Considering the amount an average MBA student invests in their degree, it’s hardly surprising that post-MBA salary is a key focus for prospective students.
Students need the promise of a post-MBA salary spike to pay off tuition fees alone, which pack a hefty punch. Take the Columbia, MBA—the most expensive full-time MBA program according to our BusinessBecause Cost of MBA Report 2023—where tuition alone comes in at roughly $169,000; or MIT Sloan, with tuition fees of $164,000 for the two-year program.
But given the eye-watering salaries that some MBA graduates can expect to earn, the cost doesn't feel quite as significant. Here, we list the business schools with the highest MBA salaries three years after graduation, based on the 2024 Financial Times MBA Ranking.
See the FT’s full rankings table
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Best Business Schools For MBA Salaries
20. Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business, USA
Founded in 1949, the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University is home to one of the leading STEM MBA programs.
A substantial increase in average post-MBA salaries brings the Tepper School of Business to this year’s classification. Within three years of graduation, students can expect to earn in the range of $193,908.
19. Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, USA
Named after the founder of billion-dollar consumer goods company SC Johnson, Cornell Johnson graduates are destined for high earning jobs. Students at this Ivy League business school can expect to earn $194,542 on average three years after graduating.
READ: Best Business Schools In The World | Financial Times MBA Ranking
18. Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, India
A leading public business school located in Ahmedabad on the West coast of India, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad ranks among the top two schools in India, according to the FT.
The school has impressive statistics, with 99% of students gaining employment within three months of graduation. Grads also earn average salaries of $194,595 three years after graduation.
17. UCLA Anderson School Of Management, USA
Based in California and named after American billionaire John E Anderson, UCLA Anderson School of Management has a 94% success rate when it comes to employing graduates within three months. Those grads go on to earn impressive salaries of $196,204.
16. INSEAD, France/Singapore
INSEAD has ranked as the world’s number one business school in the world and this year it places second, beating out stiff competition from many of the prestigious M7 Business Schools.
But the school has much more to offer beyond its ranking status. As well as campuses in France, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore, and industry-leading faculty, INSEAD boasts impressive salary statistics.
MBA graduates bring in an average of $198,204 per year after three years, making it a truly international program with a promising return on investment.
Check out our INSEAD MBA jobs and salary review
15. Yale School of Management, USA
One of the US’ oldest universities, and often considered one of its best, Yale School of Management is famed for its influential alumni, including five US Presidents and more than 20 living billionaires.
The latter indicates the sort of return on investment Yale graduates can expect within three years, bringing in a generous $199,746 per year, a 135% salary increase compared to pre-MBA.
Check out our Yale SOM MBA jobs and salary review
READ: Best European Business Schools | Financial Times Ranking
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14. Darden School of Business, University of Virginia
University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business is one of the many US-based business schools that rank among the top-20 schools in the FT list. Darden graduates can expect to earn $202,371 per year within three years of graduation.
13. SDA Bocconi School of Management, Italy
SDA Bocconi School of Management is one of Europe’s top business schools, located in the heart of Italy’s business hub: Milan. It’s home to a top-three ranking MBA program, having risen up the FT list after placing sixth in 2023.
Graduates from the Bocconi MBA tend to see impressive return on their investment, with a 135% increase between pre and post-MBA salary, and average salaries of $202,534, three years after leaving the program.
12. Duke University Fuqua School of Business, USA
The average graduate from the Fuqua MBA earns $204,186 per year within three years. It’s clear Fuqua is a school that promises a significant salary, as well as one that flies the flag for women in business—45% of Fuqua MBAs are female.
The school’s alumni includes Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
11. New York University Stern School of Business, USA
NYU Stern dropped two places in the 2024 FT ranking, placing 21st overall. A prestigious business school based in New York, Stern MBAs are the first in this list to earn salaries that average above $200k within three years. The figure of $205,262 amounts to a 140% increase compared with pre-MBA salaries.
