Foster School of Business Seattle, WA
5 University of Wisconsin-Madison Yes Wisconsin School of Business Madison, WI
6 Northwestern University No Kellogg School of Management Evanston, IL
7 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Yes Kenan-Flagler Business School Chapel Hill, NC
8 Brigham Young University No Marriott School of Management Provo, UT
9 Michigan State University Yes The Eli Broad College of Business East Lansing, MI
10 The University of Georgia Yes Terry College of Business Athens, GA
11 University of South Carolina No Darla Moore School of Business Columbia, SC
12 University of Massachusetts Boston Yes College of Management Boston, MA
13 University of Virginia-McIntire No McIntire School of Commerce Charlottesville, VA
14 Emory University No Goizueta Business School Atlanta, GA
15 Columbia University No Columbia Business School New York, NY
16 The University of Texas at Austin No Red McCombs School of Business Austin, TX
17 Southern Methodist University Yes Edwin L. Cox School of Business Dallas, TX
18 Georgia Institute of Technology No Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business Atlanta, GA
19 University of Southern California Yes Marshall School of Business Los Angeles, CA
20 Georgetown University Yes McDonough School of Business Washington, DC
21 The University of Iowa No Tippie College of Business Iowa City, IA
22 Stanford University No Graduate School of Business Stanford, CA
23 University of California, Berkeley No Haas School of Business Berkeley, CA
24 University of St. Thomas-Minnesota Yes Opus College of Business Minneapolis, MN
25 New York University No Leonard N. Stern School of Business New York, NY
26 University of Pennsylvania No The Wharton School Philadelphia, PA
27 University of Maryland Yes Robert H. Smith School of Business College Park, MD
28 University of California, Los Angeles No UCLA Anderson School of Management Los Angeles, CA
29 The University of Chicago No Booth School of Business Chicago, IL
30 University of Florida Yes Warrington College of Business Gainesville, FL
31 Carnegie Mellon University Yes Tepper School of Business Pittsburgh, PA
32 Yale University No School of Management New Haven, CT
33 University of Minnesota Yes Carlson School of Management Minneapolis, MN
34 The Pennsylvania State University Yes Smeal College of Business University Park, PA
35 University of Illinois at Chicago Yes College of Business Administration Chicago, IL
36 American University Yes Kogod School of Business Washington, DC
37 Massachusetts Institute of Technology No MIT Sloan School of Management Cambridge, MA
38 The George Washington University No School of Business Washington, DC
39 Boston University Yes Questrom School of Business Boston, MA
40 Fordham University Yes Gabelli School of Business Bronx, NY
41 University of Hartford Yes Barney School of Business West Hartford, CT
42 Vanderbilt University No Owen Graduate School of Management Nashville, TN
43 Texas A&M University No Mays Business School College Station, TX
44 The University of Michigan Yes Stephen M. Ross School of Business Ann Arbor, MI
45 Cornell University No College of Business Ithaca, NY
46 University of Notre Dame No Mendoza College of Business Notre Dame, IN
47 Rice University Yes Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business Houston, TX
48 New Jersey Institute of Technology Yes Martin Tuchman School of Management Newark, NJ
49 University of Tennessee at Knoxville Yes Haslam College of Business Knoxville, TN
50 Northeastern University Yes D'Amore-McKim School of Business Boston, MA
51 Washington University in St. Louis Yes Olin Business School St. Louis, MO
52 Duke University Yes The Fuqua School of Business Durham, NC
53 Arizona State University Yes W. P. Carey School of Business Tempe, AZ
54 Dartmouth College No Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth Hanover, NH
55 University of California, Davis Yes Graduate School of Management Davis, CA
56 University of Utah Yes David Eccles School of Business Salt Lake City, UT
57 North Carolina A&T State University Yes Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics Greensboro, NC
58 University of California, Irvine No The Paul Merage School of Business Irvine, CA
59 University of Rochester Yes William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Rochester, NY
60 Baruch College-The City University of New York Yes The Zicklin School of Business New York, NY
61 University of Massachusetts Amherst Yes Isenberg School of Management Amherst, MA
62 Santa Clara University Yes Leavey School of Business Santa Clara, CA
63 Temple University Yes The Fox School of Business Philadelphia, PA
64 University of Cincinnati Yes Carl H. Lindner College of Business Cincinnati, OH
65 Case Western Reserve University No Weatherhead School of Management Cleveland, OH
66 University of Delaware Yes Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics Newark, DE
67 Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey-Newark/New Brunswick Yes Rutgers Business School Newark, NJ
68 Babson College Yes F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Babson Park, MA
69 Lehigh University No College of Business and Economics Bethlehem, PA
70 Georgia State University Yes J. Mack Robinson College of Business Atlanta, GA
71 The Ohio State University Yes Max M. Fisher College of Business Columbus, OH
72 University of California, San Diego No Rady School of Management La Jolla, CA
73 Brandeis University No International Business School Waltham, MA
74 University of Colorado at Boulder Yes Leeds School of Business Boulder, CO
75 The University of Arizona Yes Eller College of Management Tucson, AZ
76 Indiana State University Yes Scott College of Business Terre Haute, IN
77 The University of Memphis Yes Fogelman College of Business and Economics Memphis, TN
78 University of Pittsburgh No The Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business/College of Business Administration Pittsburgh, PA
79 Boston College No Wallace E. Carroll School of Management Chestnut Hill, MA
80 Villanova University Yes Villanova School of Business Villanova, PA
81 The Pennsylvania State University Great Valley Yes School of Graduate Professional Studies Malvern, PA
82 Texas Christian University Yes Neeley School of Business Fort Worth, TX
83 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Yes Gies College of Business Champaign, IL
84 Stevens Institute of Technology Yes School of Business Hoboken, NJ
85 Hofstra University Yes Frank G. Zarb School of Business Hempstead, NY
86 George Mason University Yes School of Business Fairfax, VA
87 University of Miami Yes Miami Herbert Business School Coral Gables, FL
88 Middle Tennessee State University Yes Jennings A. Jones College of Business Murfreesboro, TN
89 Xavier University Yes Williams College of Business Cincinnati, OH
90 Queens University of Charlotte Yes McColl School of Business Charlotte, NC
91 University of Nevada, Las Vegas Yes Lee Business School Las Vegas, NV
92 University of Houston Yes C.T. Bauer College of Business Houston, TX
93 Baylor University Yes Hankamer School of Business Waco, TX
94 Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Yes Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
95 Purdue University Yes Mitchell E. Daniels School of Business West Lafayette, IN
96 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Yes College of Business Lincoln, NE
97 Oregon State University Yes College of Business Corvallis, OR
98 Miami University Yes Farmer School of Business Oxford, OH
99 Purdue University Northwest No College of Business Hammond, IN
100 The University of Michigan-Dearborn Yes College of Business Dearborn, MI

