Comparison of Top MBA Programs
Here is the Comparison of Top MBA Programs (Ranks in 2025)
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* Updated 6/30/2025
SCHOOL LOCATION US NEWS & WORLD REPORT
(rank in 2025)CLASS SIZE FT % ADMITTED WORK EXPERIENCE % FEMALE % INTERNATIONAL MEDIAN GMAT AVG GPA AVG POST MBA SALARY % GRADUATES EMPLOYED 3 MONTHS POST GRADUATION TOP RECRUITED INDUSTRIES APPLICATION DEADLINES DECISION DATES INFO SESSIONS / EVENTS WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
U Penn Wharton Philadelphia, PA 1 866 21% 5 Years 47% 31% 732 3.7 $175,000 93% Financial Services (37%)
Consulting (25%)
Technology (14%)
R1: 2-Sep-25
R2: 6-Jan-26
R3: 1-Apr-26R1: 10-Dec-25
R2: 31-March-26
R3: 12-May-26https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/events/ Team-based discussion interview format
Stanford GSB Stanford, CA 2 424 7% 5.1 Years 44% 39% 738 3.75 $187,500 88% Finance (37%)
Technology( 22%)
Consulting (14%)R1: 9-Sep-25
R2: 7-Jan-26
R3: 7-Apr-26
R1: 10-Dec-25
R2: 2-Apr-26
R3: 28-May-26https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/programs/mba/admission/events Nailing the essay is critical!
Northwestern Kellogg Evanston, IL 2 524 29% 5 Years 50% 40% 733 3.7 $163,000 90% Consulting (35%)
Technology (20%)
Financial Services (19%)R1: 10-Sep-25
R2: 7-Jan-26
R3: 1-Apr-26
R1: 10-Dec-25
R2: 25-Mar-26
R3: 13-May-26https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/programs/full-time-mba/admissions-events.aspx Interviews nearly every applicant
Chicago Booth Chicago, IL 4 713 29% 5 Years 42% 35% 730 3.6 $175,000 87% Consulting (34%)
Financial Services(33%)
Technology (15%)https://www.chicagobooth.edu/programs/full-time/admissions/events Really understand "why Booth"
MIT Sloan Cambridge, MA 5 433 14% 5 Years 49% 40% 730 3.7 $169,500 85% Consulting (32%)
Finance (25%)
Technology (19%)R1: 29-Sep-25
R2: 13-Jan-26
R3: 6-Apr-26
R1: Dec-25
R2: Apr-26
R3: May-26https://mitsloan.mit.edu/mba/admissions/admissions-events/ Quantitative/scoring approach to admissions
Harvard HBS Cambridge, MA 6 930 11% 5 Years 45% 35% 740 3.69 175,000 85% Private Equity (19%)
Consulting (18%)
Technology (16%)R1: 3-Sep-25
R2: 5-Jan-26R1: 10-Dec-25
R2: 25-Mar-26https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/admissions-events/Pages/default.aspx Leadership, visibility, and impact are king!
