Best Universities to Study Business in the United States for 2025

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Business studies enjoy huge popularity among international students who want to apply to a business school in the USA. Many of them dream of becoming leaders in Fortune 500 companies or creating their own start-up and growing it into a multibillion-dollar company.

Of course, it’s always easier said than done. This is why getting your education at one of the best business schools in the world can be a major advantage. You will develop your business knowledge and managerial skills, and you’ll have a diploma from a prestigious university, which will definitely impress a lot of interviewers.

Find Business Masters in the US

Based on rankings from the Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Economist, U.S. News, and TopUniversities, these are the best business schools in the US:

1. Best business schools in the US - Financial Times Global MBA Rankings 2021

Around 100 universities and colleges participated in the 2020 edition of the Financial Times Rankings. To be eligible, schools need to meet various criteria, including being accredited by EQUIS or the AACSB.

The rankings are created taking into account multiple factors, like alumni surveys, average salaries after graduation, value for money, diversity of staff members and students, number of papers published in academic journals, etc.

View the other ranked business schools on the Financial Times official website.

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2. Best business schools in the US - Bloomberg Businessweek Ranking 2019-2020

The ranking created by Bloomberg Businessweek is focused on student surveys. They are asked about earnings, how well the university prepared them for the job market, networking opportunities, and so on.

Check out the complete ranking on the official Bloomberg Businessweek page.

3. Best business schools in the US - The Economist 2021 Ranking

The Economist uses data collected from students to create their annual ranking. Some of the main questions/factors which are taken into consideration are the new career opportunities after graduation, personal development and educational experience, salary increase, and networking opportunities.

4. Best business schools in the US - U.S. News 2022

The U.S. News release their business schools rankings on a yearly basis. Some of the main criteria used to evaluate the universities are peer and recruiter assessment, placement success, acceptance rates, graduate salaries and bonuses, and employment rates.

  • Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, California
  • Stanford University, in Stanford, California
  • University of Chicago, in Chicago, Illinois
  • University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Columbia University, in New York City
  • New York University (NYU), in New York City
  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

Check out the full ranking on the official U.S. News website.

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5. Best business schools in the US - QS Subject Rankings 2021

Every year, TopUniversities release their QS World University Rankings by Subject. The main criteria used to evaluate universities and colleges are the academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper, and the impact of published academic work.

  • Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Stanford University, in Stanford, California
  • University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, California
  • Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois
  • New York University (NYU), in New York City
  • Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
  • Columbia University, in New York City
  • University of Chicago, in Chicago, Illinois

Discover other business schools that were ranked on the TopUniversities official website.

Here are other American Business schools we recommend:

You can also study an online MBA degree from the comfort of your home.

Group of happy college students

Student reviews of the best business schools in the USA

If international university rankings aren’t enough, don’t worry. We know people are more interested in what other students have to say about their university/college. That’s why we’ve included several reviews from students who took courses at some of the best American business schools:

New York University

“Amazing unparalleled global education. This is a great opportunity to be in an exciting, cosmopolitan city, and to study alongside students from around the world. There really is no other college experience that comes close.”

Harvard University

“It was a great experience with access to many leaders of their fields and education resources, added to a very diverse and multicultural cohort which truly enriches the experience and makes it hard not to enjoy this learning process. The course selection methods at Harvard can be improved, and this is something that I strongly advocated as an elected representative of my cohort, yet it's an ongoing struggle which is very complex and not easy to address.

Overall, studying at Harvard is something very unique, you get access to a myriad of resources while being taught by great minds in their fields; yet being surrounded by such extraordinary students from all areas of expertise and all corners of the world is what I found to be both the most challenging and satisfying part of that learning experience.”

Columbia University

“My study year in New York was arguably the best year of my life. Even though it was a very intense year from an academic point of view, it was extremely enriching from a personal and professional perspective. I formed many wonderful and deep friendships, improved my English language skills as well as my intercultural understanding.”

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