How Much is Tuition for the Best MBA Programs?

If you plan on attending B-School, it’s best to start thinking about fiscal responsibility. A prospective MBA Student in needs to weigh their options with regard to tuition rates. A highly reputable MBA program can pave the way for a great starting salary by way of recruitment from Fortune 500 companies. An MBA program can provide the flexibility of completing a program while being employed in your respective career.

With that being said, the lowest in-state tuition for MBA programs is $7,458.00 compared to the highest average in-state tuition of $179,852.00.

There’s a significant tuition range for in-state programs. The average in-state tuition is $42,572.68 compared to an average out-of-state tuition of $54,291.38 for traditional MBA programs.

If you have the option of attending a highly reputable in-state program, it may be worthwhile to save close to $14,000 in tuition costs. If an in-state program isn’t available to you, then a well-respected MBA program may be the best option for aspiring B-Students.

The average in-state MBA program in is $42,572.68 compared to the average out-of-state program of $54,291.38.

Best Mba Programs

Best MBA Programs

How Much is Tuition for MBA Programs?

The least expensive MBA is available from Indiana University Northwest. In-state tuition totals $7,458.00.

Compare that bill to the $179,852.00. in tuition costs you wrack up if you attend University of Pennsylvania‘s MBA program.

Both programs are accredited by the AACSB, which ensures they pursue excellence and continuous improvement in their degree programs. So why pay University of Pennsylvania‘s higher price?

University of Pennsylvania notes that its program has the same rigorous curriculum that its full-time students complete. It’s taught by the same faculty and Access Weekends six times a year allow MBA students to start classes with the professors who will teach you all semester. They also help students network with their classmates, other MBA students and alumni to build their personal network.

See our expanded report of the most affordable MBA programs

10 Least Expensive MBA Programs

  1. Indiana University Northwest - $7,458.00
  2. Indiana University South Bend - $7,458.00
  3. Grambling State University - $8,460.00
  4. McNeese State University - $8,879.00
  5. University of Central Oklahoma - $9,068.00
  6. Southern Utah University - $9,212.00
  7. Texas A&M University-Texarkana - $9,326.00
  8. Savannah State University - $9,372.00
  9. Arkansas Tech University - $9,435.00
  10. Tennessee State University - $9,452.00

