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

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 $7,048.00 compared to the highest average in-state tuition of $219,688.00.

There’s a significant tuition range for in-state programs. The average in-state tuition is $43,472.52 compared to an average out-of-state tuition of $53,654.33 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 $43,472.52 compared to the average out-of-state program of $53,654.33.

Best Mba Programs

Best MBA Programs

How Much is Tuition for MBA Programs?

The least expensive MBA is available from The University of Rhode Island. In-state tuition totals $7,048.00.

Compare that bill to the $219,688.00. in tuition costs you wrack up if you attend Cornell University‘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 Cornell University‘s higher price?

Cornell University 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. The University of Rhode Island - $7,048.00
  2. California State University, Bakersfield - $7,176.00
  3. Indiana University South Bend - $7,458.00
  4. Indiana University Northwest - $7,458.00
  5. Indiana University Southeast - $7,458.00
  6. McNeese State University - $8,879.00
  7. University of Central Oklahoma - $9,068.00
  8. Columbus State University - $9,087.00
  9. University of the District of Columbia - $9,156.00
  10. Savannah State University - $9,180.00

10 Most Expensive MBA Programs

  1. Cornell University - $219,688.00
  2. Columbia University - $180,258.00
  3. University of Pennsylvania - $179,852.00
  4. The University of Chicago - $167,393.00
  5. Stanford University - $165,591.00
  6. Dartmouth College - $165,442.00
  7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - $164,000.00
  8. Northwestern University - $162,030.00
  9. New York University - $160,130.00
  10. Duke University - $157,546.00

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 Wilkes 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. Montreat College -
  2. University of Wisconsin-River Falls - 265
  3. Clark Atlanta University - 318
  4. Auburn University at Montgomery - 370
  5. Southeastern Louisiana University - 375
  6. Metropolitan State University of Denver - 390
  7. University of New Haven - 399
  8. East Coast Polytechnic Institute - 400
  9. South College - 400
  10. University of Phoenix - US - 400

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. Northwestern University - 729
  8. University of California, Berkeley - 729
  9. The University of Chicago - 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 Mississippi - 35:1
  5. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin - 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 University - 1:2
  2. Thunderbird School of Global Management - 1:1
  3. University of Rochester - 2:1
  4. Clark University - 3:1
  5. Illinois Institute of Technology - 3:1
  6. Carnegie Mellon University - 4:1
  7. Brandeis University - 4:1
  8. University of Dallas - 5:1
  9. University of St. Thomas-Houston - 5:1
  10. Case Western Reserve University - 5:1

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 The University of Akron, with only 3 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 3,933 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 - 3,933
  2. University of Southern California - 2,122
  3. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - 2,031
  4. Duke University - 2,012
  5. Washington University in St. Louis - 1,996
  6. Boston University - 1,615
  7. University of North Texas - 1,595
  8. The University of Texas at Austin - 1,594
  9. Cornell University - 1,290
  10. Baruch College-The City University of New York - 1,283

10 MBA Programs with the Lowest Full-Time Student Enrollment

  1. The University of Akron - 3
  2. University of Nebraska at Kearney - 4
  3. Ohio Northern University - 4
  4. Berry College - 5
  5. Northwestern State University of Louisiana - 6
  6. Central Washington University - 7
  7. University of Illinois at Springfield - 7
  8. Oklahoma City University - 8
  9. Abilene Christian University - 10
  10. Morehead State University - 11

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. Wilkes University campus has the highest number of full-time faculty of any MBA program – 1,000. Simmons 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. Wilkes University - 1,000
  2. Arizona State University - 274
  3. Harvard University - 272
  4. University of Southern California - 229
  5. Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey-Newark/New Brunswick - 218
  6. The University of Texas at Dallas - 217
  7. Cornell University - 195
  8. Baruch College-The City University of New York - 194
  9. The University of Texas at Austin - 194
  10. New York University - 183

10 MBA Programs with the Least Full-Time Faculty

  1. Clark Atlanta University -
  2. Claremont Graduate University -
  3. Metropolitan State University of Denver -
  4. Norfolk State University -
  5. Fairfield University -
  6. Sonoma State University -
  7. University of Washington Tacoma -
  8. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo -
  9. Stanford University -
  10. Rollins College -

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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