New York University (NYU Stern) New York, NY 6 352 25% 5 Years 47% 40% 733 3.64 $166,000 85% Consulting (37%)
Financial Services (36%)
Technology (9%)R1: 15-Sep-25
R2: 15-Oct-25
R3: 15-Jan-26
R4: 14-Apr-26
R1: 1-Dec-25
R2: 1-Jan-26
R3: 1-Apr-26
R4: Ongoinghttps://www.stern.nyu.edu/programs-admissions/full-time-mba/meet-with-us?_ga=2.67294424.815124834.1720635308-1840210669.1717100534 Specialized MBA options (Tech and Luxury/Fashion)
Dartmouth College (Tuck) Hanover, NH 6 296 31% 5.75 Years 44% 30% 727 3.6 $175,000 91% Consulting (44%)
Financial Services (24%)
Technology (10%)https://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/admissions/attend-an-event Early Action option (not binding), applicant-initiated interview option
Columbia Business School New York, NY 9 760 21% 5 Years 44% 46% 732 3.6 $175,000 89% Financial Services (36%)
Consulting (31%)
Technology (10%)R1: 3-Sep-25
R2: 6-Jan-26
R3: 26-March-26
R1: 15-Dec-25
R2: 31-Mar-26
R3: 20-May-26https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/programs/mba/admissions/events All about the New York City advantage
Yale School of Management (SOM) New Haven, CT 10 347 27% 4.9 Years 39% 48% 730 3.68 $160,000 85% Consulting (32%)
Financial Services (26%)
Technology (10%)R1: 10-Sep-25
R2: 6-Jan-26
R3: 14-Apr-26
R1: 4-Dec-25
R2: 19-Mar-26
R3: 14-May-26https://som.yale.edu/programs/mba/admissions/events Application includes a video essay and a behavioral assessment
University of California-Berkeley (Haas) Berkeley, CA 11 295 25% 5.66 Years 42% 38% 730 3.65 $160,000 86% Consulting (25%)
Technology (24%)
Financial Services (16%)R1: 11-Sep-25
R2: 8-Jan-26
R3: 31-March-26
R1: 11-Dec-25
R2: 26-Mar-26
R3: 7-May-26https://mba.haas.berkeley.edu/admissions/upcoming-events Learn the 4 defining leadership principles
University of Virginia (Darden) Charlottesville, VA 11 355 34% 5.7 Years 37% 30% 720 3.56 $163,700 93% Consulting (42%)
Financial Services (26%)
Technology (9%)Early Action: 4-Sep-25
R1: 1-Oct-25
R2: 7-Jan-26
R3: 1-Apr-26Early Action: 22-Oct-25
R1: 10-Dec-25
R2: 18-Mar-26
R3: 4-May-26https://www.darden.virginia.edu/mba/admissions/events-receptions/ Primarily uses case method, like HBS
Duke University (Fuqua) Durham, NC 13 427 20% 6 Years 51% 41% 660-760
GMAT Range (Middle 80%)3.17-3.89
Undergraduate GPA (Middle 80%)
$175,000 85% Consulting (39%)
Finance (25%)
Technology (12%)Early Action: 4-Sep-25
R1: 30-Sept-25
R2: 8-Jan-26
R3: 24-Feb-26
R4: 1-Apr-26Early Action: 16-Oct-2025
R1: 11-Dec-25
R2: 13-Mar-26
R3: 10-Apr-26
R4: 8-May-26https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/events Early Decision option (binding)
University of Michigan (Ross) Ann Arbor, MI 13 396 29% 6 Years 40% 44% 728 3.42 $170,000 91% Consulting (36%)
Financial Services (18%)
Technology (15%)R1: 8-Sep-25
R2: 5-Jan-26
R3: 23-March-26
R1: 5-Dec-25
R2: 13-Mar-26
R3: 1-May-26https://michiganross.umich.edu/graduate/full-time-mba/admissions/events Show that you want to be part of the community, not just the program.
Cornell University (Johnson) Ithaca, NY 15 282 28% 5.3 Years 41% 35% 710 3.4 $162,000 81% Financial Services (42%)
Consulting (31%)
Technology (11%)R1: 17-Sep-25
R2: 8-Jan-26
R3: 7-Apr-26
R1: 5-Dec-25
R2: 27-March-26
R3: 22-May-26https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/Programs/Full-Time-MBA/Admissions/Events Tight-knit community
University of Texas (McCombs) Austin, TX 16 255 38% 6 Years 33% 29% 704 3.48 $144,000 95% Technology (32%)
Consulting (30%)
Financial Services (18%)
https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/MBA/Events Benefits from Austin's status as an emerging entrepreneurial hub
Emory University (Goizueta) Atlanta, GA 17 128 37% 6 Years 32% 45% 705 3.5 $175,000 93% Consulting (41%)
Financial Services (21%)
Technology (9%)
R1: 1-Oct-25
R2: 7-Jan-26
R3: 18-Mar-26
R1: 3-Dec-25
R2: 12-Apr-26
R3: 6-May-26https://goizueta.emory.edu/engagement/full-time-mba-events
Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) Pittsburgh, PA 18 156 27% 6.3 Years 31% 39% 700 3.26 $148,000 82% Technology (29%)