10 Most Expensive MBA Programs

  1. University of Pennsylvania - $179,852.00
  2. Columbia University - $176,600.00
  3. The University of Chicago - $167,393.00
  4. Stanford University - $165,591.00
  5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - $164,000.00
  6. Northwestern University - $162,030.00
  7. New York University - $160,130.00
  8. Cornell University - $159,820.00
  9. Duke University - $157,546.00
  10. Dartmouth College - $155,040.00

Average GMAT Scores Campus MBA Programs

Everyone with MBA ambitions makes the purchase of a GMAT study program or guide with trepidation. The score on this one test can make a big difference in the schools you’ll be able to get into. But with more than 173 ranked MBA programs available, you have a wide range of options. Whether you’ve already taken the test and want to see what schools have average scores in your range or you’ve got a dream school in mind and want to see if you’re likely to get in, the information below will help you research your options.

The range of average GMAT scores for MBA programs is wide. On the low end of the scale, University of Wisconsin-River Falls‘s MBA program has an average GMAT score of 265.00 .

On the high end, the Stanford University has an average GMAT score of 265.00. But remember, the GMAT score is not the only decision-making criteria for admissions officers. Undergraduate grades, work experience, references and essays are all important parts of the package schools look at when they consider applicants. If you’re not great at taking tests, work on boosting other parts of your application.

See our expanded report of the most selective MBA Programs

10 MBA Programs with the Lowest GMAT Scores

  1. University of Wisconsin-River Falls - 265
  2. Clark Atlanta University - 318
  3. Auburn University at Montgomery - 370
  4. Southeastern Louisiana University - 375
  5. Metropolitan State University of Denver - 390
  6. University of New Haven - 399
  7. University of South Carolina Aiken - 405
  8. Stephen F. Austin State University - 420
  9. Iona University - 420
  10. Southern Utah University - 420

10 MBA Programs with the Highest GMAT Scores

  1. Stanford University - 737
  2. University of Pennsylvania - 733
  3. New York University - 733
  4. Columbia University - 732
  5. University of Southern California - 732
  6. Harvard University - 730
  7. The University of Chicago - 729
  8. University of California, Berkeley - 729
  9. Northwestern University - 729
  10. Dartmouth College - 726

Student / Faculty Ratios for Campus MBA Programs

The faculty/student ratio has become an increasingly important criteria for selective MBA candidates. This ratio is important because many schools use the case-discussion approach to business instruction. With this teaching method, students are asked to read a case write-up of a business experiencing a problem, do their own analysis and prepare a solution to the problem. In-class case discussions are often heated, as the solution to the problem is unclear. But students won’t get much time to participate in these discussions if class sizes are enormous.

More broadly, a higher faculty/student ratio indicates a university pays more faculty members to instruct students and to offer additional guidance. This can be seen as a direct reflection of an institution’s attitude towards their students’ success. For aspiring MBA students who want faculty mentorship, a higher faculty/student ratio is important.

Faculty/student ratios vary dramatically from one MBA program to another. Western Kentucky University, for instance, has about one professor for every 285 students. The University of Arizona, on the other hand, has about one professor for every 2.9 students. It’s easy to see which program provides students with more faculty interaction.

See our expanded report student / faculty ratios

10 MBA Programs with the Highest Student / Faculty Ratios

  1. Louisiana State University Shreveport - 63:1
  2. San Diego State University - 47:1
  3. Southern Utah University - 37:1
  4. The University of Texas Permian Basin - 35:1
  5. The University of Mississippi - 35:1
  6. Arizona State University - 34:1
  7. Lamar University - 33:1
  8. University of Florida - 32:1
  9. The University of Arizona - 32:1
  10. Florida State University - 31:1

10 MBA Programs with the Lowest Student / Faculty Ratios

  1. Johns Hopkins Carey Business School - 1:2
  2. University of Rochester - 2:1
  3. Clark University - 3:1
  4. Illinois Institute of Technology - 3:1
  5. Carnegie Mellon University - 4:1
  6. Brandeis University - 4:1
  7. University of Dallas - 5:1
  8. University of St. Thomas-Houston - 5:1
  9. Case Western Reserve University - 5:1
  10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute - 6:1

Alumni and Student Enrollment for Campus MBA Programs

The number of students enrolled in an MBA program varies widely from one school to another. You may wonder why enrollment matters if you’ll be attending class from the comfort of your own home, not sitting in the back of a huge auditorium. But it does matter.

Larger programs generally have the breadth of faculty and resources to offer more areas of focus. If you want to take classes specific a certain industry or functional area, you may need a larger program to meet your needs. Schools with a higher student enrollment also have a larger alumni base. When you’re looking for a new job after graduation or an introduction to a new company later in your career, that larger alumni base can help.

