The Best MBA Programs in 2026, Ranked by Cost, Selectivity, and Outcomes

Cornell's SC Johnson College of Business runs four distinct MBA tracks. The flagship two-year, full-time Cornell MBA meets in Ithaca and lists a total program cost of $177,868. The Johnson Cornell Tech MBA compresses the degree into one year in New York City, built around a semester-long industry immersion, for a total cost of $139,030. For working professionals, the Cornell Executive MBA Americas runs 22 months, mostly online with an international cohort, at a total cost of $198,234, while the Cornell Executive MBA NYC delivers the same 22-month part-time format in person in New York for $237,524.

The program graduates 95% of its MBA students against a 9% admit rate, one of the tighter funnels in this ranking. Annual tuition is a flat $68,380 with no in-state discount, since Cornell is private. Choosing the one-year Cornell Tech MBA over the two-year Ithaca track saves $38,838 in total program cost, plus a full year of foregone salary, a real tradeoff for candidates already set on a New York tech career. Cornell's 95% grad rate and 9% admit rate underpin its No. 4 Hakia Score, 97.2, drawn from data reported to IPEDS. The four-track menu makes this the pick for candidates weighing campus immersion in Ithaca against a compressed NYC tech path or a part-time executive format.

Yale SOM's MBA is a two-year, in-residence program built around what the school calls an integrated curriculum: a shared core in year one followed by open electives in year two, aimed at leaders who want to weigh both the bottom line and the wider social impact of a decision. The current class holds 367 students, is 41% international and 44% women, with a middle-80% GMAT band of 691 to 760.

Yale graduates 96% of its MBA students and admits just 4% of applicants, among the tightest gates in this ranking. Tuition runs a flat $67,250 with no in-state discount, since this is a private university with a single sticker price for every student. That combination of near-universal completion and single-digit admission drives a Hakia Score of 97.1, the highest of this group.

Fit: applicants who can clear a GMAT in the 691-760 range and want a small, close-knit cohort (367 students total) rather than a large program, and who are prepared to pay full private tuition with no in-state break.

Duke's Fuqua Daytime MBA is a full-time, two-year program structured in six-week terms rather than standard semesters, with fewer required core classes so students move into electives sooner. The school lists 16 concentrations and more than 100 electives, and the entire program, not just the prior MSTeM track, now carries the federal STEM designation, giving eligible international graduates two additional years of U.S. work authorization after graduation. Fuqua's Career Management Center says more than 200 companies recruit directly from the program.

Duke graduates 97% of its MBA students, edging out Yale's 96%, while admitting 6% of applicants, slightly less selective than Yale's 4%. Tuition is a flat $66,325, about $925 less than Yale's $67,250. That mix of top-tier completion, tight admission, and a STEM-wide curriculum earns a Hakia Score of 97.

Fit: students who want maximum elective flexibility, 16 concentrations and 100-plus electives, and international applicants specifically drawn to the STEM designation's extended work-authorization runway.

UCLA's MBA runs through the Anderson School of Management, based in Marion Anderson Hall on the Westwood campus, with admissions handled directly by Anderson at mba.admissions@anderson.ucla.edu. The university's graduate program listing confirms the standard Master of Business Administration track alongside Anderson's own admission and program-requirements pages, though detailed content on concentrations and format sits on Anderson's separate site rather than this directory listing.

The number that sets UCLA apart is tuition: $12,260 in-state against $44,148 out-of-state, a $31,888 gap. In-state tuition is about 18% of what Yale charges every student ($67,250), and out-of-state tuition still runs roughly a third less than Duke's flat $66,325. UCLA graduates 93% of its MBA students and admits 9% of applicants, still more selective than most MBA programs nationally even trailing Yale's 4% and Duke's 6%. That value combination, public pricing with private-tier outcomes, supports a Hakia Score of 96.9.

Fit: California residents chasing an elite-tier MBA outcome at a fraction of private-school cost, or any applicant willing to trade a slightly higher 9% admit rate for a public price tag.

The Terry College of Business offers its MBA in four formats: a full-time, two-year program based in Athens, plus Executive, Professional, and Online MBA tracks run out of Atlanta. The full-time track carries nine concentrations, with named focus areas in strategy, social innovation, and Fintech, and UGA also runs a Double Dawgs pathway that lets students combine a bachelor's degree with this MBA in five years or less.

UGA admits 38% of MBA applicants, one of the more accessible programs in this ranking next to Yale's 4%, Duke's 6%, and UCLA's 9%, while still graduating 90% of its students. Tuition is $10,034 in-state and $30,272 out-of-state, a $20,238 gap; in-state cost runs about 15% of Yale's flat $67,250 tuition. That balance of wide access, strong completion, and low public cost backs a Hakia Score of 96.7.

