Nov 13
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Top 10 Best Business Colleges in the US
Interested in studying business? Then these are the schools you need to check out.
As ranked by the U.S. News yearly, these schools are among the best business colleges with undergraduate programs. The percentage of graduates from these schools landing full-time jobs after graduation is pretty impressive, so if you’re considering business school, these colleges/universities are the best place to start building your career.
1. University of Pennsylvania — Wharton School
Tuition per year: $57,026
Post-grad employment: 79.7%
Types of financial aid: Work-study, grants, scholarships and loans
The Wharton School is the first business school in the US and with the biggest alumni network. Year after year, it ranks as the best among business colleges in the US and possibly the world.
Wharton prides itself in being the all-around source of business knowledge, and boasts of an impressive 1:8 teacher-student ratio. Programs are usually for four years, and students apply directly from high school.
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Sloan School of Management
Tuition per year: $57,920
Post-grad employment: 84.5%
Types of financial aid: Scholarships and need-based
Sloan’s management education is easily the best of all business colleges, with its courses having global focus. Students are given plenty of opportunities to travel and study abroad, and trained to handle real problems in companies from India, China and The US by “Action Labs”.
There is no separate admission for Sloan – students who got accepted into MIT will just have to declare their major in Management Science at the end of their freshman year to get into the business school. MIT has a great scholarship program as well; in 2012, the school awarded over $88 million in scholarships to its 4,300 graduates.
3. University of California Berkeley – Haas School of Business
Tuition per year: $51,422 (in-state) and $53,969 (out-of-state)
Post-grad employment: 74.4%
Types of financial aid: Grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans.
Located in San Francisco where major businesses like Visa and Google are found, UCB – Haas students benefit from the school’s location for internships and job opportunities.
Like all the other top colleges and universities, Haas also focuses on global business – with students assigned to projects both here and abroad. Students must apply within Berkeley to attend the business school’s two-year curriculum, and the business school accepts only about a half of its applicants.
4. University of Michigan Ann Arbor – Ross School of Business
Tuition per year: $50,000 (in-state) and $55,000 (out-of-state)
Post-grad employment: 74.3%
Types of financial aid: Grants, loans, need-based, scholarships and work-study.
The Ross School of Business’ approach to learning is action-based: students ask important questions, pinpoint the problem and become effective leaders. There are also centers and institutes within the business school to keep students involved like the Tauber Institute for Global Operations.
The Ross School’s curriculum runs for three years and students apply in their freshman year for admission, and there’s also a “preferred admission” process for exceptional high school students.
5. New York University – Stern School of Business
Tuition per year: $52,828
Post-grad employment: 79.5%
Types of financial aid: Loans, scholarships and awards
With Stern School of Business’ acceptance rate lower than NYU’s own admission process, you should expect tough competition on the get-go. If accepted, your curriculum runs for four years, unlike the usual two to three with other business colleges.
The school is in the Greenwich Village in Manhattan, and is a perfect setting if you’re an ambitious student looking for a top program in a highly urbanized environment.
6. University of Virginia – McIntire School of Commerce
Tuition per year: $17,458 (in-state) and $44,844 (out-of-state)
Post-grad employment: 98%
Types of financial aid: Grants, loans and scholarships
Constantly ranking among the top business colleges in the US, the UVa McIntire School of Commerce has tuition fees ¼ of the cost of other business schools. The curriculum takes about two years to finish and students have to apply in the spring of their sophomore year to get admitted.
In their first year at McIntire, students work for one of the Fortune 500 companies as analysts for one semester as a project. Take note that UVa has two business schools: McIntire School of Commerce and Darden. McIntire is for undergraduate business programs and Darden for MBA and PhD programs.
7. University of North Carolina Chapel Hill – Kenan-Flagler Business School
Tuition per year: $27,400 (in-state) and $48,681 (out-of-state)
Post-grad employment: 72.2%
Types of financial aid: Grants, work, loans and scholarships
With campuses in Thailand, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, Brazil and Mexico, the Kenan-Flagler Business School’s thrust is hands-on experience to develop leadership skills.
The school also advocates teaching profitable business strategies with as little damage to the planet as possible. Students apply at Kenan-Flagler within their freshman year at UNC, and if you’re a transfer student, you’d have to apply to UNC first before you’re considered for the business school.
8. Carnegie Mellon University – Tepper School of Business
Tuition per year: $55,800
Post-grad employment: 75.7%
Types of financial aid: Loans, grants, employment and scholarships
The Tepper School of Business was the first to use the mini-semester system which is four quarters of seven and a half weeks of class. For international experience, students undergo customized, two-week trips called Global Treks, or they could study abroad with Transitional Economies, which lasts about two mini-semesters.
Admission to Tepper is pretty tough – this year only about 9% of applicants got accepted into this highly selective business school.
9. University of Texas at Austin – McCombs School of Business
Tuition per year: $33,926 (in-state) and $48,832 (out-of-state)
Post-grad employment: 80.7%
Types of financial aid: scholarships, work-study, grants and loans
With its undergraduate programs getting high marks consistently, McCombs School of Business is truly one of the best business colleges in the US today. The school’s accounting program is exceptional.
Admission to McCombs is pretty competitive, with admission standards higher than the university’s. As it’s a state university, Texas residents are given preference, making it difficult for out-of-state students to get accepted into the school.
Tuition per year: $28,990 to $45,130
Post-grad employment: 82%
Types of financial aid: Grants, loans, work and scholarships
Business students may choose programs from three schools within the university: 1. The School of Hotel Management, 2. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and 3. The School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
One of Cornell’s strongest programs is hotel management and is one of the best in business colleges. Prospective students need to state their school of choice in the application for admission.
Remember, if you decide not to pursue business and opt to change majors, you can do that. These business colleges often require students to take liberal arts or science courses in their freshman year, so you can easily change majors.
Also take note that getting your MBA doesn’t require an undergraduate program in business. Your liberal arts or science education will do just fine, if not altogether better.