10 Best Business Schools For MBA Salaries
10. Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business, USA
Tuck’s renowned MBA program at the New Hampshire Ivy League school boasts a diverse student body, with 44% of its class female. The significant post-degree salary of $211,515 after three years has also made ‘Tuckies’ the most generous graduates, with over two-thirds of alumni donating to the school.
9. Shanghai University of Finance and Economics College of Business, China
The College of Business at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics offers one of the top Global MBAs in Asia. The school's strong salary prospects contribute to its position as the third highest-ranking business schools in the continent, and second best in China.
With a salary boost of 190% compared to pre-MBA earnings, graduates go on to earn an average of $211,973 within three years.
READ: Who Are The M7 Business Schools?
8. Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA
Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management continues to rank highly in the FT’s Global MBA Ranking, the school has ranked among the top-10 for the past three years.
The appeal of living in Chicago, along with the potential of earning an average salary of $216,134 per year within three years, make this business school an obvious choice for many MBA applicants.
7. Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley, USA
On the west coast of the US, UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business has established a reputation for producing high-flying graduates with even higher salaries.
The sunny Californian campus is not the only appeal of enrolling in the Haas MBA, the school is also famous for its renowned faculty members, including Hal Varian, chief economist at Google.
The world-class education on offer makes Haas graduates highly employable, earning average salaries of $218,992 per year within three years.
6. Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, USA
Ranking 10th in the overall FT ranking, University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business is the sixth highest FT-ranked school for MBA salaries in 2024, promising students a strong return on their investments.
Booth MBA grads can hope to earn in the region of $228,901 per year on average within three years, a 126% salary increase on their pre-MBA earnings.
As many as 94% of Booth grads land jobs within three months, a testament to the mentoring and advice MBA students get when they enrol. Booth MBAs need not only think about salary—the school has produced the most Nobel laureates out of any other business school in the US.
5. Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
Given MIT’s status as one of the best universities in the world, and its famously selective admissions process, its graduates are in high demand. And it’s good news for MBA graduates on the compensation front too; after three years, MIT MBAs can expect to earn on average $229,639 per year.
READ: MBA Acceptance Rates At The World’s Top Business Schools
4. Columbia Business School, USA
A Manhattan-based campus and proximity to Wall Street has consistently made Columbia Business School a strong option for those aspiring for a career in finance.
At joint third place in the FT overall ranking, the school has fallen two places from top spot in last year’s ranking. Nonetheless, the school’s salary performance contributed to its overall high ranking. Columbia MBAs earn an average salary of $232,760 after three years.
Check out our Columbia MBA jobs and salary review
Top 3 Business Schools For MBA Salaries
3. The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, USA
Despite dropping out from the 2023 FT ranking, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania has earned top position in the ranking this year. Renowned for its strength in finance and high earning potential, the school beat out last year’s top-two schools, INSEAD and Columbia Business School.
Within three years of graduating, Wharton alumni can expect to earn $245,772 per year, a 121% increase compared to pre-MBA earnings.
Check out our Wharton MBA jobs and salary review
2. Harvard Business School, USA
The oldest academic institution in the US, and a regular feature among the very top of the FT ranking, Harvard Business School’s reputation speaks for itself.
A Harvard MBA degree is worth its weight in gold, especially considering its graduates are expected after three years to earn $246,509 per year on average. The financial success of Harvard grads has also made it one of the more generous universities, offering financial scholarships to nearly 50% of its students.
Check out our Harvard MBA jobs and salary review
1. Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA
The hardest business school in the world to get into, and the alma mater of the current UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, Stanford Graduate School of Management is among the most prestigious institutions alive today.
Stanford MBAs can expect to earn the highest salaries of all MBA graduates from the top 100 ranked schools. Average salaries amount to a huge $250,650 after three years—a 117% increase compared with pre-MBA salaries.
Check out our Stanford MBA jobs and salary review
20 Best Business Schools for MBA Salaries
Download the free BusinessBecause Cost of MBA Report 2023
*Salaries are calculated as an average of alumni salaries three years after graduation and based on the FT Global MBA Ranking 2024.
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