The 2020 US News & World Report Business Schools Rankings were published today. Most of the schools that are perennially in the top 10 are there again, however there were some changes in position. Wharton holds the top spot, alone, this year up two spots from #3 last year. Also, Harvard and Booth fell from tied for #1 last year to tied for #3 this year. MIT Sloan is also tied for 3rd. Yale’s back in the top 10, as is Duke.
2020 US News & World Report Business Schools Rankings
- #1 University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
- #2 Stanford University
- #3 Harvard University (tie)
- #3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) (tie)
- #3 University of Chicago (Booth) (tie)
- #6 Columbia University (tie)
- #6 Northwestern University (Kellogg) (tie)
- #6 University of California — Berkeley (Haas) (tie)
- #9 Yale University
- #10 Duke University (Fuqua) (tie)
- #10 University of Michigan — Ann Arbor (Ross) (tie)
Observations of note
Out of the schools in the top 10 this year, all of them, except for Duke, had an average GMAT of 720 or higher. Scanning the rankings, it wasn’t until you got to #15 Cornell University (Johnson) that the average GMAT score dipped below 700. The average GMAT score at 5 of the top 6 schools was 730+. Similar to rankings, we don’t want to place too much emphasis on the average GMAT score, but it’s worth noting that the average scores remain high and are continuing to go up for schools in the top 25. You’re probably wondering, what you can do about it. Check out these articles on the Veritas Prep blog or contact us so we can give you some free advice.
Acceptance rates at the top schools range from 6.1% (Stanford) to 27.1% (University of Michigan Ross). A school’s acceptance rate doesn’t tell you your chances of being accepted. The strength of your profile and application determine that, but we point out acceptance rates because it’s worth noting how competitive getting into a top business school can be and what the chances are and how much they vary, even among schools ranked in the top 10.
As we’ve stated before: for those of you hyper focused on attending a school in the top 10, we hope you remember that the top 10 varies from year to year and you should keep an open mind about applying to schools outside of the top 10.
The difference between a school being ranked in the top 10 and not is pretty small. One year they may be in the top 10, the next year they may be out. Did the school change that much in 1 year? Probably not. Is the school still a great school? Most likely yes. There can be so much focus on a school being ranked in the top 10, but there are a number of excellent schools which hover right around the top 10 and even crack the top 10 (as they say) some years that as an applicant, you should make sure you don’t overlook them. So, while Tuck, Stern and Darden aren’t in the top 10 this year, as you consider which schools to apply to, take a look at these schools as they are perennially near the top 10 and sometimes included, if that’s important to you.
We constantly remind applicants, rankings are only one factor to consider when selecting which schools to apply to. Regardless of which schools you decide are right for you, you’ll want to make sure you submit the strongest application you’re capable of. Contact us today to discuss your chances of admission to your target programs, to get answers to your questions, and to find out how we can help you get accepted to the school of your dreams.
Do you have what it takes to get into one of these schools? Speak with an admissions expert at Veritas Prep. At Veritas Prep, we’ve helped over 300,000 people take the GMAT, apply to their dream schools, and get admitted. Interested in learning more about how Veritas Prep can help you? Give us a call at (800) 962-2069 to speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or fill out this quick form to schedule a free MBA consultation, where we’ll review your applicant profile and give you actionable advice for your unique situation: https://www.veritasprep.com/business-school/free-profile-evaluation/
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