Business studies is the most popular subject choice among undergrad students in the US. But there are few published rankings which can guide students to make better choices. PoetsandQuants list of the best undergraduate business programs in the US is set to fill this gap.

The first edition rated a little-known school – Washington University’s Olin Business School as the single best undergrad business experience in the US. The ranking evaluated business schools across the US on the basis of three core criteria – admissions selectivity, alumni perspective on the educational experience (professional exposure & extracurricular activities), and early career outcomes.

The University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business gained the top rank for its quality of academic advising, while University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business had the best employment outcomes, and University of California-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business was the most selective in terms of admissions. But Olin Business School was voted the best overall.

With an acceptance rate of 10.3%, the school is even more selective than Harvard Business School. It also has the highest average SAT score of 1480. 91 % of Olin’s business program students are in the top 10% of their high school classes. The quality of academic advising was also voted second only to Notre Dame. 

John A. Byrne, Editor-in-Chief of PoetsandQuants, told media, “We’ve captured actual SAT scores and acceptance rates of the business programs, the experiential and global immersion opportunities, two-year vs. four-year programs, as well as internship, full-time job placement and first-year compensation data.”

He also said the rankings were created as a resource for young students & parents to make informed decisions about the best place to learn business basics.

The top ten schools according to the PoetsandQuants rankings are as below.

1. Washington University in St. Louis Olin Business School
    
2. University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business
    
3. University of Pennsylvania The Wharton School
    
4. Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
    
5. University of California – Berkeley Haas School of Business
    
6. Cornell University Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management
    
7. Indiana University Kelley School of Business
    
8. University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce
    
9. New York University Stern School of Business
    
10. University of Michigan Ross School of Business

What are your thoughts on rankings? Are they a major factor in deciding where you apply?
Let us know in the comments section below.


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