While working towards an MBA is almost always a good bet in boosting one’s future financial security, salaries may vary considerably depending on which school one attends, especially when the ROI is taken into consideration. It’s advised to put serious thought into choosing the right program – beginning with undergrad. While Harvard or Wharton might be out of reach at the moment, there are still plenty of schools with lofty reputations and more realistic tuition costs.
To make the choice a bit easier, we’ve compiled the definitive ranking of the best business schools in the United States based on seven variables:
- Proportion of business students to the general student population
- Graduation rate
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- In-state tuition
- Out-of-state tuition
- Number of business programs available
- Enrollment figures
Excellent business schools are located all across the country, with all major regions accounted for within the top 20 of this ranking. The top ten best business schools are not clustered in one particular region of the country, but rather spread all across the nation, with four in the east, three in the south, and three in the Midwest. No West Coast schools made it to the top ten, but the region is better represented in the #11-#20 brackets, which features one California and one Washington state school.
Ultimately, one must take into account personal preferences and considerations, such as state of residency, budget, and preference of small vs. large campuses, but this ranking should provide a good jumping off point towards earning a degree and advancing one’s career in the business world.
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#1. Fox School of Business, Temple University (Philadelphia, PA)
Placing #1 is Temple University’s The Fox School of Business of Philadelphia, PA. A “state-related” school (a private school that receives state financial appropriations so that the school may offer discounts for state residents) founded in 1918 that is the largest business school in the state. For a school of its size, Fox offers a very good student-to-faculty ratio and high graduation rate of 0.71. Tuition at the school (around $21K for in-state students, $36K for out-of-state) is not among the cheapest, but it is not prohibitively expensive compared to other options.
#2. Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland comes in second place. With around half the students of #1 Fox, Robert H. Smith boasts an excellent student-to-faculty ratio of 16.43 and a very affordable in-state tuition cost of about $10K.
#3. The Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, CUNY (New York City, NY)
Baruch College is one of the ten senior colleges of The City University of New York, the largest public university in any American urban environment. Fittingly, Baruch is the largest school on this list. Nevertheless, the school does not suffer because of its large number of students and is widely recognized as an excellent school, particularly for its diverse student populace, and excellent value: a rarity for schools in Manhattan.
#4. Graduate School of Business, Bentley University (Waltham, Massachusetts)
The highest ranking fully private university on the list (and the only in the top ten) is Bentley University (#4) of Waltham, Massachusetts. With one-year tuition costs of $48K for both in-state and out-of-state students, Bentley is not cheap, but the school’s great reputation, excellent student-to-faculty ratio and graduation rate of 91% indicate that attending the school is well worth the price of admission.
#5. J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA)
Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business is another state school with over 100 years of history. Mack Robinson offers a great student-to-faculty ratio and is affordable for out-of-staters as well as in-state residents, with one-year out-of-state tuition costs of about $24K a year for the former group.
Full Ranking of the Best Business Schools
Rank | Name | City | State |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Temple University, The Fox School of Business | Philadelphia | PA |
2 | University of Maryland-College Park | College Park | MD |
3 | Baruch College-The City University of New York, The Zicklin School of Business | New York | NY |
4 | Bentley University | Waltham | MA |
5 | Georgia State University, J. Mack Robinson College of Business | Atlanta | GA |
6 | Florida International University, College of Business | Miami | FL |
7 | University of Cincinnati, Carl H. Lindner College of Business | Cincinnati | OH |
8 | The University of Texas at Austin, Red McCombs School of Business | Austin | TX |
9 | University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin School of Business | Madison | WI |
10 | Indiana University-Bloomington, Kelley School of Business | Bloomington | IN |
11 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Gies College of Business | Champaign | IL |