On the other hand, smaller MBA programs can focus their resources and become the best option in their niche. They can be more personal, making sure that no student falls through the cracks. And while they have fewer alumni, students in small programs are often more tightly knit and their alumni more loyal. Both large and small MBA programs have their benefits. Dig into the data here to find what’s right for you.

MBA programs vary substantially between the percent of students who attend full-time versus part-time. Again, this issue may not seem important if you will not be sitting in a classroom together, but it can make a difference. MBA programs assign group project because anyone graduating with a business degree must be able to collaborate in the workplace.

If you are working full-time and taking MBA classes at night but are grouped with classmates studying full-time and who have more free time on their hands, friction may arise. Their preferred meeting times and the amount of time they spend on “camaraderie” rather than focused work may not meet your needs.

The smallest full-time MBA program is Yeshiva University, with only 2 students in the program. (Longwood has a part-time MBA program too, but it’s small as well.) The The University of Texas at Dallas has a much larger full-time MBA program with 3,836 students. Between these numbers is a range of program sizes. One will be right for you.

See our expanded report on Alumni and Student Enrollment

10 MBA Programs with the Highest Full-Time Student Enrollment

  1. The University of Texas at Dallas - 3,836
  2. University of Southern California - 2,201
  3. Duke University - 2,019
  4. Washington University in St. Louis - 1,770
  5. University of North Texas - 1,679
  6. Boston University - 1,590
  7. The University of Texas at Austin - 1,507
  8. Louisiana State University Shreveport - 1,347
  9. Arizona State University - 1,328
  10. The University of Chicago - 1,307

10 MBA Programs with the Lowest Full-Time Student Enrollment

  1. Black Hills State University - 2
  2. Henderson State University - 2
  3. Yeshiva University - 2
  4. DePaul University - 6
  5. The College of New Jersey - 6
  6. Southern Utah University - 8
  7. Abilene Christian University - 8
  8. University of Richmond - 8
  9. University of Nebraska at Kearney - 9
  10. Morehead State University - 10

Faculty Strength for MBA Programs

An MBA program is only as strong as the background of its professors. Some of the best business professors have a nice balance of industry experience and teaching in an academic setting. They have the ability to back their in-class lesson plans with real-world application. That is a powerful combination for someone entering the business field. Knowing that your professor is an industry influencer and has extensive teaching experience in the field of is a clear sign that a program delivers high-quality education.

Start your research into the faculty strength of the best MBA programs you’re considering by looking into the number of full-time faculty the program employs. Indiana University Bloomington/Indianapolis campus has the highest number of full-time faculty of any MBA program – 449. Henderson State University, on the other hand, has only 8 full-time professors.

But the number of full-time professors is not all you should consider. A program without a large full-time faculty may have several part-time professors to help with the teaching load. You should also consider qualifications of the faculty, such as the percentage of professors who have a doctorate degree.

See our expanded report on Best Faculty

10 MBA Programs with the Most Full-Time Faculty

  1. Indiana University Bloomington/Indianapolis - 449
  2. Arizona State University - 294
  3. The University of Texas at Dallas - 240
  4. University of Southern California - 224
  5. Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey-Newark/New Brunswick - 209
  6. Baruch College-The City University of New York - 205
  7. Cornell University - 199
  8. New York University - 194
  9. The University of Georgia - 191
  10. Northwestern University - 184

10 MBA Programs with the Least Full-Time Faculty

  1. Clark Atlanta University -
  2. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo -
  3. Metropolitan State University of Denver -
  4. Claremont Graduate University -
  5. Sonoma State University -
  6. Loyola Marymount University -
  7. Rollins College -
  8. Fairfield University -
  9. Henderson State University - 8
  10. Missouri Western State University - 10

Ranking Methodology

No two ranking system are the same. You don’t have to be a savvy MBA applicant to ensure your B-School is accredited by reputable agencies. MBAGuide.org provides a comprehensive resource for tailoring your B-School choices around your particular preferences.

In other words, we don’t rely too heavily on the major ranking systems; instead, MBA Guide allows B-Students to search real-time data and narrow down program choices using their own preferences. This is one of the key differentiators between our guide other MBA resource guides. Ours is tailored to a students most sought-after criteria.

You’ve told us what matters to you most and we’ve provided rankings that take into account price, program reputation, student commitment, and graduation rate. By factoring in the program rankings from trusted publications, we’ve compiled a unique list of U.S.-based, MBA program rankings you won’t find anywhere else.

After pulling together the rankings from the publications, we’ve added cost of tuition, alumni strength, faculty strength, student / teacher ratio and GMAT scores. The result? A robust list of affordable best MBA programs that prospective B-students can rely on as they seek to further their studies and careers in business.

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