The Top Undergraduate Business Programs

Special Report: Top Undergraduate B-Schools

Slide Show: The Top 50 Undergrad Business Schools

Methodology: How We Make the Rankings

Use this interactive table to examine BusinessWeek's 2008 rankings

What a difference a year makes. When BusinessWeek ranked the nation's top undergraduate business programs last year, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School came out on top, with the University of Virginia a distant second. How distant? Relative positions are based on an "index number," which reflects the sum total of all five parts of our ranking methodology. As the No. 1 program, Wharton scored 100 points on the index, and Virginia 92.7--a chasm in a ranking where the differences between schools can be measured in tenths or even hundredths of a point.

This year, Virginia gained more than six points, coming within a hair's breadth of Wharton and the coveted No. 1 spot. The reason: Wharton's student and recruiter satisfaction ebbed somewhat, and Virginia's median starting salary for grads increased more than 10%, to $58,000. Last year's No. 7 school, Notre Dame, ousted University of California-Berkeley to reclaim the No. 3 spot it held in 2006, the first year of our ranking, a modest move of just four spots. But its performance on the index was even more impressive than Virginia's--it rocketed up 12 points, to 96.7.

Click column heading once to reorder from highest to lowest. Click twice to reorder from lowest to highest.

2008 Rank	2007 Rank	School Name	School Type	Program Length (in years)	Annual Cost(in dollars)	Full-time Enrollment	Student Survey Rank	Recruiter Survey Rank	Median Starting Salary	MBA Feeder School Rank	Academic Quality Rank	Index Number	Faculty Student Ratio	Average SAT Score	Average ACT Score	Teaching Quality Grade	Facilities & Service Grade	Job Placement Grade