12 | University of Utah, David Eccles School of Business | Salt Lake City | UT |
13 | The University of Texas at Dallas, Naveen Jindal School of Management | Richardson | TX |
14 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Minneapolis | MN |
15 | University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business | Seattle | WA |
16 | California State University-Fullerton, Steven G. Mihaylo College of Business and Economics | Fullerton | CA |
17 | Michigan State University, The Eli Broad College of Business | East Lansing | MI |
18 | Brigham Young University-Provo, Marriott School of Management | Provo | UT |
19 | Texas A & M University-College Station, Mays Business School | College Station | TX |
20 | University of Central Florida, College of Business Administration | Orlando | FL |
21 | Washington State University, Carson College of Business | Pullman | WA |
22 | Florida Atlantic University, College of Business | Boca Raton | FL |
23 | University of Delaware, Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics | Newark | DE |
24 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School | Chapel Hill | NC |
25 | Purdue University, Krannert School of Management | West Lafayette | IN |
26 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Business | Lincoln | NE |
27 | University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business | Los Angeles | CA |
28 | Old Dominion University, Strome College of Business | Norfolk | VA |
29 | Montclair State University, School of Business | Montclair | NJ |
30 | University of Pittsburgh, The Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business | Pittsburgh | PA |
31 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, College of Business and Economics | Whitewater | WI |
32 | Johns Hopkins University, Carey Business School | Baltimore | MD |
33 | Eastern Michigan University, College of Business | Ypsilanti | MI |
34 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor | MI |
35 | Rochester Institute of Technology, Saunders College of Business | Rochester | NY |
36 | Central Michigan University, College of Business Administration | Mount Pleasant | MI |
37 | University of California-Irvine, The Paul Merage School of Business | Irvine | CA |
38 | University of South Carolina, Darla Moore School of Business | Columbia | SC |
39 | University of Florida, Warrington College of Business Administration | Gainesville | FL |
40 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte, The Belk College of Business | Charlotte | NC |
41 | Georgia Institute of Technology, Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business | Atlanta | GA |
42 | Louisiana State University, E. J. Ourso College of Business | Baton Rouge | LA |
43 | Oregon State University, College of Business | Corvallis | OR |
44 | University of Houston, C.T. Bauer College of Business | Houston | TX |
45 | University of North Texas, College of Business | Denton | TX |
46 | University of Connecticut, School of Business | Storrs | CT |
47 | Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Business | Richmond | VA |
48 | Kennesaw State University, Coles College of Business | Kennesaw | GA |
49 | Loyola University Chicago, Quinlan School of Business | Chicago | IL |
50 | Towson University, College of Business and Economics | Towson | MD |
51 | West Virginia University, John Chambers College of Business and Economics | Morgantown | WV |
52 | Iowa State University, Ivy College of Business | Ames | IA |
53 | University at Buffalo, State University of New York, School of Management | Buffalo | NY |
54 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Isenberg School of Management | Amherst | MA |
55 | Appalachian State University, Walker College of Business | Boone | NC |
56 | Babson College, F.W. Olin Graduate School | Babson Park | MA |
57 | Rutgers University-Newark | Newark | NJ |
58 | Oklahoma State University | Stillwater | OK |
59 | University of South Dakota, Beacom School of Business | Vermillion | SD |
60 | Kent State University at Kent | Kent | OH |
61 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Pamplin College of Business | Blacksburg | VA |
62 | Wayne State University, Mike Ilitch School of Business | Detroit | MI |
63 | Florida State University, College of Business | Tallahassee | FL |
64 | University of Georgia, Terry College of Business | Athens | GA |
65 | University of Virginia | Charlottesville | VA |
66 | Northeastern University, D’Amore-McKim School of Business | Boston | MA |
67 | University of Michigan-Flint | Flint | MI |
68 | San Jose State University | San Jose | CA |
69 | University of Memphis, Fogelman College of Business and Economics | Memphis | TN |
70 | Baylor University, Hankamer School of Business | Waco | TX |
71 | Fordham University, Gabelli School of Business | Bronx | NY |
72 | James Madison University, College of Business | Harrisonburg | VA |
73 | University of Nebraska at Omaha, College of Business Administration | Omaha | NE |
