Top 25 MBA programs, 2026 composite ranking
One table, four rankings, and the admissions and salary data behind each school. Positions are averaged across the latest U.S. News, Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek and QS lists; everything else comes straight from the school's class profile and employment report. Data last checked Nov 4, 2026.
| # | School | U.S. News | Financial Times | Bloomberg Businessweek | QS | GMAT | Accept. | Tuition / yr | Median salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford GSB Stanford, CA | #1 | — | #1 | #3 | 738 | — | $89,187 | $185,000 |
| 2 | Wharton Philadelphia, PA | #2 | #3 | #2 | #4 | 735 | — | $87,970 | $185,000 |
| 3 | MIT Sloan Cambridge, MA | #6 | #1 | #11 | #1 | 675 (Focus) | — | $91,892 | $175,000 |
| 4 | HBS Boston, MA | #4 | #10 | #4 | #2 | 730 | — | $84,760 | $184,500 |
| 5 | Kellogg Evanston, IL | #4 | #11 | #5 | #13 | 687 (Focus) | — | $88,536 | $175,000 |
| 6 | Berkeley Haas Berkeley, CA | #10 | #9 | #3 | #12 | 730 | — | $89,033 | $167,250 |
| 7 | Chicago Booth Chicago, IL | #3 | #20 | #7 | #10 | 730 | — | $89,976 | $175,000 |
| 8 | Columbia Business School New York, NY | #7 | — | #9 | #14 | 734 | — | $93,908 | $175,000 |
| 9 | Cornell Johnson Ithaca, NY | #15 | #15 | #8 | — | 710 | — | $88,934 | $175,000 |
| 10 | UVA Darden Charlottesville, VA | #11 | #19 | #10 | — | 730 | — | $88,000 | $175,000 |
| 11 | Dartmouth Tuck Hanover, NH | #9 | #26 | #6 | — | 682 (Focus) | — | $87,536 | $175,000 |
| 12 | Duke Fuqua Durham, NC | #14 | #16 | #13 | — | — | — | $83,700 | $160,000 |
| 13 | NYU Stern New York, NY | #7 | #23 | #12 | #17 | 737 | 23% | $92,658 | $175,000 |
| 14 | Yale SOM New Haven, CT | #11 | #17 | #17 | #15 | 740 | — | $90,900 | $175,000 |
| 15 | Michigan Ross Ann Arbor, MI | #13 | #34 | #14 | — | 687 (Focus) | — | $83,946 | $170,000 |
| 16 | UCLA Anderson Los Angeles, CA | #18 | #32 | #19 | #18 | 718 | — | $82,734 | $160,096 |
| 17 | Tepper Pittsburgh, PA | #16 | #41 | #15 | — | 710 | — | $84,186 | $160,000 |
| 18 | Indiana Kelley Bloomington, IN | #21 | — | #31 | — | 618 (Focus) | — | $29,573 | $127,450 |
| 19 | Texas McCombs Austin, TX | #18 | #41 | #21 | — | 655 (Focus) | — | $55,196 | $150,000 |
| 20 | UW Foster Seattle, WA | #20 | #45 | #18 | — | 655 | — | $60,180 | $142,800 |
| 21 | UNC Kenan-Flagler Chapel Hill, NC | #21 | #40 | #28 | — | 652 (Focus) | — | $55,470 | — |
| 22 | USC Marshall Los Angeles, CA | #25 | #46 | #20 | — | 742 | 31% | $86,295 | — |
| 23 | Vanderbilt Owen Nashville, TN | #16 | #51 | #27 | — | 666 | — | $76,700 | — |
| 24 | Emory Goizueta Atlanta, GA | #23 | #56 | #16 | — | — | — | $79,200 | $175,000 |
| 25 | Georgetown McDonough Washington, DC | #31 | #49 | #22 | — | 713 | — | $75,016 | $146,265 |
A dash means the school is not listed in that ranking's latest edition, or does not publish the figure. "(Focus)" marks GMAT Focus Edition scores, which use a 205–805 scale and are not comparable with classic 200–800 scores.
