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LinkedIn Top MBA Programs 2023: The 50 best U.S. business schools to grow your career
A master’s of business administration is a big investment, often coming with a price tag of more than $200,000 for the most coveted programs. For many professionals, it’s still an investment worth making — and one that can pay off. Recent LinkedIn research shows that B-school can help you get ahead more quickly in your career, grow your professional network and open doors to new opportunities.
Today, we unveil the inaugural list of LinkedIn Top MBA Programs in the U.S., revealing the 50 best business schools to help you get ahead in your career. The list is built on exclusive LinkedIn data looking at career outcomes of MBA alumni, such as job placement rates, advancement to senior-level positions and network strength. You can learn more about how and why we produced this ranking here.
Not sure if an MBA is right for you? LinkedIn Editor Gianna Prudente looks at what you should consider before heading back to campus. If you decide an MBA is right for you, this list is the go-to resource to identify the best program for your career goals. You’ll find actionable insights on the top roles, industries, cities and skills among alumni of each program. (Bonus: clicking on a skill will bring you directly to a relevant LinkedIn Learning course). And if a program sparks your interest, we’ve also included links to connect with alumni you may know.
The most common industries, job titles, locations and skills reflect aggregated public member data from active LinkedIn profiles of alumni of each program. Alumni quotes are from public LinkedIn comments or as told directly to LinkedIn.
Location: Boston | Most common industries: Business and Consulting Services, Capital Markets, Technology and Internet | Most common job titles: Founder, Product Manager, Investment Associate | Top locations: New York City, Boston, San Francisco | Most notable skills: Deal Execution, Early-Stage Startups, Private Equity | What alumni are saying: “Two years of case studies at HBS really helped me understand the need to make decisions on strategy and tactics with limited information and see how other leaders did this well and less well. I have come to value this pedagogical approach more and more over the decades of my career, particularly in this Age of AI which is flooded with opportunity and uncertainty.” – Paul Baier ‘94
Location: Palo Alto, Calif. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Capital Markets, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Founder, Product Manager, Chief Executive Officer | Top locations: San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles | Most notable skills: Venture Capital, Private Equity, Product Launch | What alumni are saying: “My MBA from Stanford has opened up incredible opportunities. Notably, as a woman and a woman of color, having an MBA is a credential that allows me to get into rooms where I otherwise would have been excluded.” – Nathalie Walton ’12
Location: Hanover, N.H. | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets, Technology and Internet | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Product Manager, Business Consultant | Top locations: Boston, New York City, San Francisco | Most notable skills: Renewable Energy, Investment Banking, Business Operations | What alumni are saying: “I earned my MBA at Dartmouth — great school and a fabulous, close-knit community. The experience has been instrumental throughout my career.” – Don Stuart ‘79
Location: Philadelphia | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets, Technology and Internet | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Product Manager, Founder | Top locations: New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles | Most notable skills: Leveraged Finance, Restructuring, Deal Execution | What alumni are saying: “My degree had both planned and unplanned benefits. As planned, I gained access to a remarkable marketing organization where I learned how to run a business and to design products and campaigns that appeal to a mass audience. The unplanned benefit is the MBA provided credibility that my business skills were evergreen and helped me re-enter the paid labor market [after spending years doing unpaid parental labor].” – Lori Mackenzie ‘93
Location: Cambridge, Mass. | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Founder, Investment Associate | Top locations: Boston, New York City, San Francisco | Most notable skills: System Dynamics, International Business Development, Blockchain | What alumni are saying: “MIT isn’t just an institution; it’s a deluge of opportunities, a ceaseless cascade of knowledge, innovation and resources especially for those pursuing entrepreneurship tracks. Here, the reservoir of skill-building resources is boundless.” – Barbara Mutabazi ‘25
Location: Evanston, Ill. | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Investment Associate, Business Consultant | Top locations: Chicago, San Francisco, New York City | Most notable skills: Stata, General Management, Digital Innovation | What alumni are saying: “I obtained my MBA mid-career. I am a gastroenterologist and healthcare was going through its first phase of corporatization. I went to Kellogg so that I could understand the nuances of the business world. It wound up being a career changing step, one that put me on an entrepreneurial path. There was no looking back.” – Lawrence Kosinski ’98