74 | University of Colorado Denver, Business School | Denver | CO |
75 | The University of Texas at San Antonio, College of Business | San Antonio | TX |
76 | SUNY at Albany | Albany | NY |
77 | Ball State University, The Miller College of Business | Muncie | IN |
78 | George Mason University, School of Business | Fairfax | VA |
79 | Grand Valley State University, Seidman College of Business | Grand Rapids | MI |
80 | Southeast Missouri State University, Donald L. Harrison College of Business | Cape Girardeau | MO |
81 | Missouri State University-Springfield | Springfield | MO |
82 | University of Illinois at Springfield, College of Business and Management | Springfield | IL |
83 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins, College of Business | Fort Collins | CO |
84 | University of North Carolina Wilmington, Cameron School of Business | Wilmington | NC |
85 | Middle Tennessee State University, Jennings A. Jones College of Business | Murfreesboro | TN |
86 | University of Scranton, The Arthur J. Kania School of Management | Scranton | PA |
87 | American University, Kogod School of Business | Washington | DC |
88 | Suffolk University, Sawyer Business School | Boston | MA |
89 | California State University-Long Beach, College of Business Administration | Long Beach | CA |
90 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | Utica | NY |
91 | Cornell University, College of Business | Ithaca | NY |
92 | Hofstra University, Frank G. Zarb School of Business | Hempstead | NY |
93 | Western Carolina University, College of Business | Cullowhee | NC |
94 | Oakland University, School of Business Administration | Rochester | MI |
95 | University of Kansas, School of Business | Lawrence | KS |
96 | University of West Florida, College of Business | Pensacola | FL |
97 | Drexel University, Bennett S. LeBow College of Business | Philadelphia | PA |
98 | Pace University, Lubin School of Business | New York | NY |
99 | Emory University, Goizueta Business School | Atlanta | GA |
100 | Saint Joseph’s University, Erivan K. Haub School of Business | Philadelphia | PA |
101 | University of Arkansas, Sam M. Walton College of Business | Fayetteville | AR |
102 | California State University-East Bay, College of Business and Economics | Hayward | CA |
103 | University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Haslam College of Business | Knoxville | TN |
104 | Sam Houston State University, College of Business Administration | Huntsville | TX |
105 | George Washington University, School of Business | Washington | DC |
106 | Western Michigan University, Haworth College of Business | Kalamazoo | MI |
107 | University of St Thomas, Houston, Cameron School of Business | Houston | TX |
108 | West Texas A&M University, College of Business | Canyon | TX |
109 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | Dearborn | MI |
110 | East Carolina University, College of Business | Greenville | NC |
111 | Texas State University, McCoy College of Business | San Marcos | TX |
112 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh | NC |
113 | Mississippi State University, College of Business | Mississippi State | MS |
114 | Miami University-Oxford | Oxford | OH |
115 | Southern Methodist University, Edwin L. Cox School of Business | Dallas | TX |
116 | University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Business Administration | Chicago | IL |
117 | Texas A & M University-Commerce, College of Business and Entrepreneurship | Commerce | TX |
118 | California State University-Northridge, College of Business and Economics | Northridge | CA |
119 | The University of Tampa, John H. Sykes College of Business | Tampa | FL |
120 | University of Kentucky, Carol Martin Gatton College of Business and Economics | Lexington | KY |
121 | University of Hawaii at Manoa, Shidler College of Business | Honolulu | HI |
122 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, College of Business Administration | Pomona | CA |
123 | Georgia Southern University, College of Business Administration | Statesboro | GA |
124 | University of Houston-Downtown, Davies College of Business | Houston | TX |
125 | University of Missouri-Kansas City, Henry W. Bloch School of Management | Kansas City | MO |
126 | Salisbury University, Franklin P. Perdue School of Business | Salisbury | MD |
127 | University of Wyoming, College of Business | Laramie | WY |
128 | Marshall University, Lewis College of Business | Huntington | WV |
129 | University of Nebraska at Kearney, College of Business and Technology | Kearney | NE |
130 | New Mexico State University | Las Cruces | NM |
131 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | Erie | PA |
132 | College of William and Mary, Raymond A. Mason School of Business | Williamsburg | VA |
133 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock, College of Business | Little Rock | AR |
134 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, Orfalea College of Business | San Luis Obispo | CA |
