MBA Colleges in USA

MBA is a valuable Master’s degree that showcases a person’s potential as a qualified individual in the corporate industry. It is proof that a person has all the required skills like Management and business strategies. When you pursue the same degree from an international platform, its value increases, and it multiplies further if it is from the top university. The United States of America is a hotspot for international studies. Students from all around the globe have an ambition of living the American dream and pursue at least a Masters's from a flourishing institute.

We are bringing you the list of top twenty universities across the USA with their annual fee structure and the requirement of the GMAT qualification. The name of the course and their duration is also shown in the table.

What is GMAT?

The Graduate Management Admission Test (Or GMAT) is a vital examination qualification any student opting for an international institution has to pass. It is a computer-oriented test that aims to determine the aptitude of a candidate by calculating their analytical, verbal, writing, quantitative and other essential skills to ensure they are capable of receiving the international education in a university. It is a highly competitive examination and mandatory for admission in the business school for business studies like MBA programs.

Why does the course duration matter?

Primarily, Course duration matters because it will determine the academic hours. Two years of standard MBA courses in the USA  will have fixed academic hours each day. Sometimes, a two-year course can prove to be an expensive selection for the students, so they opt for a 1-year one. Other students often opt for an extended duration so that they can also accumulate professional experience while they pursue their qualifications. Hence, learning about course duration can help a person make an informed decision.

 

Ranking	Name	Location	Course	Duration	Tuition Fees Per Year (Approx)	Other expenses total (Approx)	GMAT Score Requirement (Minimum)
1	Stanford University	Stanford	MBA	2 years	INR 52 Lakhs	INR 21 Lakhs	732
2	Harvard University	Boston	Master of Business Administration	2 years	INR 52 Lakhs	INR 27 Lakhs	726
3	University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	Master of Business Administration	20 months	INR 55 Lakhs	INR 14.2 Lakhs	728
4	University of Chicago	Chicago	Full-Time MBA	21 months	INR 51.7 Lakhs	INR 11 Lakhs	724
5	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Cambridge	MBA	2 years	INR 53 Lakhs	INR 20 Lakhs	714
6	Northwestern University	Evanston	One Year MBA	1 year	INR 72 Lakhs	INR 30 Lakhs	717
7	University of California Berkley	Berkeley	MBA	2 years	INR 42 Lakhs	INR 23 Lakhs	717
8	Columbia University	New York	MBA	2 years	INR 53.4 Lakhs	INR 12 Lakhs	716
9	Dartmouth College	Hanover	MBA	2 years	INR 53 Lakhs	INR 7.2 Lakhs	716
10	University of Virginia	Charlottesville	MBA	2 years	INR 50 Lakhs	INR 16.5 Lakhs	706
11	New York University	New York	MBA	2 years	INR 51.5 Lakhs	INR 26.7	721
12	University of Michigan	Ann Arbor	MBA	2 years	INR 48 Lakhs	INR 13.8 Lakhs	708
13	Duke University	Durham	Global Executive MBA	17 Months	INR 72 Lakhs	INR 10.5 Lakhs	710
14	Yale University	New Haven	MBA	2 years	INR 52 Lakhs	INR 20 Lakhs	719
15	The University of California Los Angeles	Los Angeles	MBA	2 years	INR 46.8 Lakhs	INR 23 Lakhs	715
16	Cornell University	Ithaca	2-year MBA	2 years	INR 50 Lakhs	INR 18.6 Lakhs	700
17	University of Texas	Austin	Full-time MBA	2 years	INR 39.6 Lakhs	INR 13.5 Lakhs	694
18	University of North Carolina	Chapel Hill	MBA	1 year	INR 46 Lakhs	INR 25  Lakhs	710
19	Washington University	St. Louis	Full-Time MBA Program	2 years	INR 33.2 Lakhs	INR 21 Lakhs	688
20	Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh	Masters of Business Administration	21 months	INR 46 Lakhs	INR 14.3 Lakhs	690

Unique requirements and average of the universities
 

Stanford University

Stanford’s MBA program is ranked 4th best in the world. From ethical leadership to meticulous studies, including experiential learning and other essential skills, A student from Stanford if bound to be a brilliant leader in any field, they strive for. 

