Best Undergraduate Business Schools Forbes

Last Updated on December 29, 2022

Literally, a business is an institution that is involved in commercial, industrial, or professional activities. Also, a business can be for-profit or non-profit organizations that function to achieve a charitable mission or promote a social cause. 

On the other hand, a business can be defined as the organized efforts and activities of individuals to produce and sell goods and services for profit. Basically, a business structure can be sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies. However, a sole proprietorship is the most common.

Right here on infolearners, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on best undergraduate business schools forbes, types of business majors, types of business degree, forbes mba rankings 2022, business school names, best undergraduate business schools in the world, and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.

What does a Business Manager do?

A business manager is someone that is responsible for overseeing and supervising a company’s activity and employees. Actually, the activities include hiring, training, and evaluation of new employees. Also, the business manager makes sure that a company or department is on track to meet its financial goals.

Similarly, business managers might also create and carry out budgets, prepare reports for senior management and ensure that departments observe the company’s policy. They also make sure that workers have the resources to complete their work.

On the other hand, some managers carry out human resource activities, like performance evaluations, hiring, and discipline for employees in their department. Also, business managers motivate workers through incentives and positive feedback.

How much does a business manager make?

Well, the salary of a business manager depends on the size of the company, the geographic location of the firm, and the area of the business the manager supervises.

Actually, the yearly average salary for a sales manager was $117,960 in May 2016 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Besides, production managers earned an average salary of $97,140 during the same period.

Requirements to become a business manager

Firstly, most employers need at least a bachelor’s degree in business management to qualify for a position as a business manager.

Secondly, business managers must have excellent written and verbal communication skills to lead employees and manage the department.

Thirdly, managers must be problem solvers that can create work to overcome the challenges that may prevent a department or company from achieving its goals.

Finally, some companies might promote employees with great experience from within a department to lead the group.

How much will it cost me to get a degree in any of the best undergraduate business schools?

Actually, bachelor’s degree programs differ based on the school you study at. According to the recent College Board’s Trends in College Pricing, the average annual cost for a four-year, public institution is approximately $9,970 (in-state tuition) and $25,620 (out-of-state-tuition).

Similarly, the annual average cost for a four-year private philanthropic school is $34,740 and a private for-profit school is $16,000.

Furthermore, the tuition fee for a master’s degree program at an in-state public institution costs an average of $8,670 yearly. Also, the tuition for a doctorate program costs $10,830 yearly at an in-state public institution.

Types of Business degrees

Associate Degree

An associate degree trains a student on the fundamentals of business management. However, it advances to providing you a wider professional knowledge which is near what you would get attending a four-year bachelor’s program.

However, it can also be an important step towards a bachelor’s degree programs. In fact, courses here focus majorly on accounting, management and software applications. Anyways, you will most likely apply the techniques you’ve acquired in a capstone course with real-world relevance. Usually, it takes two years to complete.

Bachelor’s Degree

This type of degree is suitable for you if you wish to take a career in business management. You’ll get full knowledge taking courses that will set you on the right track on how to manage a business very well.

Thus, the course work for a bachelor’s degree program embraces management principles and practices such as:

  • Business-oriented computer applications
  • Communication
  • Business ethics
  • Financial management
  • Organizational leadership
  • Resource management: people, money, time
  • Strategic planning

The Bachelor’s program takes four (4) years to complete, after which you get a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) or Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA).

Master’s Degree

With an MBA degree, graduates pass for an extensive list of management functions. From corporate controllers to executive directors in charitable agencies through independent consultants to business owners, graduates of MBA degree programs place themselves for diverse professional opportunities throughout their careers.

MBA students can choose a full-time MBA or part-time MBA program. Full-time MBA programs basically take two years to finish. Also, undergraduate students can enter into a BA/MBA program where they get their bachelor’s degree and MBA in a total of five years.

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

A Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) prepares graduates to head, consult and teach in corporate and academic fields. However, it is designed for graduates with management experience. DBA degree programs build on skills gained through masters-level studies. Like a P.h.D, a DBA equips professionals with expertise in control and management principles and a higher level of competence in conducting research.

Similarly, students can obtain their DBA within three to six years. But it depends on whether they enroll in a full-time or part-time program.

DBA studies usually require classes in research and analytical methods; core management subjects such as strategic planning, managing change, and solutions-oriented leadership; and the student’s choice of specialization.

Types of business majors

A business degree may be focused in many different areas, and the best business schools will offer several different specialized majors under the “business” umbrella. We’ll describe a few of the most popular business majors for you.