135 | Santa Clara University, Leavey School of Business | Santa Clara | CA |
136 | Central Washington University, College of Business | Ellensburg | WA |
137 | Creighton University, Heider College of Business | Omaha | NE |
138 | Boston University, Questrom School of Business | Boston | MA |
139 | University of St Thomas | Minneapolis | MN |
140 | Seton Hall University, Stillman School of Business | South Orange | NJ |
141 | California State University-San Bernardino, Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration | San Bernardino | CA |
142 | Rider University, College of Business Administration | Lawrenceville | NJ |
143 | Duquesne University, A.J. Palumbo School of Business Administration | Pittsburgh | PA |
144 | Western Illinois University, College of Business and Technology | Macomb | IL |
145 | University of San Francisco, School of Management | San Francisco | CA |
146 | Lehigh University, College of Business and Economics | Bethlehem | PA |
147 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke, School of Business | Pembroke | NC |
148 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Manning School of Business | Lowell | MA |
149 | University of Dallas, Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business | Irving | TX |
150 | Villanova University, Villanova School of Business | Villanova | PA |
151 | Saint Louis University, Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business | St. Louis | MO |
152 | Texas A&M International University, A.R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business | Laredo | TX |
153 | University of Southern Mississippi, College of Business | Hattiesburg | MS |
154 | College of Charleston, School of Business | Charleston | SC |
155 | University of New Orleans, College of Business Administration | New Orleans | LA |
156 | Bowling Green State University, College of Business Administration | Bowling Green | OH |
157 | University of Central Oklahoma, College of Business | Edmond | OK |
158 | Eastern Washington University, College of Business and Public Administration | Spokane | WA |
159 | Texas Tech University, Rawls College of Business Administration | Lubbock | TX |
160 | The College of New Jersey, School of Business | Ewing | NJ |
161 | Arkansas State University-Main Campus | State University | AR |
162 | Georgetown University, The McDonough School of Business | Washington | DC |
163 | University of Louisville, College of Business | Louisville | KY |
164 | Clemson University, College of Business | Clemson | SC |
165 | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, College of Business | Bloomsburg | PA |
166 | University of New Mexico, The Robert O. Anderson School of Management | Albuquerque | NM |
167 | Eastern Illinois University, Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences | Charleston | IL |
168 | Siena College, School of Business | Loudonville | NY |
169 | University of New Haven, College of Business | West Haven | CT |
170 | Stevens Institute of Technology, School of Business | Hoboken | NJ |
171 | Weber State University, John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics | Ogden | UT |
172 | Cleveland State University, Ahuja College of Business | Cleveland | OH |
173 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh | NY |
174 | University of South Florida-St Petersburg, Kate Tiedemann College of Business | St. Petersburg | FL |
175 | University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business | Notre Dame | IN |
176 | University of Oregon, Charles H. Lundquist College of Business | Eugene | OR |
177 | Rowan University, Rohrer College of Business | Glassboro | NJ |
178 | Pepperdine University | Malibu | CA |
179 | Frostburg State University, College of Business | Frostburg | MD |
180 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business | Milwaukee | WI |
181 | Binghamton University, State University of New York, School of Management | Binghamton | NY |
182 | Elon University, Martha and Spencer Love School of Business | Elon | NC |
183 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs, College of Business and Administration | Colorado Springs | CO |
184 | University of Houston-Clear Lake, College of Business | Houston | TX |
185 | Ramapo College of New Jersey, Anisfield School of Business | Mahwah | NJ |
186 | University of Oklahoma, Michael F. Price College of Business | Norman | OK |
187 | Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead School of Management | Cleveland | OH |
188 | University of New Hampshire, Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics | Durham | NH |
189 | John Carroll University, John M. and Mary Jo Boler College of Business | University Heights | OH |
190 | University of Northern Iowa, College of Business Administration | Cedar Falls | IA |
191 | Illinois State University, College of Business | Normal | IL |
192 | University of Rochester, William E. Simon Graduate School of Business | Rochester | NY |
193 | Mercer University | Macon | GA |