• Application fees are $90 to $275.
• There are three rounds of MBA Admission, and one can apply during any of these. September, January and April.
• It has a requirement of a bachelor degree that is equivalent to the USA's bachelor.
• Additional qualification of master degree is also required, but not necessary.
• At average, it requires four years of work experience.
• Around 41% of students are international
• It has a student and faculty ratio of 1 staff member for six students.
• It accepts TOEFL of 100, IELTS of 7 and PTE of 68. The average GMAT score is also 737 that is accepted by the institute.
• While there isn’t any cutoff for bachelor GPA or percentage, the average is 3.7
   

Harvard University

Around 50% of Harvard graduates immediately get qualified for need-based fellowship programs after the completion of the MBA. During the second year, a student has the option to choose elective courses to further excel in the industry.

• There are around 35% of international students at Harvard.
• You can prepare to apply around November to January.
• Application fees are $75 to $250 but you may apply for a waiver.
• Full-time work experience is important for admission. Average of 55 months.
• It has IELTS requirement of 7.5, TOEFL of 109 and PTE at 75, GMAT and GMT are accepted. These are the minimal requirements, but a candidate may still apply.
• Should have a bachelor's degree equivalent of four years of graduation course. Three-year international degree course is eligible.
• Average age of students is 27
• Average Bachelor GPA accepted is around 3.71
• There isn’t any specific cut off for Academics and Bachelor
   

University of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania offers only 20 months of full-time MBA which falls under one of the top MBA programs around the globe. It offers rich prospects like a minimum of twenty years of earning with full-time jobs selections.

• Average work experience required is five years
• Average accepted Bachelor GPA is 3.6
• TOEFL, PTE, and GRE are accepted with a minimum GMAT score of 730
• There isn’t any specific cutoff mentioned for bachelor and academics
• Around 33% of students are international
• MBA program is only 20 months and falls under one of the top MBA full-time programs.
• Interviews are invitation exclusives. Only students with invitations can attend the interviews’
• TOEFL may not be required for students who studied in English-medium institute for bachelor
• Applications cost $75 to $265
• Application dates are usually around January to February.
   

University of Chicago

The university offers a full-time MBA course that lasts for only 21 months and falls on the 12th global ranking. It covers all the essential subjects and offers a complete qualification that covers all the spectrums like Accounting and Analytics to Managements.

• There are around 36% of international students.
• It follows standard $75 to $250 application fees
• Follows standard 3 Rounds of Fall, Spring and Summer. August to September, December to January or March to April is usually the time to apply.
• The college accepts both 3 years and 4 years bachelors degree.
• Average work experience accepted is 5 years.
• Average age of students is 28 years.
• Average GMAT accepted is 730. TOEFL is 104, IELTS is 7 and PTE is 70. GRE is also accepted, acceptance equivalent to GMAT.
• Average Bachelor GPA is around 3.6
   

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

There are a standard two years of MBA that institute offers; additionally, by finishing the thesis requirements, a student may receive a Master of Science in Management.

• Standard application cost of $75 to $250
• Accepts applications from March to April and October to January.
• For the Master of Science in Management, a student has to complete an additional thesis.
• The university offers flexibility for students also to pursue certification in fields like healthcare.
• Students can also opt for extra specialization in any of the main MBA subjects.
• Verbal GRE and GMAT qualifications are paramount. The average GMAT score accepted is around 722.
• The average student age is 28 years old.
• The average work experience accepted is five years or closing five years.
• It houses around 67% of international students.

 

Northwestern University

The university offers one year of MBA program that cuts and skips the basics to move to the advanced classes immediately and enables students to learn faster.