  • Accounting: An accountant does more than bookkeep or crunch numbers. Accountants are responsible for analyzing business finances and creating reports for business partners—so strong communication skills are key. In an accounting major, students learn accounting information systems, study tax law, and evaluate risk or profitability in real business case studies.
  • Finance: Students who major in finance will choose a further specialty area like real estate, investment analysis, or corporate finance. They’ll learn to make wise long-term financial plans, understand and predict the economy, create a responsible budget, and work with complex computer systems.
  • Business administration or management: Business owners, managers, or administrators must have strong communication and leadership skills. Students focusing on this area of business will learn how to run an organization—including planning, organizing, and directing its long-term and day-to-day functions. 
  • Marketing: Popularized by shows like Mad Men, marketing careers are fast-paced and ever-evolving. Marketing majors study consumer trends and psychology, branding, various mediums—think radio vs. Facebook ads—and how to build successful advertising campaigns.
  • Management information systems: This career is ideal for students wanting to apply their technical skills in a growing business field. MIS majors will study the use of information systems, build databases, develop computer programs, and learn how to explain complex technology to non-techie people. 
  • International business: In an increasingly global world and economy, internationally-minded business people are in constant need. They might help a local business expand operations to other countries or manage multinational businesses. International business majors will study global economies, explore other cultures, and learn how to sell products around the world.

Best undergraduate business schools forbes

One of the many reasons why full-time MBA programs are in decline has to do with the rising quality and interest in undergraduate business education. Many companies, particularly in the financial sector, have come to prefer undergrads because they are just as well prepared to make an immediate contribution at work and they are a lot cheaper to hire than MBA grads.

So which undergraduate business programs are the best in the U.S.? Our new ranking of the best undergrad business schools, published today (Dec. 13), shows that the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School wins top honors for the second year in a row. Right behind Wharton is the University of Virginia’s McIntire School, Washington University’s Olin Business School, the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

Wharton is a powerhouse of opportunity. Students lucky enough to overcome the school’s high admission hurdles are awarded with one of the best undergraduate teaching experiences in the world. And when they graduate, world-class employers are waiting for the school’s graduates with open arms. Some 95% of the graduates land jobs within three months of commencement at starting base salaries and sign-on bonuses that bring starting pay to a record $92,057 this year.

Wharton’s rise to the top of the list begins in the admissions standards category. With a 6.49% acceptance rate, it’s tougher to get into Wharton’s undergraduate program than its full-time MBA program which has an acceptance rate nearly three times higher at just under 20%.

Eight schools have an acceptance rate that is as selective or more selective than the 11% admit rate at the full-time MBA program at Harvard Business School. Cornell’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management is the most selective this year, sending invites to just 2.9% of applicants for fall 2018 entry. The average acceptance rate among all 88 ranked schools for the entering Class of 2018 was 43.7%

In terms of average SAT scores for the incoming Class of 2018, Washington University’s Olin Business School boasted the highest score at 1,510 on the new 1600-point scoring scale. Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business followed with 1,494. The University of California-Berkeley Haas School of Business followed with a 1,490 average. Wharton was next, averaging 1,486. The average SAT among all participating schools was 1,308, a score in the 87th percentile, meaning that only 13% of all test takers scored that well or better.

In all, 88 different undergraduate business school are ranked this year by Poets&Quants based on three equally weighted core categories — admissions standards, the student experience, and career outcomes. The ranking takes into account completed surveys from  more than 11,000 recently graduated students from the ranked schools along with detailed surveys from nearly 100 undergraduate business schools in the U.S.

Alumni surveys show that graduates of these ranked schools are an extraordinarily satisfied bunch. Asked on a range of one to ten, with ten being the most positive answer possible. whether they would recommend their alma mater to a close friend or colleague, alumni from some 71 of the 88 ranked schools scored a nine or above. At the very top on that question is Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, which ranked ninth overall. 

Best undergraduate business schools in the world

#1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Actually, it is a small university with an enrollment of 4,510 undergraduate students. The alumni of MIT go on to earn a starting salary of $82,300.

Besides, the Sloan School of Management which is known as MIT Sloan offers business programs at MIT. In fact, business courses at this best undergraduate business school cover a lot of topics such as operations research, consulting, entrepreneurship, finance, information technology, product development, and marketing.

Also, this best undergraduate business schools in the world have an acceptance rate of 8% and a graduation rate of 94%. Though the student-faculty ratio is 3:1, its tuition fee is $48,452.

Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)

Address: 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139

#2. Stanford University

Stanford University is a private research university in Stanford, California. This institution has one of the largest university campuses in the US.

Actually, this institution being one of the best schools for undergraduate business in the world has an acceptance rate of 4%. Also, the graduation rate is 95%.

With a student-faculty ratio of 12:1, this universities tuition fee is $51,354.  

Accreditation: Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

Address: 50 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.

#3. University of Oxford

In fact, Oxford University is a collegiate research university in England and the oldest university in the English-speaking world.  