194 | University of California-Riverside, School of Business | Riverside | CA |
195 | St John’s University-New York | Queens | NY |
196 | Bradley University, Foster College of Business | Peoria | IL |
197 | Marquette University, College of Business Administration & Graduate School of Management | Milwaukee | WI |
198 | Seattle Pacific University, School of Business, Government, and Economics | Seattle | WA |
199 | California State University-Stanislaus, College of Business Administration | Turlock | CA |
200 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | Rolla | MO |
201 | West Chester University, College of Business and Public Affairs | West Chester | PA |
202 | University of North Dakota, College of Business and Public Administration | Grand Forks | ND |
203 | Northern Kentucky University, Haile/US Bank College of Business | Highland Heights | KY |
204 | Clark University, Graduate School of Management | Worcester | MA |
205 | Western Kentucky University, Gordon Ford College of Business | Bowling Green | KY |
206 | Longwood University, College of Business and Economics | Farmville | VA |
207 | San Diego State University, Fowler College of Business | San Diego | CA |
208 | Kansas State University, College of Business Administration | Manhattan | KS |
209 | Illinois Institute of Technology, Stuart School of Business | Chicago | IL |
210 | Wake Forest University, Schools of Business | Winston-Salem | NC |
211 | Portland State University, School of Business Administration | Portland | OR |
212 | North Dakota State University | Fargo | ND |
213 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | Middletown | PA |
214 | Rutgers University-Camden | Camden | NJ |
215 | Louisiana Tech University, College of Business | Ruston | LA |
216 | State University of New York at New Paltz, School of Business | New Paltz | NY |
217 | University of San Diego, School of Business | San Diego | CA |
218 | University of Missouri-St Louis, College of Business Administration | St. Louis | MO |
219 | Monmouth University, Leon Hess Business School | West Long Branch | NJ |
220 | Boise State University, College of Business and Economics | Boise | ID |
221 | Northern Illinois University, College of Business | DeKalb | IL |
222 | The University of Texas of the Permian Basin | Odessa | TX |
223 | University of Tulsa, Collins College of Business | Tulsa | OK |
224 | University of Central Arkansas, College of Business Administration | Conway | AR |
225 | The University of Texas at Tyler, Soules College of Business | Tyler | TX |
226 | University of Baltimore, Robert G. Merrick School of Business | Baltimore | MD |
227 | SUNY College at Oswego | Oswego | NY |
228 | Texas Christian University, Neeley School of Business | Fort Worth | TX |
229 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, College of Business Administration | La Crosse | WI |
230 | University of Denver, Daniels College of Business | Denver | CO |
231 | California State University-Chico, College of Business | Chico | CA |
232 | University of Massachusetts-Boston, College of Management | Boston | MA |
233 | Drake University, College of Business and Public Administration | Des Moines | IA |
234 | The Citadel, Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business | Charleston | SC |
235 | Seattle University, Albers School of Business and Economics | Seattle | WA |
236 | Metropolitan State University of Denver, School of Business | Denver | CO |
237 | Georgia College & State University, J. Whitney Bunting College of Business | Milledgeville | GA |
238 | Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business | Pittsburgh | PA |
239 | University of Tennessee-Martin, College of Business and Global Affairs | Martin | TN |
240 | Iona College, Hagan School of Business | New Rochelle | NY |
241 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, School of Business and Economics | Stevens Point | WI |
242 | Niagara University, College of Business Administration | Niagara University | NY |
243 | University of Northern Colorado, Kenneth W. Monfort College of Business | Greeley | CO |
244 | Michigan Technological University, School of Business and Economics | Houghton | MI |
245 | Western Connecticut State University, Ancell School of Business | Danbury | CT |
246 | Menlo College | Atherton | CA |
247 | Quinnipiac University, School of Business | Hamden | CT |
248 | University of Louisiana at Monroe, College of Business and Social Sciences | Monroe | LA |
249 | Butler University, College of Business Administration | Indianapolis | IN |
250 | Universidad Ana G Mendez – Gurabo | Turabo | PR |
251 | Adelphi University, Robert B. Willumstad School of Business | Garden City | NY |
252 | Minnesota State University Moorhead, College of Business and Innovation | Moorhead | MN |
253 | University of Toledo, College of Business and Innovation | Toledo | OH |
254 | Washington and Lee University, Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics | Lexington | VA |
255 | University of West Georgia, Richards College of Business | Carrollton | GA |