1	1	Pennsylvania (Wharton) Philadelphia	Private	4	35,916	2,519	8	7	60,000	8	1	100.0	11.25	1439	NA	A+	A+	A+
			The No. 1 program three years running has it all: high-caliber faculty, students, and alumni.
2	2	Virginia (McIntire) Charlottesville	Public	2	8,690	652	1	44	58,000	2	3	99.0	10.52	1350	NA	A+	A+	A+
			With top-flight faculty and high salaries, UVA came close to unseating Wharton at No. 1.
3	7	Notre Dame (Mendoza) South Bend, Ind.	Private	3	35,187	1,626	2	18	53,500	12	6	96.7	18.07	1379	31	A+	A+	A+
			Die-hard alums and an emphasis on ethics separate Mendoza from the pack.
4	10	Cornell Ithaca, N.Y.	Private	4	19,291	708	5	33	55,000	1	13	91.9	19.14	1336	29	A+	A+	A+
			Challenging and practical curriculum leaves grads well-prepared for first jobs.
5	4	Emory (Goizueta) Atlanta	Private	2	34,336	622	3	38	55,000	9	7	91.2	9.72	1364	NA	A+	A+	A
			Students like the accessible professors and hard-working career services-team.
6	5	Michigan (Ross) Ann Arbor	Public	3	12,585	1,069	17	15	60,000	7	8	90.6	14.07	1332	30	B	A	A+
			Rigorous curriculum and teamwork emphasis win praise, but students are no fans of strict grading.
7	8	Brigham Young (Marriott) Provo, Utah	Private	2	3,840	1,616	6	1	48,000	21	33	89.2	18.16	1232	27	A	A+	A
			Students hail Marriott's emphasis on producing ethical future business leaders.
8	9	NYU (Stern) New York	Private	4	36,524	2,335	10	17	60,000	24	4	89.0	11.73	1438	31.1	A+	A	A+
			Finance focus and NYC location make Stern a magnet for Wall Street recruiters.
9	6	MIT (Sloan) Cambridge, Mass.	Private	3	34,986	246	4	49	61,118	10	10	88.4	2.41	1387	31	A+	A+	A+
			Training in quant skills is second to none, and undergrads get to take classes with MBAs.
10	13	Texas (McCombs) Austin	Public	4	8,908	3,969	15	2	49,500	16	45	84.6	42.22	1315	28	A	A	A+
			Accounting and honors programs get high marks, and recruiting wins raves.
11	3	UC-Berkeley (Haas) Berkeley, Calif.	Public	2	8,384	700	14	12	57,000	6	55	82.3	35.00	1369	NA	A	A+	A+
			High-quality faculty, students, and recruiting give Haas the edge, but rugged grading curve irks some.
12	15	North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler) Chapel Hill	Public	2	5,340	658	12	52	53,500	3	16	81.3	21.93	1331	NA	A	A+	A
			Students applaud attentive profs and technology, but global focus makes UNC exceptional.
13	12	Villanova Villanova, Pa.	Private	4	34,900	1,804	11	25	50,000	33	9	80.0	16.55	1295	29	A+	A	A+
			Outstanding accounting program, but marketing majors feel neglected by recruiters.
14	14	Boston College (Carroll) Boston	Private	4	35,674	1,970	22	5	50,000	15	30	79.6	26.98	1324	29	A+	B	A+
			Real-world lessons, helpful career-services staff, and active alumni network give BC the edge.
15	16	Washington U. (Olin) St. Louis	Private	4	35,524	758	24	26	55,000	5	24	77.7	11.66	1430	32	A+	A+	C
			Recruiting is a problem, especially in financial services, but profs and admin draw praise.
16	18	Indiana (Kelley) Bloomington	Public	4	7,958	4,069	9	14	50,000	30	28	77.3	22.48	1253	28	A	B	A+
			Integrative curriculum, combining finance, marketing, strategy, and operations, get raves.
17	19	USC (Marshall) Los Angeles	Private	4	35,810	3,497	30	3	58,000	37	44	76.9	27.98	1370	NA	A	A	A+
			Extensive alumni network aids job searches, and faculty is tops.
18	22	Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Public	4	12,232	2,649	41	4	53,000	18	29	75.8	26.49	1340	30	C	B	A+
			Students praise attentive faculty and staff, and new state-of-the-art building under construction.
19	11	Georgetown (McDonough) Washington, D.C.	Private	4	35,740	1,297	39	42	60,000	4	23	75.4	23.16	1355	30	A+	C	B
			D.C. location supplies global and political touch; Jesuit principles add an emphasis on ethics.
20	23	Richmond (Robins) Richmond, Va.	Private	2	38,850	670	20	88	51,750	13	5	75.2	12.88	1284	29	A+	A	B
			Students cherish their small classes and close relationships with professors.
21	17	Wake Forest (Calloway) Winston-Salem, N.C.	Private	2	34,330	415	45	43	53,500	17	2	74.6	15.96	1329	NA	A+	A+	B