• Qualification in business studies is required to enroll into this university
• Three years of an undergraduate degree is acceptable, while four years of bachelor’s or equivalent is preferred.
• Accepts admissions in Falls, Winter, Summer, and Springs. Hence, September, January, and April are usually the months they have deadlines.
• Application fees range from $50 to $250.
• TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, AND GMAT are all accepted.
• The minimum requirement of work experience is at least two years.
• Around 40% of students at the university are international
• It has two Campuses and a Teacher-Student ratio of 1:6.
   

University of California (Berkley)

The University of California offers two years MBA that offers meticulous study covering fundamentals, basics, and advanced curriculum. IT also offers HAAS and Columbia Exchange programs that enable students to explore The Wall Stree, Media and Entertainment industries in New York.

• Application costs around $95 to $250.
• Application dates are September, January, and April
• Requires the equivalent of 4 years of bachelor’s degree. Masters is preferred over bachelor.
• Requires additional qualification of college-level mathematics. Statistics will suffice, as well.
• Apart from minimum work experience, five years is the average acceptance.
• GPA requirement is three or above, 3.6 is the average acceptance rate.
• Average age of students is 28 years
• There are around 40% of international students on the campus
• Average GMAT accepted is 717, TOEFL is 90 and IELTS is 7. GRE is accepted, but GMAT is prioritized.
   

Columbia University

The MBA program falls on rank eighth in QS global rankings. August entries receive leisures of exploring the industries and applying their skills in practical uses. January enrolments get the leisures to skip the summer-time internship to attain a degree within 16 months.

• Application usually costs $95 to $250
• MBA deadlines are usually in October with a final decision in April
• IELTS, TOEFL, GRE and GMAT are accepted with average 724 accepted for GMAT.
• Average age of students is 28
• There are around 43% of international students at this university.
• Average work experience accepted is 5 years.
• It follows standard eligibility criteria for admission.
• Average GPA accepted is 3.5
• A student may get called for the interview before admission for evaluation
   

Dartmouth College

The institute offers two years of full-time MBA course that focuses on incorporating and enhancing the essential skills into a person.

• MBA deadlines for each round are October, January and March.
• Application costs $250.
• Accepts TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, GRE, GMAT with average GMAT score acceptance of 722. And 3.5 for average GPA acceptance
• Around 30% of students are international.
• Average age of students is 28.
• Average work experience approval is around 5 years.
• Offers two years of MBA Program
• May conduct an interview for the candidate.
   

University of Virginia

The University has several great rankings. Standing as Rank 1 in MBA education experience according to the Economist. It also ranks 1 in student satisfaction according to Bloomberg Businessweek and ranks 1 for best teaching faculties according to The Princeton Review

• Require Graduation degree from the USA or equivalent of 4-years of professional degree.
• Students with MBA degrees are not eligible candidates.
• Average work experience approval is 4 years.
• All standard examinations are accepted with TOEFL acceptance at 106 and GMAT for 713
• Houses around 35% of international students
• Application costs $250
• Deadlines are usually in September, October, January and April for the early round and three regular admission rounds
   

New York University

The university’s MBA program falls amongst the top 20 in a global ranking. A student has the freedom to choose not one but up to three specializations and the university offers up to 20 diverse options for specializations.

• New York University also offers summer internships.
• Internship and Part-time working also count in experience.
• The average work experience acceptance is around 5 years.
• The average age of students is 28.
• There are around 37% of international students.
• Accepts TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, GMAT and average GMAT score approval is 714.
• Requires at least 4.0 in Writing assessment.
• Standard Graduation and Academic qualifications for eligibility.
• There are four rounds of admission for New York University. October, November, January and March.
• Application fees is $65 to $250.

           

University of Michigan

The University offers two years of full-time MBA course that incorporates core business, strategic, and intellectual skills to become leaders. There are 57 credits a student should attain to complete the MBA.

• TOEFL, PTE, GRE and GMAT are accepted. With Average GMAT acceptance around 714.
• Standard requirement for academic and bachelor qualifications, no particular cutoff.
• On average, five years of work experience is admitted.
• Around 36% of students are international.
• Application fees cost $75 to $200
• The three rounds of admission take place around September, January and March.