Most selective MBA programs
Acceptance rate for the latest entering class, where the school publishes applications and admits.
| School | Acceptance rate | Applications | Class size | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYU Stern | 23.3% | 4,993 | 336 | Class of 2027 |
| USC Marshall | 31.0% | 1,914 | 176 | Class of 2027 (entered Fall 2025) |
Highest GMAT scores
Reported median or average on the classic GMAT scale. Schools that report only Focus Edition scores are listed on their profiles.
| School | GMAT | Middle 80% | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| USC Marshall | 742 | — | 3.55 |
| Yale SOM | 740 | 691–760 | 3.69 |
| Stanford GSB | 738 | 540–780 | 3.76 |
| NYU Stern | 737 | 690–760 | 3.64 |
| Wharton | 735 | — | 3.70 |
| Columbia Business School | 734 | 610–780 | 3.60 |
| HBS | 730 | — | 3.76 |
| Berkeley Haas | 730 | 669–767 | 3.67 |
| Chicago Booth | 730 | 690–770 | 3.60 |
| UVA Darden | 730 | 690–750 | 3.54 |
| UCLA Anderson | 718 | 650–750 | 3.50 |
| Georgetown McDonough | 713 | 672–752 | 3.30 |
| Cornell Johnson | 710 | — | — |
| Tepper | 710 | 700–740 | 3.33 |
| Vanderbilt Owen | 666 | 637–707 | — |
| UW Foster | 655 | 571–705 | 3.34 |
Tuition, lowest to highest
Annual tuition as published by each school. Public universities list the non-resident rate where that is what the school publishes; see each profile for the exact basis.
| School | Tuition / yr | Cost of attendance / yr | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Kelley | $29,573 | $58,007 | 2026-27 Indiana resident tuition; non-resident/international $55,695 |
| Texas McCombs | $55,196 | $79,871 | Texas-resident tuition per year for the Class of 2027 (fall 2026/spring 2027 estimate); non-Texas residents $61,214 |
| UNC Kenan-Flagler | $55,470 | $84,890 | 2026-27 tuition and mandatory fees for North Carolina residents; non-residents $74,192 |
| UW Foster | $60,180 | — | 2026-27 non-resident tuition per year, computed as 3 quarters x $20,060 per-quarter tuition (plus $403/quarter fees); resident $14,166/quarter (about $42,498/yr). School states two-year tuition and fees of $122,778 non-resident / $87,414 resident. |
| Georgetown McDonough | $75,016 | $115,171 | 2026-27 annual tuition |
| Vanderbilt Owen | $76,700 | $113,537 | 2026-27 annualized tuition |
| Emory Goizueta | $79,200 | — | Per-year figure derived as half of the published two-year Total Tuition of $158,400 (total tuition and fees $163,549); class year not stated on the page |
| UCLA Anderson | $82,734 | $137,951 | AY 2026-27 'Estimated MBA Program Fees' (summer + fall/winter/spring), no resident/nonresident split shown; excludes $2,105 mandatory UCLA fees and $8,668 health insurance |
| Duke Fuqua | $83,700 | $118,974 | 2026-27 Daytime MBA tuition (Class of 2028), 9-month period; includes $4,000 deposit credited to fall |
| Michigan Ross | $83,946 | — | 2026-27 tuition per academic year, non-Michigan resident/international (Michigan residents $78,586) |
| Tepper | $84,186 | $120,798 | 2026-27 academic year: $42,093 per semester x 2 semesters (CMU Student Financial Services) |
| HBS | $84,760 | $130,318 | MBA Program 2026-27 tuition, single student (9-month year) |
| USC Marshall | $86,295 | — | 2026-27 first-year tuition (second year $78,450) |
| Dartmouth Tuck | $87,536 | $135,331 | 2026-27 tuition for the entering Class of 2028 (Tuck anticipates a 3-5% increase for 2027-28) |
| Wharton | $87,970 | $135,441 | 2026-27 tuition per year (University fees of $5,038 additional; tuition and fees $93,008) |
| UVA Darden | $88,000 | $123,196 | 2026-27 first-year tuition & fees, non-Virginia domicile (Virginia $83,000; international $88,240) |
| Kellogg | $88,536 | $130,072 | 2026-27 Two-Year MBA tuition (first-year table) |
| Cornell Johnson | $88,934 | $127,278 | 2026-27 two-year MBA tuition (excludes $2,200 fees) |
| Berkeley Haas | $89,033 | $133,655 | 2025-26 estimated tuition and fees, non-California-resident (CA resident: $76,788); 2026-27 figure not found on the costs page |
| Stanford GSB | $89,187 | $140,940 | First-Year MBA 2026-2027 tuition, single student |
| Chicago Booth | $89,976 | $132,449 | 2026-27 first-year tuition, standard Full-Time MBA (Class of 2028) |
| Yale SOM | $90,900 | $128,976 | 2026-27 tuition (plus $500 program fee; tuition and fees total $91,400) |
| MIT Sloan | $91,892 | $134,189 | 2026-27 full-time MBA tuition, includes mandatory $2,200 annual MBA program fee |
| NYU Stern | $92,658 | $140,668 | 2026-27 first-year (MBA1) tuition, nine-month year |
| Columbia Business School | $93,908 | $143,030 | 2026-27 tuition, MBA August entry first-year budget |
Highest median salaries
Median base salary from the latest employment report, excluding signing bonuses.
