Which are the top cities in the US for an MBA?

The world’s first-ever Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) was created in the USA in 1908 by Harvard Business School (then called Harvard University Graduate School of Administration). 

Today, many of the world’s top-ranked MBA programs continue to be found in the USA—but aspiring students can find a significantly larger number of available options to choose from.

Making sense of those options can be tricky. One of the most important factors when making your decision is location, as the city in which you study can impact your lifestyle and post-graduation prospects.

In this article, we look at some of the top cities in the USA to study an MBA, based on the results of the most recent US News & World Report MBA ranking.

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Top cities for an MBA in the US

New York

New York City is one of the most famous cities in the world. Alongside its world-famous skyline, which features the likes of the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center, it’s also home to the iconic Wall Street, the world’s leading center for banking, financial services, and fintech. It boasts the highest concentration of Fortune 500 company headquarters in the world, and contains two business schools that rank among the top 10 in the US, according to US News & World Report.

If you’re considering studying an MBA in New York City, you may look at Ivy League institution Columbia Business School, which ranks joint seventh in the US. Columbia’s MBA application process is incredibly competitive, with a success rate of just 1 in 5—but it pays off, with high average graduate salaries of US$170,524 and a 69 percent employment rate at graduation.

Also in joint seventh is the New York University Stern School of Business. It’s another tough institution to get accepted into, with a 24 percent rate of success, but it’s a good option for ambitious MBA applicants—75.6 percent of students are employed at graduation and earn an average base salary of $168,970. Other US top-100 options include Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, which has its main campus in the Bronx and ranks joint 60th in the US; or the Manhattan-based Zicklin School of Business at City University of New York, which comes in at 71st.

Boston

Boston, Massachusetts, is a vibrant cultural and business center, and a hub for finance, healthcare, technology, education, and startups.

If you’re set on studying at one of the prestigious Ivy League schools, you would struggle to do better than Harvard Business School, located in the Allston neighborhood of Boston. Ranking fourth in the USA, this highly sought-after MBA promises to help students think expansively, act decisively, and inspire those around them. Graduates are rewarded with an exceptionally high average base salary of $180,889. It’s unsurprising, then, that the acceptance rate is competitive—just 11 percent of applications are successful.

Boston University’s Questrom School of Business is another ranked local MBA option, placing 46th in the country. Half of Questrom’s MBA graduates switch careers after graduation, and the average base salary for grads is $114,998. While 38 percent are employed at graduation, this figure rises to 80 percent within three months. Meanwhile, D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University attracts Boston’s budding entrepreneurs and helps graduates earn an average base salary of $95,875.

Atlanta

Georgia state’s capital city has been called ‘the business capital of the Southeast’, containing numerous Fortune 500 headquarters and a significant tech and fintech hub.

Emory University’s Goizueta Business School is a popular option for MBA applicants looking to study in Atlanta, ranking 23rd in the country. Goizueta MBA students attend immersive global experience trips and complete hands-on leadership training. On average, around a third (33 percent) of applications to the program are accepted, and most graduates go on to work in consulting or finance, earning an average salary of $157,691.

The Scheller College of Business MBA at Georgia Institute of Technology places a strong focus on immersive and experiential learning at the intersection of business and technology. Graduates from the Scheller MBA—ranked 27th in the USA—earn an average salary of $136,378, while the employment rate sits at around 82 percent three months after graduation. Also in the USA’s top 100 MBAs, according to US News, is Clark Atlanta University’s School of Business Administration. This school ranks joint 93rd in the US, and has a relatively high acceptance rate of 59 percent. MBA grads here go on to earn an average base salary of $82,183, with an impressive 81 percent employment rate at graduation.

Washington DC

While it is known for hosting the White House, Washington DC—the federal capital of the US—is also a growing hub for cybersecurity, AI, and social enterprise startups, attracting business students from around the world.

Those interested in studying an MBA in this famous city have varied options available to them. These include the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, which ranks 31st in the country and has a higher acceptance rate than many other top business schools, accepting 64 percent of all applications. McDonough graduates earn a high average base salary of $146,265, going on to work in finance, consulting, and technology.

American University’s Kogod School of Business also offers a DC-based MBA. Ranked 46th in the US, Kogod alumni find careers as CEOs, state treasurers, consultants and small business owners, earning an average salary of $116,540. Similarly, George Washington University’s School of Business offers another top MBA, which ranks joint 69th in the country, and boasts a high average base graduate salary of $108,316, with 53 percent employed at graduation.

Pittsburgh

Located in southwestern Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh has a strong history as the world’s steel capital, even supplying the metal for the Empire State Building. It’s also where Heinz, the McDonald’s Big Mac, and the world’s first commercial broadcasting station, KDKA, were founded. Today, Pittsburgh still attracts invention and innovation, renowned for its technology, manufacturing, life science, health, and education industries.

It is also home to some of the USA’s best business schools, including Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, ranked 16th globally in the US News ranking. The program has an average acceptance rate of 24 percent, and Tepper’s MBA offers a STEM-designated curriculum and an emphasis on creative teamwork, with graduates earning a high average salary of $154,846.

Other prestigious MBA options in Pittsburgh include the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at University of Pittsburgh, a top 50 US school. Most Katz graduates go into healthcare, consulting, technology, or manufacturing, earning an average base salary of $98,432. Also among the US top 100 MBA programs, in 98th place, is Palumbo-Donahue School of Business at Duquesne University, which boasts an impressive 100 percent three-month employment rate—by which time graduates earn a base salary of $70,833.

Los Angeles

There’s a lot more to Los Angeles, California, than just Hollywood. While it’s home of the US’s booming entertainment and media industry, it’s also known for international trade, manufacturing, and technology. This makes it an appealing environment for MBA students. The city’s best business schools for an MBA, according to US News, include the UCLA Anderson School of Management, which ranks 18th in the country and has a 31 percent application success rate. UCLA’s MBA graduates enjoy an average base salary of $153,566, working primarily in finance, consulting, production, and management.

In Downtown LA, the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California is another popular option, with a similar application success rate. USC Marshall’s MBA ranks joint 25th in the country, and students are recruited by leading firms such as Amazon, Google, Disney, Deloitte, and McKinsey, earning an average salary of $142,184.