If you have a passion for management, business or administrative work and find yourself on bschoolwatch.com to figure out which schools offer which M.B.A. program, you’ve come to the right place. The higher your salary, the better it is, right? Well, not really. There are some other things to consider when choosing an M.B.A. program besides salary alone such as: job placement rates, employment rates upon graduation and other factors that can affect your decision to pursue your master’s degree in business administration (MBA).
There are a lot of factors that go into what you’ll be making after graduation, but one thing is for sure: your MBA will help you earn more money.
According to Payscale.com’s 2019-2020 report on the Best Colleges for Your Money, graduates from the top 10 business schools in the country earn an average salary of $117,000. The top-paying MBA programs include Stanford University, Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
However, if you’re looking at a salary as a primary reason for choosing your degree program, it’s important to note that not all MBAs are created equal: according to Forbes’ 2019 list of highest-paying graduate degrees, law school degrees are by far the most lucrative. This year’s top three highest-paying degrees were all law degrees—with an average starting salary of $143K and an average mid-career salary of $171K.
Which mba has the highest salary
Introduction
If you’re looking to get paid a lot right out of business school, then Northwestern’s Kellogg is the place for you. A full-time MBA from that program can expect to earn an average of $156,481 in their first job as a result of their degree. That’s based on data on median starting salary and bonus among 2016 graduates compiled by U.S. News and World Report in its 2018 rankings of the best graduate schools, which were released Tuesday morning.”
The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University has the highest-paid MBA graduates in the U.S., according to data compiled by U.S. News and World Report.
The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University has the highest-paid MBA graduates in the U.S., according to data compiled by U.S. News and World Report. According to the publication, this prestigious school’s graduates earned a median salary of $150,000 per year — nearly 50 percent more than second-place Stanford University (which paid its students an average $120,000).
Other schools with top pay packages include:
3rd place: Columbia Business School ($115K)
4th place: Harvard Business School ($115K)
5th place: Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business ($112K)
Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business is second, while Harvard Business School places third.
Harvard Business School is ranked second for salary and bonus, but fourth for total compensation. In other words, it’s well-known for providing the highest salaries, but not so much in terms of bonuses (which are usually paid in the form of stock options).
While Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business is ranked third for salary and compensation overall, it also offers higher average stipends to its students than any other school on our list: $30k per year.
These degrees are worth it, not just because a bumper pay check is guaranteed, but also because they open doors to coveted careers in investment banking, consulting, private equity and other high-paying industries.
Graduating with a master’s in business administration is worth it, not just because a bumper pay check is guaranteed, but also because they open doors to coveted careers in investment banking, consulting, private equity and other high-paying industries. The best MBA programs are ranked by salary potential: The average U.S. graduate earns $134,000 per year within two years of graduation (and that’s before bonuses), according to American Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers data compiled by Bloomberg News.
The following are the top 10 graduate business schools in terms of average starting salary and bonus for their 2016 graduates:
The following are the top 10 graduate business schools in terms of average starting salary and bonus for their 2016 graduates:
- Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University – $135,000 and $25,000
- Stanford University Graduate School of Business – $135,000 and $25,000
- Harvard Business School – $125,000 and $25,000
- The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania – $125,000 and $20,000
- Columbia Business School – $120,500 (median base salary) /$30-$35k (median sign-on plus)
1. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University – $156,481
- Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University – $156,481
Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management is the only school that makes it into the top 10 with a median starting salary over $150,000. The average starting salary for Kellogg graduates is impressive, as well; they earn an average base salary of $156,481, making them the second highest paid school in the top 10. Their median bonus was also higher than most other schools at $23,184 (though this figure is skewed by one outlier with an unusually high bonus).
2. Stanford University Graduate School of Business – $154,208
Average Salary: $154,208
Average Bonus: $25,922
Average Total Compensation: $180,130
3. Harvard Business School – $150,822
Harvard Business School has the highest starting salary and bonus of all the top 10 schools. Harvard MBAs earn an average of $150,822 in base salary, $11,822 in bonuses, and $19,000 in other compensation.