			Intense workload prepares students for the world of work, but grading policy hurts in job search.
22	21	Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) Pittsburgh	Private	4	37,544	450	65	31	60,000	11	11	73.3	9.38	1389	30	A	C	B
			The workload is intense, but small-school feel and focus on quantitative skills are pluses.
23	24	SMU (Cox) Dallas	Private	4	33,170	917	7	90	48,500	19	15	72.8	16.38	1396	32	A+	A	A+
			Small classes, accessible professors, and Dallas-centric recruiting define the Cox education.
24	35	Miami U. (Farmer) Oxford, Ohio	Public	2	11,875	2,025	44	10	45,766	26	14	72.6	15.34	NA	26.9	A	B	A
			Accounting and finance programs make the grade, but lackluster advising is a sore spot.
25	20	Lehigh Bethlehem, Pa.	Private	4	35,610	1,434	31	24	55,000	28	21	72.4	22.06	1298	NA	A+	A	A
			Faculty gets raves, but recruiting is mixed� great for accounting, less so for marketing.
26	40	Rensselaer Polytech (Lally) Troy, N.Y.	Private	4	35,885	374	27	22	55,000	36	25	71.6	12.06	1233	NA	A	A+	A
			Technology focus and one-on-one attention from profs are pluses.
27	34	Fordham New York	Private	4	32,720	1,866	52	13	54,221	58	34	67.3	20.50	1177	26	A	A	B
			Students like the focus on ethics and social responsibility. Some majors find job hunt tough.
28	33	Babson Babson Park, Mass.	Private	4	34,112	1,799	21	59	51,000	43	20	65.9	20.21	1244	27	A+	A+	A
			Entrepreneurship program requires students to run a business. Grading, workload are tough.
29	29	William & Mary (Mason) Williamsburg, Va.	Public	2	9,164	453	36	83	52,224	14	17	65.4	10.53	1307	29	A+	A	B
			Mason wins points for its best-of-class professors, intimate environment, and broad curriculum.
30	31	Bentley Waltham, Mass.	Private	4	32,896	3,810	18	50	47,500	63	37	63.7	28.86	1230	26	A	A+	A
			Small classes are a hallmark of this program, but jobs go mainly to finance and accounting majors.
31	50	Texas A & M (Mays) College Station	Public	4	7,266	3,856	16	9	46,400	40	83	63.3	33.24	1186	NA	B	A	A+
			Accounting and honors programs are strong suits. Some classes are less than challenging.
32	39	Texas Christian (Neeley) Fort Worth	Private	4	24,865	1,727	13	75	50,000	41	43	63.3	27.41	1180	25	A	A+	A
			Leadership program shines, but tough grading and regional recruiting make job search difficult.
33	25	U. of Washington Seattle	Public	2	6,385	1,750	37	36	47,500	39	26	63.2	20.83	1218	26	B	A+	A
			Students praise caring faculty and small community, but East Coast jobs can be elusive.
34	26	Northeastern Boston	Private	4	31,899	2,921	28	64	50,716	65	22	63.2	22.82	1273	NA	B	B	A+
			Co-op work experiences provide a taste of the real world, but on-campus education is mixed.
35	27	Santa Clara Santa Clara, Calif.	Private	4	33,000	1,860	48	16	51,000	44	53	62.3	29.06	1206	NA	A	C	A
			Silicon Valley locale provides lots of learning and job opportunities, but other recruiting is limited.
36	38	Baylor (Hankamer) Waco, Tex.	Private	4	25,340	2,565	26	51	45,000	56	27	62.1	21.02	1180	25	A	A	B
			Focus on ethics and integrity is applauded by many, but i-banks are few and far between.
37	28	Wisconsin (Madison)	Public	2	7,460	1,312	19	60	48,000	23	42	61.8	24.75	1275	28	B	A	A+
			Students say recruiters are fans of the program, but too many classes are taught by TAs.
38	36	Penn State (Smeal) University Park	Public	4	14,343	5,492	34	8	49,000	50	76	61.1	49.04	1213	26	B	A	A
			Recruiting interest is substantial and supply chain program wins raves. High cost irks some.
39	48	Michigan State (Broad) East Lansing	Public	2	10,090	2,065	35	6	47,750	42	72	61.0	24.88	1140	24	B	A	A
			Supply chain and honors programs are tops, but faculty and advising are sore spots.
40	74	Binghamton Binghamton, N.Y.	Public	4	6,012	870	79	11	57,000	20	62	59.8	26.36	1281	26	C	B	B
			Students praise the school's intimate feel and responsive administration.
41	52	Case Western (Weatherhead) Cleveland, Ohio	Private	4	33,538	405	67	55	47,500	57	12	58.5	13.50	1270	27	A+	B	C
			Small classes and attentive professors make learning easy, but workload can be intense.
42	37	Boston U. Boston	Private	4	34,930	1,979	60	66	49,147	25	19	58.1	18.67	1285	28	A	A	C