Location: Berkeley, Calif. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Founder, Investment Associate | Top locations: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle | Most notable skills: Partnerships, C++, FinTech | What alumni are saying: “Going to Haas School of Business was a transformative experience for me. Yes, it is possible to acquire the knowledge in other ways. What cannot be replaced is the collaboration experience with some very smart people from diverse backgrounds, questioning the status quo, guided by some of the top minds in academia.” – Daniel Feldman ’10
Location: New Haven, Conn. | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets, Technology and Internet | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Product Manager, Business Consultant | Top locations: New York City, Boston, San Francisco | Most notable skills: Stata, Renewable Energy, Sustainability | What alumni are saying: “My MBA was most valuable in teaching me how to approach leadership, problem solve and craft a strategy ‘for business and society.’ Aside from exposing students to leading management thinkers and professors and expanding networks, the alumni association is actively involved in engaging the community.” – Urvashi Bhatnagar ’18
Location: Chicago | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets, Technology and Internet | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Product Manager, Business Consultant | Top locations: Chicago, New York City, San Francisco | Most notable skills: Ruby on Rails, General Management, Statistical Modeling | What alumni are saying: “Booth is the place where I got the opportunity to meet, listen and interact with people from diverse backgrounds. Learning from well-known leaders and Nobel laureates in-person are especially memorable experiences.” – Dhimant Korant ’23
Location: Durham, N.C. | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Investment Associate, Business Consultant | Top locations: New York City, San Francisco, Seattle | Most notable skills: International Business Development, Investment Banking, Strategic Data Analysis | What alumni are saying: “I wouldn’t have the success I have today without my MBA from Duke University. To this day, if I reach out to a Duke graduate, nine times out of ten, they will respond and I try to do the same. It’s a generous community who believes in giving back, supporting and lifting each other.” – Mita Mallick ’07
Location: New York City | Most common industries: Capital Markets, Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Product Manager, Founder | Top locations: New York City, San Francisco, London | Most notable skills: Value Investing, Investment Research, Hedge Funds, Structured Finance
Location: Charlottesville, Va. | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets, Technology and Internet | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Product Manager, Business Consultant | Top locations: Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston | Most notable skills: Deal Execution, Investment Banking, Strategic Initiatives
Location: Los Angeles | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Investment Associate, Founder | Top locations: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle | Most notable skills: Market Risk, Technology Management, Corporate Development
Location: Ithaca, N.Y. | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets, Technology and Internet | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Product Manager, Business Consultant | Top locations: New York City, San Francisco, Seattle | Most notable skills: IBM SPSS, JavaScript, Artificial Intelligence
Location: Atlanta | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Business Consultant, Product Manager | Top locations: Atlanta, New York City | Most notable skills: Strategic Consulting, Vendor Management, Valuation
Location: New York City | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets, Technology and Internet | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Product Manager, Business Consultant | Top locations: New York City San Francisco, London | Most notable skills: JMP, Start-up Ventures, Influencer Marketing
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Investment Associate, Program Manager | Top locations: New York City, Seattle, San Francisco | Most notable skills: Product Vision, Artificial Intelligence, Investment Banking
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich. | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Investment Associate, Business Consultant | Top locations: Chicago, Detroit, New York City | Most notable skills: General Management, Java, Engineering Management
Location: Los Angeles | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Financial Analyst, Business Operations Manager | Top locations: Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City | Most notable skills: Strategic Sourcing, Enterprise Software, Sustainability
Location: Austin | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Investment Associate, Business Consultant | Top locations: Austin, Dallas, Houston | Most notable skills: IT Strategy, Product Requirements, Renewable Energy
Location: Nashville | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Financial Analyst, Product Manager, Investment Associate | Top locations: Nashville, New York City, Atlanta | Most notable skills: Agile Project Management, Product Launch, Healthcare
Location: Washington, D.C. | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Capital Markets, Technology and Internet | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Business Consultant, Product Manager | Top locations: Washington, D.C., New York City, San Francisco | Most notable skills: Sustainability, Venture Capital, Artificial Intelligence