With the most elite institutions on our list being located outside the United States—such as INSEAD in France and London Business School (LBS)—it’s no wonder that you might be drawn to HBS or MIT Sloan if you want to work overseas after graduation. Both schools have campuses around the world; Harvard has one campus located just across the river from Cambridge while MIT has three locations: Boston; Cambridge; and Singapore). Additionally, both schools offer special programs that allow students to study abroad for one semester or year during their time at school if they choose not to go home afterward (MIT has even extended this opportunity through its Global Leaders Fellows Program).
4. New York University, Stern School of Business – $148,029
The New York University (NYU) Stern School of Business is a good school, but it is not the highest paid. It’s not even in the top 10!
According to Business Insider, NYU Stern ranks #23 on their list of best MBA programs and #3 on their list of best full-time MBA programs. This means that if you want to get an Ivy League education and get paid well for it, then NYU is probably not for you. If you do go there though, don’t be surprised if no one else knows who they are either—because they aren’t as well known as other schools like Harvard or Stanford
5. Columbia Business School – $140,127
The MBA program at Columbia Business School is ranked fifth in the world by Financial Times, fourth by Economist Intelligence Unit and second by Bloomberg Businessweek. It has a high acceptance rate at 14%. The average GMAT score of its applicants is 725. The cost of tuition at Columbia Business School is $102,200 while the average salary post-graduation is $140,127 which makes it one of the best-paying programs in United States.
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management – $134,.061
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management is consistently ranked as one of the top-paying MBA programs in the world. In fact, MIT Sloan graduates earn an average base salary of $134,200—the highest base salary on this list by over $15,000.
While no other school comes close to MIT Sloan’s top salary figure, it should be noted that several schools pay their grads a comfortable six-figure income (with four-year average earnings ranging from nearly $80k at Stanford University to over $105k at Northwestern University).
7. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College – $133,685
The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College is the most selective business school in the world, with an acceptance rate of just 16%. The average starting salary for a Tuck graduate is $133,685. In addition to this high starting salary, the average bonus that Tuck graduates earn is $23,871…
8. Berkeley Haas School of Business (University of California-Berkeley) – $133,187
The average salary for Haas graduates is $133,187. And the average bonus is $33,187.
9) Pennsylvania Wharton School -$132,598
If you’re looking for an MBA program that will open doors to the highest paying jobs, then Wharton is a strong choice. The school’s reputation for excellence and its location in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are two reasons why it’s one of the most sought-after business schools in the world.
Wharton graduates have gone on to become CEOs of major companies such as Ford Motor Company and Cisco Systems, Inc., as well as successful entrepreneurs like David Oreck who started 1-800-Gotjunk? with just $300 cash and a van he turned into a moving billboard!
If you want to get paid a lot right out of business school then you probably should not consider hbs or stanford
If you want to get paid a lot right out of business school then you probably should not consider HBS or Stanford. While these schools have the most expensive tuition, they also have much lower salaries than other top business schools.
HBS and Stanford are not only less prestigious than other top schools (MIT Sloan, Kellogg, Columbia and so on), but they are also less practical for your career goals. In fact, many former HBS students have told me that their time at Harvard was not nearly as valuable as learning from their peers at other schools and working with them on real-world projects during an internship or job after graduation.
Conclusion
The top 10 business schools in the US have an average starting salary of $150,000, according to data compiled by U.S. News & World Report. While this may seem like a lot of money, it’s important to keep in mind that these figures are based on self-reported salaries from graduates who aren’t necessarily working full-time jobs yet. It is also worth noting that not every graduate will land such lucrative positions upon graduation or even ever become successful enough to earn such high salaries over time – most MBAs make less than half this amount after 20 years on their career path (see my article).