256 | California State University-Fresno, The Craig School of Business | Fresno | CA |
257 | Sacred Heart University, Jack Welch College of Business | Fairfield | CT |
258 | Southern Arkansas University, College of Business | Magnolia | AR |
259 | University of Richmond, Robins School of Business | Richmond | VA |
260 | Purdue University Northwest, College of Business | Hammond | IN |
261 | Morgan State University, Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management | Baltimore | MD |
262 | St Bonaventure University | St. Bonaventure | NY |
263 | Lamar University, College of Business | Beaumont | TX |
264 | University of North Carolina at Asheville, Department of Management and Accountancy | Asheville | NC |
265 | Oklahoma City University, Meinders School of Business | Oklahoma City | OK |
266 | University of Southern Indiana, Romain College of Business | Evansville | IN |
267 | Stockton University, School of Business | Galloway | NJ |
268 | Fairfield University, Charles F. Dolan School of Business | Fairfield | CT |
269 | State University of New York College at Oneonta, School of Economics and Business | Oneonta | NY |
270 | Tulane University, A. B. Freeman School of Business | New Orleans | LA |
271 | Manhattan College, School of Business | Riverdale | NY |
272 | Brandeis University, International Business School | Waltham | MA |
273 | Ohio Northern University, College of Business Administration | Ada | OH |
274 | Indiana State University, Scott College of Business | Terre Haute | IN |
275 | Valparaiso University, College of Business | Valparaiso | IN |
276 | Emporia State University, School of Business | Emporia | KS |
277 | Simmons University, School of Management | Boston | MA |
278 | University of Dayton, School of Business Administration | Dayton | OH |
279 | Rockhurst University, Helzberg School of Management | Kansas City | MO |
280 | Clarkson University, David D. Reh School of Business | Potsdam | NY |
281 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg | PA |
282 | Tennessee Technological University, College of Business | Cookeville | TN |
283 | Saint John Fisher College | Rochester | NY |
284 | Stetson University, School of Business Administration | DeLand | FL |
285 | St. Mary’s University, Greehey School of Business | San Antonio | TX |
286 | Loyola University Maryland, Sellinger School of Business and Management | Baltimore | MD |
287 | Millsaps College, Else School of Management | Jackson | MS |
288 | Utah Valley University, Woodbury School of Business | Orem | UT |
289 | Morehead State University, College of Business and Public Affairs | Morehead | KY |
290 | Pittsburg State University, Gladys A. Kelce College of Business | Pittsburg | KS |
291 | Gonzaga University, School of Business Administration | Spokane | WA |
292 | Central Connecticut State University, School of Business | New Britain | CT |
293 | Marist College, School of Management | Poughkeepsie | NY |
294 | University of Idaho, College of Business and Economics | Moscow | ID |
295 | University of Vermont, School of Business Administration | Burlington | VT |
296 | East Tennessee State University, College of Business and Technology | Johnson City | TN |
297 | Columbus State University, D. Abbott Turner College of Business | Columbus | GA |
298 | Berry College, Campbell School of Business | Mount Berry | GA |
299 | Clayton State University, College of Business | Morrow | GA |
300 | Midwestern State University, Dillard College of Business Administration | Wichita Falls | TX |
301 | Indiana University-South Bend, Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics | South Bend | IN |
302 | Dominican University, Brennan School of Business | River Forest | IL |
303 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, College of Business | Oshkosh | WI |
304 | Saint Cloud State University | Saint Cloud | MN |
305 | University of Houston-Victoria, School of Business Administration | Victoria | TX |
306 | Louisiana State University-Shreveport | Shreveport | LA |
307 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Lally School of Management | Troy | NY |
308 | University of Hartford, Barney School of Business | West Hartford | CT |
309 | Canisius College, Richard J. Wehle School of Business | Buffalo | NY |
310 | University of Mississippi, School of Business Administration | Oxford | MS |
311 | Washburn University, Washburn School of Business | Topeka | KS |
312 | Christopher Newport University, Joseph W. Luter, III School of Business | Newport News | VA |
313 | University of Nevada-Reno, College of Business Administration | Reno | NV |
314 | Robert Morris University, School of Business | Moon Township | PA |
315 | Coastal Carolina University, E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration | Conway | SC |
316 | University of Missouri-Columbia | Columbia | MO |
317 | Jacksonville University, Davis College of Business | Jacksonville | FL |
318 | Southern Utah University, School of Business | Cedar City | UT |