Location: Atlanta | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services, Credit Intermediation | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Business Consultant, Business Operations Manager | Top locations: Atlanta | Most notable skills: Consultative Selling, IT Strategy, Predictive Analytics
Location: Rochester, N.Y. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Capital Markets, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Financial Analyst, Product Manager, Investment Associate | Top locations: New York City, Rochester, N.Y. | Most notable skills: Business Modeling, Pricing Analysis, Banking
Location: St. Louis | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Financial Analyst, Business Consultant | Top locations: St. Louis, San Francisco | Most notable skills: Agile Project Management, Valuation, Healthcare
Location: Irvine, Calif. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Financial Analyst, Project Manager | Top locations: Los Angeles | Most notable skills: Digital Transformation, Business Analytics, Product Launch
Location: Notre Dame, Ind. | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Financial Analyst, Investment Associate | Top locations: Chicago, New York City | Most notable skills: Business Analytics, Microsoft SQL Server, Agile Project Management
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C. | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Product Manager, Business Consultant | Top locations: Raleigh, N.C., New York City, Charlotte, N.C. | Most notable skills: JMP, Military Operations, Manufacturing Operations
Location: Babson Park, Mass. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Capital Markets, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Founder, Project Manager | Top locations: Boston, New York City, Miami | Most notable skills: SAS (Software), Product Innovation, Strategic Consulting
Location: Boston | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services, Research Services | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Program Manager, Financial Analyst | Top locations: Boston, New York City, San Francisco | Most notable skills: Six Sigma, Data Management, Agile Project Management
Location: Baltimore | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Financial Analyst, Project Manager | Top locations: Washington, D.C., New York City | Most notable skills: User-centered Design, Healthcare Management, Agile Project Management
Location: Houston | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Oil and Gas, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Investment Associate, Business Consultant, Product Manager | Top locations: Houston, Austin, Dallas | Most notable skills: Project Engineering, IBM SPSS, Renewable Energy
Location: Seattle | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Transportation Equipment Manufacturing, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Program Manager, Business Consultant | Top locations: Seattle, San Francisco | Most notable skills: Software Product Management, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), JavaScript
Location: Minneapolis | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Medical Equipment Manufacturing | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Marketing Manager, Business Consultant | Top locations: Minneapolis | Most notable skills: Medical Devices, Business Analytics, Product Launch
Location: Newark, N.J. | Most common industries: Chemical Manufacturing, Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Financial Auditor, Financial Analyst | Top locations: New York City | Most notable skills: Strategic Sourcing, Variance Analysis, Procurement
Location: Boulder, Colo. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Real Estate, Capital Markets | Most common job titles: Financial Analyst, Product Manager, Project Manager | Top locations: Denver | Most notable skills: B2B Marketing, Real Estate, Project Management
Location: Provo, Utah | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services, Computers and Electronics Manufacturing | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Financial Analyst, Business Operations Manager | Top locations: Salt Lake City, Seattle | Most notable skills: Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Project Management, Business Strategy
Location: Bloomington, Ind. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services, Machinery Manufacturing | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Financial Analyst, Brand Manager | Top locations: Chicago, Indianapolis, New York City | Most notable skills: Minitab, Systems Engineering, Six Sigma
Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Capital Markets, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Financial Analyst, Product Manager | Top locations: Boston, New York City | Most notable skills: IBM SPSS, Project Management, Data Analysis
Location: Athens, Ga. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services, Credit Intermediation | Most common job titles: Project Manager, Product Manager, Financial Analyst | Top locations: Atlanta | Most notable skills: Six Sigma, Agile Project Management, Business Analytics
Location: Washington, D.C. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Business Consultant, Program Manager, Project Manager | Top locations: Washington, D.C., New York City | Most notable skills: Agile Project Management, Nonprofit Organizations, Data Analysis