Also, the school of business at Oxford deals with business, management, and finance. Similarly, it offers an MBA program, an executive MBA program, a Ph.D. in management studies and master’s degrees in financial economics, law and finance, and strategic management.

Furthermore, it has an acceptance rate of 17.5%. The student-faculty ratio is 17:1 while the tuition fee is $9,250.

Accreditation: Privy Council

Address: Oxford OX1 2JD, United Kingdom

#4. University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in England and it was founded in 1209.

Actually, the Cambridge Judge Business School offers courses that cover MBA, master of finance, master of accounting and a number of MPhil programs.

Also, Cambridge University has an acceptance rate of 21% and a graduation rate of 83%. On the other hand, the student-faculty ratio is 4:9. Also, this institution has a tuition fee of 9,250 GBP (in-state) and 21,732 GBP (out-of-state).

Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)

Address: Old Schools, Trinity Ln, Cambridge CB2 1TN, United Kingdom.

#5. The University of California, Berkeley

Well, the University of California, Berkeley is a public research university in Berkeley, California founded in 1868. Well, it is a large school with an enrollment of 29,351 undergraduate students.

Actually, the business school at UC Berkeley is known as the Haas School of Business. This school of business is the second-oldest business school in the United States and it was founded in 1898.

Also, admission to this best undergraduate business school is highly competitive. The Haas School of Business gives courses across the academic spectrum. Actually, these courses cover full-time MBA, evening and weekend MBA, MBA for executives, master of financial education and undergraduate degrees.

Above all, the alumni of UC Berkeley go on to make a starting salary of $48,700.

However, UC Berkeley has an acceptance rate of 17% and a graduation rate of 91%. Similarly, the student-faculty ratio is 18:1. Actually, this best undergraduate international business school has a tuition fee of $14,184 (California residents) and $43,176 (out-of-state students)

Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Address: 200 California Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.

#6. London School of Economics & Political Science

Actually, this institution is known as an international center of academic excellence and innovation. However, LSE which is one of the best schools for undergraduate business in the world is known for studying real-world issues, from economics, politics, law, sociology, anthropology, accounting, and finance.

Furthermore, it has an acceptance rate of 9% and a graduation rate of 91%. Also, the student-faculty ratio is 6 while the tuition fee is 9,250 GBP(local) and 18,408 GBP (International tuition).

Accreditation: Privy Council

Address: Houghton St, Holborn, London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom

#7. Duke University

This is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina founded in 1838 by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day town of Trinity. Actually, the institution moved to Durham in 1892. 

However, popular majors are public policy, economics, biology, biomedical engineering, and psychology. Also, Duke University requires undergraduates to live on campus for the first three years of their study. Similarly, about 95 percent of the students graduate within four years of enrolling.

Above all, Duke University which is one of the best undergraduate international business schools in the world has an acceptance rate of 11% and a graduation rate of 95% of students. Actually, the student-faculty ratio is 6:1 while the tuition fee is $57,980.

Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

Address: Durham, NC 27708, United States

#8. University of Chicago

Well, the University of Chicago is a private research university founded in 1890. However, this school has been shaping the intellectual lives of undergraduates for several years now.

Also, this university has produced 91 Nobel laureates, the largest number affiliated with any American university. Besides, students of the University of Chicago were the first to split the atom, measure the speed of light, and create the field of sociology.

Moreover, UChicago has an acceptance rate of 8% and a graduation rate of 93%. Similarly, the student-faculty ratio is 5:1. This best undergraduate business school in the world has a tuition fee is $58,230.

Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission

Address: 5801 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, United States

#9. University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also, Penn is a large university with an enrollment of 10,496 undergraduate students.

Thus, Penn which is amongst the best undergraduate business schools in the world has produced 25 Nobel Laureates including physicist Raymond Davis Jr and economist Lawrence Klein. It has also produced several heads of state.

Furthermore, the acceptance rate in this undergraduate business school in the world is 9% while the graduation rate is 96%. The student-faculty ratio is 6:1. Also, the tuition fee is $55,584.

Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Address: Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States

#10. Havard University

Havard University is a large private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Nonetheless, it has an enrollment of 7,147 undergraduate students.

On the other hand, Havard University has produced eight US presidents, several foreign heads of state, 62 living billionaires, 359 Rhodes Scholars, and 242 Marshall Scholars. In fact, some of the alumni of this institution are winners of Pulitzer Prizes, Nobel Prizes, and Academy Awards. 

Actually, the acceptance rate of Havard University is 5% and the graduation rate is 96%. Similarly, the student-faculty ratio is 7:1. with a tuition fee of $47,074.  

Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)

Address: Massachusetts Hall Cambridge, MA 02138

About the author

Study on Scholarship Today -- Check your eligibility for up to 100% scholarship.