			Cross-functional curriculum gets high marks; tough grading and spotty recruiting don't.
43	30	Maryland (Smith) College Park	Public	4	7,968	2,877	51	53	50,360	38	35	57.7	20.85	1360	30	B	B	B
			Finance fellowship program gets high marks, but students doubt Smith's rep on Wall Street.
44	56	Georgia (Terry) Athens	Public	2	5,622	2,388	32	20	44,000	47	66	56.7	24.12	1233	27	B	A	A
			Students praise the academic rigor, but say getting into upper-level classes can be hard.
45	NR	Loyola College (Sellinger) Baltimore	Private	2	42,730	926	71	28	42,000	45	18	56.7	14.94	1215	NA	B	C	C
			Students like small classes and one-on-one attention from professors.
46	43	Florida (Warrington) Gainesville	Public	2	3,372	2,177	62	19	44,000	52	47	55.9	21.77	1255	27	C	B	B
			Profs are helpful, but big classes, many taught by TAs, and tepid recruiting disappoint.
47	46	U. San Diego San Diego, Calif.	Private	4	32,564	1,077	46	47	47,000	31	46	55.7	18.89	1175	26.1	A+	B	B
			Profs with a personal touch make this program shine, but some firms recruit for undesirable jobs.
48	42	Minnesota (Carlson) Minneapolis	Public	4	10,498	1,863	49	70	48,532	51	38	55.1	29.57	1298	27.8	C	B	A
			Plenty of Twin Cities companies recruit, but easy classes and limited program offerings disappoint.
49	47	U. of Miami Coral Gables, Fla.	Private	4	34,720	2,089	42	84	45,000	60	31	54.3	14.82	1268	28.7	B	A+	C
			Small classes and attentive profs satisfy students, but many top companies don't recruit.
50	32	Rutgers New Brunswick, N.J.	Public	2	10,949	780	89	21	54,000	22	57	53.3	18.14	1223	NA	C	C	B
			Accounting and finance programs shine; marketing and management don't.
51	53	George Washington Washington, D.C.	Private	4	39,210	1,639	69	54	47,467	32	39	53.2	34.15	1270	27.4	A	B	C
			Location makes landing top jobs and internships a cinch.
52	NR	Syracuse (Whitman) Syracuse, N.Y.	Private	4	31,686	1,710	61	37	50,000	48	59	53.2	32.88	1186	25.2	B	B	B
			Students rave about new building, where classrooms have plasma screen TVs.
53	49	Marquette Milwaukee	Private	4	26,678	1,531	56	62	46,000	61	36	53.1	23.55	1207	26.6	B	B	B
			Ethics-based curriculum and mentorship program get high marks; recruiting is largely regional.
54	51	James Madison Harrisonburg, Va.	Public	4	6,666	3,690	23	80	46,000	53	63	52.9	30.25	1140	23	A	B	A
			Challenging curriculum and classes taught by profs, not TAs, make this program shine.
55	44	Georgia Tech Atlanta	Public	4	5,038	1,246	40	41	48,000	55	65	52.3	23.14	1266	NA	A	A	A
			Tech focus, small classes, and one-on-one attention are pluses. Tough grades irk some.
56	45	Clemson Clemson, S.C.	Public	4	9,970	2,366	43	87	49,000	76	52	52.2	26.29	1213	26	B	A	B
			Leadership program has its fans, but TA-taught classes and lack of i-bank recruiters disappoint.
57	NR	Seton Hall (Stillman) South Orange, N.J.	Private	4	37,860	1,838	81	32	52,499	90	56	52.1	38.29	1168	NA	B	C	C
			School wins praise for sports management program but top-name recruiters are scarce.
58	NR	Rochester Institute of Technology (Saunders) Rochester, N.Y.	Private	4	26,481	696	72	39	47,250	64	40	51.2	15.13	1158	24	B	B	C
			Students like fast-paced quarter system and work experience gained through co-op program.
59	41	Ohio State (Fisher) Columbus	Public	4	9,657	3,109	29	30	45,075	72	85	50.2	38.38	NA	27	B	A	A
			Three honors programs provide advanced learning experiences, but faculty gets mixed reviews.
60	61	Delaware (Lerner) Newark	Public	4	7,780	2,377	50	85	44,785	46	48	49.7	22.01	1201	NA	A	A	A
			Big Four accounting firms and Delaware-based companies recruit, but i-banks not so much.
61	64	Connecticut Storrs	Public	4	8,852	1,867	75	81	50,000	78	32	49.5	16.52	1227	26	C	C	B
			A favorite of Hartford-area recruiters, Uconn's small classes and caring faculty are pluses.
62	60	Purdue (Krannert) West Lafayette, Ind.	Public	4	8,394	2,703	58	35	46,500	27	75	48.6	39.17	1160	25	C	B	A
			Emphasis on analytical skills and quantitative analysis appeals to many.
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