Duke University

Duke offers 17 months of Globa Executive MBA plan that comprises of around 17 subjects spread throughout six modules (Terms). It is one of the universities that offer MBA in energy and environment, among other standard specializations.

• A student can also opt for certification in health management.
• At least first years of work experience is required, but the average acceptance rate is for 15 years of work experience.
• Average age of students in the late thirties (39).
• It houses around 40% of international students.
• There isn’t any specific cutoff for academics and bachelor degree.
• TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, GRE AND GMAT are accepted.
• It has one faculty member for eight students (Ratio)
• Application costs $75 to $225
• Application deadlines are in October, January and March

 

Yale University

Yale University is great in offering financial assistance to the candidates who show potential but lack the resources. Around 73% of students receive financial aid from the university. The MBA program incorporates modern methodologies.

• A student has to participate in one of the events like Global Network Weeks, Global Network Courses, International Experience Course, and other programs before they graduate.
• There isn’t any specific cutoff for academics and college.
• Requires standard bachelor degree or an equivalent. Having a masters qualification would help.
• GRE and GMAT are accepted. Average accepted GMAT is 730
• Full-time experience is vital, with an average of 4 years
• Around 45% of students are international
• Application costs $80 to $250
• Application rounds are in September, January and April
   

The University of California (Los Angeles)

Apart from the regular specializations, University of California offers specialization is a field like Easton Technology and Health Management. It offers full time two years of MBA course.

• Accepts TOEFL, IELTS, GRE and GMAT.
• Must have four years of a professional bachelor's degree but if they prove to possess potential with three years of a bachelor's degree, they may get considered.
• The average age of students is 28 years old.
• The average work experience is 5 years, while there isn’t any particular requirement.
• Around 30% of students are international
• The application fee is $200
• October, January, and April is the deadline for applications

 

Cornell University

With the two years of MBA program, Cornell University also offers five optional concentrations for the subjections and seven in-depth concentrations for the students. There isn’t any specific cutoff for academics or bachelor.

• TOEFL is accepted with a minimum score of 100 (25 in each section)
• IELTS is accepted with a minimum score of 7 in writing and speaking.
• GRE and GMAT are accepted, and while there isn’t any specific cutoff, average students fall around 700 on GMAT.
• Requires work experience, five years is ideal for acceptance.
• The application costs $80 to $200.
• There are four rounds of applications, October, November, January, and April.

University of Texas

The University of Texas offers two years of MBA program with specialization options in fields like Accounting, Business, Interdisciplinary, and other standard options.

• There is no specific cutoff for Academics and bachelor. But the applicant must have a degree that equals four years of a professional degree in the USA.
• GRE is accepted, GMAT requires a minimum of 700 scores on average. TOEFL requires 70 and IELTS requires 6.9 to be considered for admissions.
• At least two years of working experience is required to be eligible. But, five years of experience is accepted on average.
• There are around 30% of international students.
• Average age of students is 28.
• The university has a roughly equal ratio of Male to Female.
• Application fees cost around $90 to $200
• Application rounds are in October, January and March.

University of North Carolina

The University’s MBA program runs for one year and is ranked seven around the globe by the Bloomberg Businessweek. It offers several standard specialization. While the first semester is compulsory, there are over 120 subjects for the student to choose for the second semester of the module.

• University accepts standard qualifications for bachelors and academics. However, the applicant should possess knowledge of Statistics, Calculus, Microeconomics, and Financial Accounting to be considered for admission.
• GRE and GMAT are accepted. Indian students do not require ELP or any other test scores.
• There is no work experience requirement, but average students have at least two years of experience.
• The average age of students is 28, and around 25% of students are international.
• The deadline for application rounds is usually in January, March, and April.
• Application costs $80 to $220

Washington University

Washington University’s MBA program falls amongst the top 25 MBA courses around the world. It is also ranked #8 for the Top 10 universities in the USA for Women. The MBA program is two years of the full-time course.