319 | Florida Gulf Coast University, Lutgert College of Business | Fort Myers | FL |
320 | Roger Williams University, Gabelli School of Business | Bristol | RI |
321 | Fort Lewis College, School of Business Administration | Durango | CO |
322 | University of Minnesota-Duluth, Labovitz School of Business and Economics | Duluth | MN |
323 | Chapman University, The George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics | Orange | CA |
324 | Florida Southern College, Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise | Lakeland | FL |
325 | SUNY College at Geneseo | Geneseo | NY |
326 | Radford University, College of Business and Economics | Radford | VA |
327 | Drury University, Breech School of Business Administration and Economics | Springfield | MO |
328 | Francis Marion University, School of Business | Florence | SC |
329 | Saginaw Valley State University, College of Business and Management | University Center | MI |
330 | Clarion University of Pennsylvania, College of Business Administration and Information Sciences | Clarion | PA |
331 | Montana State University, College of Business | Bozeman | MT |
332 | University of Evansville, The Schroeder Family School of Business Administration | Evansville | IN |
333 | Truman State University, School of Business | Kirksville | MO |
334 | University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Gary W. Rollins College of Business | Chattanooga | TN |
335 | Missouri Western State University, Steven L. Craig School of Business | St. Joseph | MO |
336 | The University of Montana | Missoula | MT |
337 | Shenandoah University, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business | Winchester | VA |
338 | Ouachita Baptist University, Frank D. Hickingbotham School of Business | Arkadelphia | AR |
339 | Pennsylvania State University-World Campus | University Park | PA |
340 | Ithaca College, School of Business | Ithaca | NY |
341 | University of Wisconsin-Parkside, School of Business and Technology | Kenosha | WI |
342 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | Carbondale | IL |
343 | Lawrence Technological University, College of Management | Southfield | MI |
344 | Stonehill College, Leo J. Meehan School of Business | Easton | MA |
345 | Black Hills State University, College of Business and Natural Sciences | Spearfish | SD |
346 | Prairie View A & M University | Prairie View | TX |
347 | Providence College, School of Business | Providence | RI |
348 | Susquehanna University, Sigmund Weis School of Business | Selinsgrove | PA |
349 | University of South Carolina-Upstate, George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics | Spartanburg | SC |
350 | Stephen F Austin State University | Nacogdoches | TX |
351 | Elizabeth City State University, Walter R. Davis School of Business and Economics | Elizabeth City | NC |
352 | University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Business and Technology | Princess Anne | MD |
353 | Northern Michigan University, College of Business | Marquette | MI |
354 | Valdosta State University, Harley Langdale, Jr. College of Business Administration | Valdosta | GA |
355 | Bellarmine University, W. Fielding Rubel School of Business | Louisville | KY |
356 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, College of Business | Eau Claire | WI |
357 | University of Detroit Mercy, College of Business Administration | Detroit | MI |
358 | Abilene Christian University, College of Business Administration | Abilene | TX |
359 | North Carolina Central University, School of Business | Durham | NC |
360 | Bucknell University, College of Management | Lewisburg | PA |
361 | Arkansas Tech University, College of Business | Russellville | AR |
362 | McNeese State University, College of Business | Lake Charles | LA |
363 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | Mankato | MN |
364 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana, School of Business | Natchitoches | LA |
365 | Pacific Lutheran University, School of Business | Tacoma | WA |
366 | Indiana University-Kokomo, School of Business | Kokomo | IN |
367 | University of Southern Maine, College of Management and Human Service | Portland | ME |
368 | Virginia State University, Reginald F. Lewis College of Business | Petersburg | VA |
369 | Alfred University, College of Business | Alfred | NY |
370 | Sonoma State University, School of Business and Economics | Rohnert Park | CA |
371 | University of South Carolina-Aiken, School of Business Administration | Aiken | SC |
372 | Barry University, D. Inez Andreas School of Business | Miami Shores | FL |
373 | Henderson State University, School of Business | Arkadelphia | AR |
374 | King’s College, The William G. McGowan School of Business | Wilkes-Barre | PA |
375 | Saint Xavier University, Graham School of Management | Chicago | IL |
376 | Governors State University, College of Business | University Park | IL |
377 | SUNY at Fredonia | Fredonia | NY |