Consulting (26%)
Financial Services (19%)https://www.cmu.edu/tepper/programs/mba/admissions/attend-admissions-events/index.html Highly quant focused in their curriculum
UCLA Anderson Los Angeles, CA 18 305 31% 5.4 Years 43% 41% 714 3.5 $146,500 78% Consulting (25%)
Technology (23%)
Financial Services (18%)http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/degrees/full-time-mba/admissions/events Great for Entertainment industry applicants
Vanderbilt University (Owen) Nashville, TN 18 175 38% 6 Years 29% 30% 703 3.4 $150,200 91% Consulting (32%)
Financial Services (23%)
Healthcare (14%)https://business.vanderbilt.edu/mba/admissions/campus-visit/
Indiana University (Kelley) Bloomington, IN 22 103 29% 6.4 Years 38% 58% 685 3.4 $129,000 Not Reported Consulting (24%)
Manufacturing (16%)
Health Care (14%)
Technology (14%)R1: 15-Oct-25
R2: 5-Jan-26
R3: 1-Mar-26
R4: 15-Apr-26
R1: 20-Dec-25
R2: 15-Mar-26
R3: 30-Apr-26
R4: 31-May-26https://kelley.iu.edu/programs/full-time-mba/admissions/meet-us/index.html
University of Washington (Foster) Seattle, WA 22 118 39% 6 Years 32% 43% 710 3.4 $151,000 89% Technology (47%)
Consulting (33%)
Financial Services (5%)R1: 1-Oct-25
R2: 6-Jan-26
R3: 24-Mar-26R1: 19-Dec-25
R2: 27-Mar-26
R3: 15-May-26https://foster.uw.edu/academics/degree-programs/full-time-mba/admissions-events/
University of Southern California (Marshall) Los Angeles, CA 24 211 23% 5.5 Years 36% 35% 722 3.5 $144,000 80% Consulting (28%)
Technology (19%)
Financial Services (13%)https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/mba-programs/part-time-mba/events Known for its powerful alumni network
Georgetown University (McDonough) Washington, DC 24 263 60% 5.6 Years 30% 49% 696 3.3 $148,000 89% Consulting (36%)
Financial Services (27%)
Technology (8%)Early: 9-Sept-25
R1: 1-Oct-25
R2: 6-Jan-26
R3: 2-Apr-26Early: 30-Oct-25
R1: 10-Dec-25
R2: 20-March-26
R3: 14-May-26https://msb.georgetown.edu/mba/mba-admissions-events/
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler) Chapel Hill, NC 28 249 37% 5 Years 31% 43% 707 3.4 $140,400 83% Financial Services (21%)
Consulting (21%)
Technology (14%)https://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/admissions/mba/admissions-events Early Action option (binding), applicant-initiated interview option
INSEAD Paris, France / Singapore N/A ≈ 1000 3-8 Years 38% Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported €113,000 Not Reported Career Decision by Sector Group:
Management Consulting (61%)
Corporate Sectors (16%)
Financial Services (14%)R1: 16-Sep-25
R2: 4-Nov-25
R3: 20-Jan-26
R4: 10-March-26R1: 21-Nov-25
R2: 16-Jan-26
R3: 20-March-26
R4: 8-May-26https://www.insead.edu/master-programmes/mba The business school for the world
London Business School London, England N/A 431 5.5 Years 45% Not Reported 700 Not Reported $120,000 90% Consulting (45%)
Finance (26%)
Technology (21%)https://www.london.edu/masters-degrees/mba/mba-information-events Diverse and open-minded culture in every way
Cambridge (Judge) Cambridge, U.K. N/A 244 6 Years 47% 697 Not Reported £93,085 79% Consulting (27%)
Finance (24%)
Technology (13%)https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/programmes/mba/meet-us/ Highest value-for-money MBA according to FT
Oxford (Said) Oxford, U.K. N/A 348 6 Years 48% 97% 680 Not Reported £91,198 80% Finance (32%)
Consulting (27%)
Global Industry (18%)https://sbs.ox.ac.uk/events?f%5B0%5D=event_programmes_facet%3A596&f%5B1%5D=event_programmes_facet%3A596&f%5B2%5D=event_programmes_facet%3A596 Focus on sustainability and social impact
*Base salary only, bonus not reported.
After embarking on my own MBA journey, I co-founded Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting to help aspiring business school students get accepted to the top MBA programs in the U.S. and Europe. As President, I currently lead a team of over 25 superstar consultants to give our clients an unmatched experience, with a focus on white glove, personalized collaboration and mentorship.
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