Location: East Lansing, Mich. | Most common industries: Transportation Equipment Manufacturing, Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Product Manager, Business Operations Manager, Program Manager | Top locations: Detroit | Most notable skills: Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Management, Supply Chain Operations
Location: Dallas | Most common industries: Business Consulting and Services, Technology and Internet, Real Estate | Most common job titles: Financial Analyst, Project Manager, Product Manager | Top locations: Dallas | Most notable skills: Alteryx, Business Analytics, Valuation
Location: Boston | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Capital Markets, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Audit Associate, Accounting Associate, Program Manager | Top locations: Boston, New York City | Most notable skills: Supply Chain Operations, Auditing, Agile Project Management
Location: New York City | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Capital Markets, Advertising Services | Most common job titles: Project Manager, Product Manager, Founder | Top locations: New York City, Paris | Most notable skills: Social Media Communications, Sourcing, Business Analytics
Location: Los Angeles | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Transportation Equipment Manufacturing, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Project Manager, Financial Analyst, Marketing Manager | Top locations: Los Angeles, San Francisco | Most notable skills: Database Development, Employee Relations, IBM SPSS
Location: Columbus, Ohio | Most common industries: Capital Markets, Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Brand Manager, Business Operations Manager, Financial Analyst | Top locations: Cleveland, Columbus | Most notable skills: Six Sigma, Agile Project Management, Healthcare
Location: Gainesville, Fla. | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Transportation Equipment Manufacturing, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Project Manager, Financial Analyst, Product Manager | Top locations: Miami, Orlando, Fla., Tampa, Fla. | Most notable skills: Systems Engineering, Six Sigma, Operational Planning
Location: Denver | Most common industries: Technology and Internet, Business Consulting and Services | Most common job titles: Financial Analyst, Project Manager, Business Operations Manager | Top locations: Denver | Most notable skills: Diversity and Inclusion, Business Analytics, Project Management
Location: Tempe, Ariz. | Most common industries: Computers and Electronics Manufacturing, Technology and Internet, Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | Most common job titles: Program Manager, Financial Analyst, Business Operations Manager | Top locations: Phoenix, San Francisco | Most notable skills: Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Management, IBM SPSS
Methodology
Our methodology uses LinkedIn data to rank U.S. MBA programs based on five pillars: hiring and demand; ability to advance; network strength; leadership potential; and gender diversity. Hiring and demand tracks job placement rates and labor market demand, focusing on recent graduate cohorts from 2018 to 2022. This assessment is based on LinkedIn hiring data and recruiter InMail outreach data. Ability to advance tracks promotions among recent cohorts. It also tracks how quickly all past alumni have reached director or VP-level leadership roles. This assessment is based on standardized job titles. Network strength tracks network depth, or how connected alumni of the same program are to each other; network quality of the recent cohorts (2018-2022), measured by average connections alumni have with individuals in director-level positions or above; and network growth rate of the recent cohort before and after graduation. This assessment is based on member connection data. Leadership potential tracks the percentage of alumni with post-MBA entrepreneurship or C-suite experience. Finally, Gender diversity measures gender parity within recent graduate cohorts.
To be eligible, MBA programs must be U.S.-based, AACSB-accredited and full-time programs. They must have had at least 2000 alumni as of August 31, 2023, with no fewer than 500 alumni having graduated between 2018 and 2022, based on LinkedIn data. We exclude executive MBAs, part-time MBAs, mini-MBAs and certificate-based MBAs from our analysis. Furthermore, eligibility criteria for alumni include completion of the program within a two-year timeframe. Depending on the specific metric in question, our methodology either encompasses all alumni or those who graduated between 2018 and 2022. This analysis represents the world seen through the lens of LinkedIn data, drawn from the anonymized and aggregated profile information of LinkedIn’s members around the world.
About program insights
*Company insights were sourced from LinkedIn Talent Insights. Data reflects aggregated public member data from active LinkedIn profiles and includes alumni profiles associated with the program on LinkedIn. Industry, titles and employers data measures the most common industries, job titles and companies members indicated on their profile for their first job after graduating from their MBA. Skills data was derived from measuring the most frequent skills members added to their profile for a given MBA program, while being more rare across other programs. Career pivots compares the industry members worked in directly before starting their MBA and directly after to analyze career pivots. Years of experience represents the average months of experience members held across all roles before beginning their MBA. Locations data measures the most common locations associated with a member’s first job after their MBA.
