Every year, nearly 200,000 students graduate with an advanced business degree from a US university. Despite the growing graduate numbers, the value of reputable business degrees continues to rise in a labor market that increasingly demands specialized knowledge and skills. Below is a list of the best-ranking business schools in the States.

Harvard

Massachusetts-based Harvard is one of the world’s most prestigious business schools. This is reflected in the breadth and depth of its business programs, which include MBAs, DBAs, doctoral degrees, and executive education programs. In 2016, over 1,800 students enrolled in a business degree at Harvard. Graduates can expect to earn anything between $92,000 and $232,000 depending on their employer’s location, industry, and company size.

Stanford

Stanford Graduate School of Business is repeatedly ranked as one of the world’s top-3 business schools. This institution is based in Palo Alto (California) and offers both traditional and accelerated business training programs in small classes of about 390 students each. Approximately 1,800 full-time students enroll every year. Stanford business graduates tend to receive solid job offers 90 days post-graduation (mostly in finance and technology firms) and median salaries are $130,000.

Yale

The Yale School of Management is located in New Haven, Connecticut, where it offers MBAs, Masters of Advanced Management, Doctoral programs, and joint degree courses to over 660 students every year (class size is under 280). Average base salaries post-graduation are $119,000 / year, and approximately 93% of students are employed within three months of graduating. Most Yale graduates take up roles in consulting, finance, accounting, and marketing.

University of Chicago

The Booth School of Business has been training business leaders since 1898. More than 3,000 students enroll every year in its PhD courses, full-time, part-time, and executive MBAs. In 2015, approximately 500 students graduated from Booth with an advanced business degree and at 3 months post-graduation, 97% had a job offer, whereas 3% pursued the self-employment route. Median base salaries are $120,000.

Cornell University

This Ivy League university is located in Ithaca (New York) and offers business degrees at the Johnson Graduate School of Management. In addition to PhDs, dual degree programs, and traditional MBAs, Johnson offers a 1-year Tech MBA. The 2-year MBA is Cornell’s most popular business program, with nearly 300 graduates every year. The 2015 cohort earned median base salaries of $119,000 and received average signing bonuses that amounted to $29,000.

Sloan School of Management, MIT

The Sloan School of Management is part of the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Its campus is located in Cambridge, where the school offers undergraduate degrees, executive MBAs, five masters’ degrees, and PhDs covering various aspects of business and management. Graduate salaries average $124,000.

University of Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia-based Wharton Business School is one of the world’s oldest institutions of its kind. Enrollment numbers are approximately 800 students a year for the MBA program and 4,900 for all other business degrees. Upon graduation, approximately 92% of Wharton students enter the job market, going on to earn starting salaries ranging between $72,000 (undergraduate students) and $125,000 (MBA graduates). Typical industry destinations include finance, investment banking, and technology.

University of California

The Haas School of Business is part of the University of California and has a large campus in Berkeley, near San Francisco. In early 2016, the three MBA programs offered by Haas were ranked among the nation’s top-10 best graduate business degrees. Annual enrollment figures average 2,000 students across all degree programs, half of which were enrolled in MBAs. Haas graduates can expect to earn a median base salary of $114,000, although starting salaries can be as high as $146,00 for Haas graduates who are hired by private equity firms.

Columbia University

The Columbia Business School is situated in the heart of New York City, where it offers doctoral degrees in business-related disciplines like accounting, finance, management, and economics. MBA programs are also available, with annual intake numbers being in the region of 700 students. Median graduate salaries were $140,000 (consulting and finance roles), $111,000 (e-commerce), and $115,000 (technology).

Dartmouth College

Business degrees at Dartmouth College are offered at the Tuck School of Business. This is an Ivy League institution located in Hanover, northern New Hampshire. The Tuck School has an average acceptance rate of 11.5% and annual enrollment numbers range between 250 and 500. According to the School, approximately 34% of all graduates go on to take consulting roles and to earn a median income of $125,000 / year.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/business-schools/list/#tab:rank

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/mba-rankings?int=9dc208

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/School=Harvard_Business_School/Salary

https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/newsroom/school-news/salaries-among-stanford-mba-class-2015

http://som.yale.edu/programs/mba/careers/employment-report

http://www.chicagobooth.edu/employmentreport/

https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/Programs/Full-Time-MBA/Two-Year-MBA/Careers

http://mitsloan.mit.edu/about-mit-sloan/facts-and-figures/

https://www.wharton.upenn.edu/facts-figures/

https://www.haas.berkeley.edu/haas/about/facts.html

http://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/mba/career-advantage/employment-statistics/base-salaries

http://www.topmba.com/jobs/career-trends/columbia-business-school-class-2015-employment-report