Top 5 Business Schools in America

Having an MBA from a top US university can set a path for a successful career. There is no unique way of estimating the quality of a university. For instance, USN (United States News) created their new list based on the success of university according to the success of their students.

Best Business Schools in the U.S.

USN evaluated students success based on several parameters: job placement, salary, selectivity, assignments by their peers, etc. But this is just one way of measuring university and its success. Thus we created a list that will consider some other factors, such as the argument of history. Here are the top five business schools.

5. Berkeley Haas School of Business

Berkeley deserves the spot on the list for numerous reasons. First and foremost, it is the only public school on this list, costing only $57000 per year. It’s Haas School of Business often finds itself on almost any top-ten lists when evaluation US business schools.

Furthermore, it is the second-oldest business school in the US. The founder of the school is Walter Haas (Levi Strauss). Haas is also a very progressive and open, almost half of the students being women (which isn’t quite common in business schools). If this list were about top public business schools, Berkeley would undoubtedly be the number one on that list.

But Haas can’t compete with the most prestigious schools since it is a public school. However, it would be interesting to see what would other private universities achieve if the had the same funds Has has.

4. Stanford Graduate School of Business

Stanford Graduate School of Business is located in Palo Alto and is considered as one of the best (many claims the best) business schools in the US, its tuition, and fees costing roughly around $67000. The reason why Stanford is so high on the list is due to lower job placement (compared to other schools).

Stanford is very popular and very selective university, accepting only 7% of all applicants. Furthermore, Stanford is a research university, and its proximity to the Californian Silicon Vally plays a role in universities success. Why does it deserve to be on this list? Well: Google, Nvidia, and Hewlett-Packard are just three reasons.

3. Sloan School of Management, MIT

“Men’s et Manus” is the motto of Sloan School of Management, emphasizing the importance of both theory and practice (while most schools emphasize theory). The school enrolls approximately 1200 students, scholarship fees costing somewhere around $68,000. When in Sloan, you have three options: enterprise management, entrepreneurship and innovation, and finance.

This high selectiveness allows for the further sharpening and specialization of its students. While MIT is mostly known for its engineering success, it’s business graduates are equally successful. Moreover, due to today’s needs, the businessman needs to have the brain of an engineer. Some of the most notable companies of Sloan students are Akamai, Lotus Software, HubSpot, etc.

2. The Wharton School

If you graduate from Wharton School, there is a 90% chance (give or take) that you will get in just three months. However, Wharton’s reputation, notability, and popularity don’t come cheap. Warthon will cost you somewhere around $74000 and is the second most expensive school in the US (you can guess the first).

Furthermore, Warthon is the oldest business schools in the US. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Warren Buffet are just some of the figures that attended Wharton. Furthermore, its alumni “rule” the business world and are CEOs of Google, Apple, Linkedin, Pepsi, Time and many other successful companies.

I guess this is a good indicator of how powerful and efficient this school is. Interestingly enough, Wharton’s undergraduates are mostly interested in finance, specifically investment banking and private equity. Also, together with Forbes, U.S. News & World Report named Wharton as the best business school in the US.

1. Harvard Business School

Located in Massachusetts, Cambridge, HBS has the oldest and the most expensive MBA program. Furthermore, HBS is thought to be the best business school not just in the US but worldwide. HBS costs somewhere around $75000 per year. HBS accepts roughly 2000 students.

Why is HBS the first on the list? In 2017 U.S. News & World Report tied it with Warthon, while Bloomberg Businessweek put HBS on the first spot. But HBS is not the best because newspapers said it is. Instead, Harvard’s employees and curriculum are what makes it the best.

For instance, the HBS most notable case study “throws” students in a particular situation, forcing them to act and apply what they learned. Furthermore, HBS is strict when it comes to the first-year curriculum, and students can’t choose any courses whatsoever, assuring that every student has a basic understanding of the curriculum. Things such as these make HBS the best HBS.