• It accepts TOEFL at minimum 100, GRE and GMAT average is around 670.
• Around 40% of students are international, and the average age is 29.
• Average acceptance of work experience is around six years.
• A standard bachelor's degree is compulsory.
• Have an equal ratio of male to female.
• One faculty member for 19 students.
• Application fees cost $85.
• Application months are October, January and March.

Carnegie Mellon University

The Carnegie’s full-time MBA program falls amongst the top 15 MBA programs, and in the top twenty for leadership and analytics. It specifically focuses on incorporating essential leadership skills in an individual.

• Has a remarkable one faculty member for five students ratio.
• Accepts TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, and GMAT.
• No specific bachelor degree cutoffs.
• The average work experience requirement is 5 years.
• Around 33% of students are international
• Application costs around $70 to $200
• The deadline for applications is October, January, March, and April.

 

TOEFL and IELTS

Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) and international English language test system (IELTS) are the two essential qualifications required for a candidate from a non-native English speaking nation. It acts as a certification that the student is well-versed in the English language and holds proficiency in reading, listening and speaking the English language. Usually, only passing the exam is enough, but the high level of institutes tend to have a cap of around the minimum score of 7. A student does not have to pass both of the examinations, one of the two will do the job.

However, if the student has persuaded a Bachelor’s degree in the English language, then the TOEFL and IELTS requirement is waived off, as they would obviously have the standard proficiency in the language.

Eligibility Criteria

Despite being the top universities, the listed institutions still have comparatively easier eligibility criteria for international students
.

• Academics: A student should have completed their 10+2 with a minimum of 50% of overall passing grades. They can be from any stream but there isn’t any hard-pressed cut off for the students.

 

• Bachelors: It is better if the student has pursued a 4-year professional bachelor's's degree, but 3-year ones are also considered. A student may be required to have additional education experience, but generally, a completed bachelor's degree is enough for them to be considered. Bachelor's's degrees can be from any stream, irrelevant to the course they are applying for. They should have passed with a minimum of 50% marks.

 

• Work Experience: It is paramount for a student to have work experience. Although there isn’t any minimum or maximum requirement, an average of 4 years of experience puts the student on better odds of getting accepted. The work experience of the students ranges from one to ten years, generally. Some students also opt for Masters while pursuing a professional field in the USA during their studies. If a student has low work experience, a letter of recommendation plays a great role in getting considered for admission.
   
• English Language Assessment Test: TOEFL and IELTS are the primary qualifications in this field. However, if the student has received a bachelor's in English language, then the requirement is omitted. Also, if the student received a bachelor's from an English medium institute, the requirement may get wavered.

Admission Process

The admission process is simple. You can apply online or contact a consultancy firm and fill the forums then attach the required documents and send it to the college for review. The documents required are:
 

• Recommendation Letter: A letter of recommendation from the company you’re working for and the institute you pursued your bachelor's from.
   
• Statement of Purpose: Very important piece of document that explains the reason for the student to pursue a Masters in the university they are applying for. It is better to explain future intentions with the degree, shows a person’s caliber.
   
• Resume: As proof of work experience, a resume works aptly.
   
• Proof of qualification examination: Copy of the result of GRE/GMAT/TOEFL/IELTS and any other required qualification asked by the standards of the university.
   
• Academic Transcripts: Statement of marks with passing certificate of the 10+2 qualification.
   
• Financial Statements: Universities often require a bank statement, or financial proof to show that the student can afford the education in their institute, at least for the first year.
   
• Passport Copy: A passport works as an important identification proof.
   
• Extra-Curricular Certificates: To accumulate plus points, these certificates can help the applicant go a long way.
   
• Essays: Some universities ask students to write an essay. It may be according to the SOP or to determine the potential of the candidate.
  
   

After reviewing the application, if the college accepted your admission, they will send an offer letter. You can use a copy of this letter in the student visa application.