| School | Median base salary | Median signing bonus | Employed at 3 months | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford GSB | $185,000 | $30,000 | 90% | Class of 2025 |
| Wharton | $185,000 | $30,000 | 91% | Class of 2025 |
| HBS | $184,500 | $30,000 | 90% | Class of 2025 |
| MIT Sloan | $175,000 | $30,000 | 91% | Class of 2025 |
| Kellogg | $175,000 | — | — | Class of 2025 |
| Chicago Booth | $175,000 | $30,000 | 89% | Class of 2025 |
| Columbia Business School | $175,000 | $30,000 | 92% | Class of 2025 |
| Cornell Johnson | $175,000 | — | 85% | Class of 2025 |
| UVA Darden | $175,000 | $30,000 | 90% | Class of 2025 |
| Dartmouth Tuck | $175,000 | $30,000 | 87% | Class of 2025 |
| NYU Stern | $175,000 | — | — | Class of 2025 |
| Yale SOM | $175,000 | $30,000 | 82% | Class of 2025 |
| Emory Goizueta | $175,000 | $30,000 | 85% | Class of 2025 |
| Michigan Ross | $170,000 | $30,000 | 86% | Class of 2025 |
| Berkeley Haas | $167,250 | $30,000 | 86% | Class of 2025 |
| UCLA Anderson | $160,096 | $30,000 | 76% | Class of 2025 |
| Duke Fuqua | $160,000 | $30,000 | 82% | Class of 2025 |
| Tepper | $160,000 | — | 83% | Class of 2025 |
| Texas McCombs | $150,000 | $30,000 | 75% | Class of 2025 |
| Georgetown McDonough | $146,265 | — | 78% | Class of 2025 |
| UW Foster | $142,800 | — | 78% | Class of 2025 |
| Indiana Kelley | $127,450 | — | 92% | Class of 2025 |
Next application deadlines
| School | Round | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan Ross | Round 2 | Jan 4, 2027 |
| Wharton | Round 2 | Jan 5, 2027 |
| HBS | Round 2 | Jan 5, 2027 |
| Columbia Business School | Round 2 | Jan 5, 2027 |
| Cornell Johnson | Round 2 | Jan 5, 2027 |
| Dartmouth Tuck | Round 2 | Jan 5, 2027 |
| Duke Fuqua | Round 2 | Jan 5, 2027 |
| Indiana Kelley | Round 2 (Phase 2) | Jan 5, 2027 |
| UW Foster | Round 2 | Jan 5, 2027 |
| USC Marshall | Round 2 | Jan 5, 2027 |
| Stanford GSB | Round 2 | Jan 6, 2027 |
| Kellogg | Round 2 | Jan 6, 2027 |
| Yale SOM | Round 2 | Jan 6, 2027 |
| UCLA Anderson | Round 2 | Jan 6, 2027 |
| UNC Kenan-Flagler | Round 2 | Jan 6, 2027 |
| Vanderbilt Owen | Round 2 | Jan 6, 2027 |
| Emory Goizueta | Round 2 | Jan 6, 2027 |
| Georgetown McDonough | Round 2 | Jan 6, 2027 |
| Berkeley Haas | Round 2 | Jan 7, 2027 |
| Chicago Booth | Round 2 | Jan 7, 2027 |
| UVA Darden | Round 2 | Jan 7, 2027 |
| Tepper | Round 2 | Jan 8, 2027 |
| MIT Sloan | Round 2 | Jan 12, 2027 |
| NYU Stern | Round 3 | Jan 15, 2027 |
| Texas McCombs | Round 2 | Jan 15, 2027 |
Frequently asked questions
How is this MBA ranking calculated?
We average each school's rank position across the latest editions of four published rankings: U.S. News, Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek and QS. A school needs a position in at least two lists to be ranked. Ties are broken by the U.S. News position. We do not use the publishers' underlying scores.
Which MBA program is the most selective?
Among schools that publish an acceptance rate, NYU Stern is the most selective at 23.3% for its latest class. Several top schools, including Harvard and Stanford, do not publish admit counts.
Which top MBA program has the highest median salary?
Stanford GSB reports the highest median base salary in our dataset at $185,000 for the Class of 2025 employment report. Salary figures exclude signing bonuses.
Where do the numbers come from?
Every figure is taken from the school's own class profile, employment report, tuition page or admissions page, and each school profile lists the source URL and the date we read it. Nothing is estimated from third-party sites.
Ranking editions cited
- U.S. News: 2026 Best Business Schools (Full-Time MBA) (published Apr 7, 2026).
- Financial Times: Global MBA Ranking 2026 (published Feb 16, 2026).
- Bloomberg Businessweek: Best Business Schools 2025-26 (US) (published Sep 16, 2025).
- QS: QS Global MBA Rankings 2027 (published Sep 16, 2026).