378 | Grambling State University, College of Business | Grambling | LA |
379 | Clark Atlanta University, School of Business | Atlanta | GA |
380 | Texas A & M University-Kingsville, College of Business Administration | Kingsville | TX |
381 | Queens University of Charlotte, McColl School of Business | Charlotte | NC |
382 | Norfolk State University, School of Business | Norfolk | VA |
383 | Southeastern Louisiana University, College of Business | Hammond | LA |
384 | Indiana University-Northwest, School of Business and Economics | Gary | IN |
385 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls, College of Business and Economics | River Falls | WI |
386 | Texas Wesleyan University, School of Business Administration and Professional Programs | Fort Worth | TX |
387 | Lander University, College of Business | Greenwood | SC |
388 | Loyola University New Orleans, College of Business | New Orleans | LA |
389 | Augusta University, James M. Hull College of Business | Augusta | GA |
390 | Southern University at New Orleans, College of Business and Public Administration | New Orleans | LA |
391 | University of Maine, The Maine Business School | Orono | ME |
392 | Kutztown University, College of Business | Kutztown | PA |
393 | California State University-Bakersfield, School of Business | Bakersfield | CA |
394 | Dalton State College, School of Business | Dalton | GA |
395 | University of South Florida-Sarasota-Manatee, College of Business | Sarasota | FL |
396 | Southern University and A & M College | Baton Rouge | LA |
397 | Hult International Business School | Cambridge | MA |
398 | University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, College of Business | Fort Smith | AR |
399 | Rollins College, College of Arts and Sciences and College of Professional Studies | Winter Park | FL |
400 | University of Hawaii at Hilo, College of Business and Economics | Hilo | HI |
401 | Murray State University, The Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business | Murray | KY |
402 | Texas Southern University, Jesse H. Jones School of Business | Houston | TX |
403 | Georgia Gwinnett College, School of Business | Lawrenceville | GA |
What do the best business schools on our list have in common?
Since we used tuition costs as a variable in our ranking, it’s no surprise that the overwhelming majority of schools higher up on the list are public, rather than private schools, as tuition costs of private institutions dwarf those of their public counterparts. In fact, of the top 25 in the list, only two are private schools. While one may consider this an unnecessary slight against some of the most heralded business schools in the nation, the reality is that the vast majority of business school hopefuls cannot afford these schools.
What are the most important factors in choosing a business school?
Obviously, the reputation of a school should be a serious consideration when choosing a school, but beyond that, the location should play into everyone’s minds when they send their application letters. For one, receiving a degree from a school in the proximity of the area that one wishes to establish their career will grant a higher chance of local businesses recognizing the program. What’s more, in-state tuition costs are dramatically lower than tuition for out-of-state students. A quick look at the list shows that this difference is often $10,000 or even $20,000 in some cases. Therefore, unless living in a business desert, it’s best to opt for an in-state school.
Methodology
Three public data sources were used:
- Carnegie classification: The dataset lists 4,322 universities/colleges.
- AACSB: Profiles of 533 AACSB accredited colleges were downloaded from the website of AACSB International using a custom script. Of the 519 universities, 518 were matched with universities in the Carnegie list.
- National Center for Education Statistics: Data sets for each state and every territory were collected. The criterion used: a 4-year degree-granting university that has one or more of the 94 business majors/programs. The resulting list provided 2,022 entries, of these, 1,994 were matched with entries in the Carnegie list.
After merging the three datasets above, 503 records remained. It was then decided to include the number of programs each AACSB University offers in the Business field. Another script was written to read the 540+ web pages and count the number of programs (undergraduate, graduate, doctoral programs; full time or part time; traditional or online program). A total of 12,570 programs were found among the 443 AACSB colleges. We then selected only those records that had no missing values. We also eliminated schools that did not have data on any of the below variables. The resulting recordset contained 403 universities.
The resulting list of variables used in our ranking:
- Business students proportion in student population
- Graduation rate
- Student to faculty ratio
- Tuition – out of state
- Tuition – in state
- Number of business programs
- Enrollment figures