Fit: applicants who want format flexibility, full-time, executive, professional, or online, and a public price tag, especially Georgia residents paying near $10,000 a year rather than the $60,000-plus sticker prices at Yale or Duke.

Tufts delivers this business degree through the Fletcher School, where it is formally the Executive Master of International Business (previously called the Global Business Administration degree). The program targets applicants with eight or more years of work experience and pairs MBA-level rigor with international-affairs coursework: corporate finance and international strategy anchor the core, with electives students pick to fit their goals. Coursework runs full-time or part-time online, built around two one-week immersions, one on the Boston campus and one abroad in Asia, Europe, or Latin America, plus a client-facing capstone project.

The program's Hakia Score of 96.7 is backed by real completion and selectivity numbers: a 94% graduation rate against an 11% admit rate. Tuition runs a flat $69,146, since Tufts charges the same rate regardless of home state, and most students finish in 16 to 24 months. It suits working professionals who want to keep their job while studying: the program reports 724 one-on-one career coaching sessions and 3,774 internship, job, and fellowship listings funneled to students, with 41% of graduates landing private-sector roles.

NYU Stern does not offer a single MBA, it offers a menu. The core is a two-year, 60-credit General MBA delivered full-time, alongside a part-time General MBA that stretches 2 to 6 years with fall and spring intakes. Stern also runs two focused one-year, 52-credit MBAs, the Andre Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA and the Luxury & Retail MBA, plus a Stern at NYUAD MBA based in Abu Dhabi with a summer term in New York (54 credits). Dual-degree options include MD/MBA, JD/MBA, MBA/MFA, and MBA/MPA, and an Online Master's in Management offers a 20-month, part-time on-ramp that can transfer into the Part-time MBA.

Stern's Hakia Score of 96.7 rests on results that match its reputation: an 88% graduation rate against a 9% admit rate, one of the tightest funnels in this ranking. Tuition is a flat $62,796, since NYU charges every student the same private rate regardless of home state. The spread of formats, from a one-year specialized MBA to a six-year part-time track, makes Stern fit both career-changers who want depth fast and working professionals who need years to finish on their own schedule.

Brown's program here is the online Master's in Management (MiM), run through the School of Professional Studies for early-career professionals building foundational business skills. It is a 16-month, 32-credit program built from eight courses, delivered online with one optional three-day in-person session, admitting students in both spring and fall terms. The curriculum covers strategic leadership, business and data analytics, financial management, marketing, entrepreneurship, and ethics and social responsibility, framed around what the school calls technology-aided, data-informed, human-directed management practice.

Brown's Hakia Score of 96.7 sits alongside among the tightest admissions funnels in this ranking: a 5% admit rate against a 96% graduation rate, meaning almost everyone who gets in finishes. Tuition is a flat $68,612, the same for every student since Brown charges one private rate regardless of home state. At 16 months, it is also the shortest path to a credential in this group, built for early-career professionals who want a compressed, mostly-online alternative to a traditional two-year MBA.

UC Irvine's Paul Merage School of Business runs a two-year, full-time MBA built on a minimum of 92 units: 40 units across ten required Common Core courses covering strategy, business analytics, organizational leadership, financial reporting, microeconomics, marketing, digital competition and technology, operations, managerial finance, and strategic foundations, plus 52 units of electives. Students can add a Concentration in Analytics in Digital Leadership, which requires a Data Camp for Managers course plus electives in machine learning analytics, predictive analytics, fintech, and supply chain analytics. The program carries a five-quarter residence requirement, an international requirement met through a global elective, exchange program, or approved UC course, and admits on a rolling basis with a final deadline around April 1. The school describes itself as ranked among the top 5% of business schools worldwide.

Merage carries a Hakia Score of 96.3, just behind the top tier here, but its admissions are far more accessible: a 29% admit rate against an 87% graduation rate. The real differentiator is cost. In-state tuition runs $12,260 a year versus $44,148 out-of-state, a $31,888 annual gap. Over the full two-year program that is roughly $24,520 total for California residents versus $88,296 for everyone else, a $63,776 difference that makes California residency the single biggest lever on return in this entire list. It fits quantitatively-minded applicants: the school flags preferred undergraduate backgrounds in math, computer science, economics, statistics, engineering, or physics, especially for the Analytics in Digital Leadership track.

Georgetown University is a private, nonprofit institution in Washington, DC. Its MBA program ranks #13 of the 25 analyzed here with a 96.2 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits above the 96.1 group average, in the middle third of the 25 ranked programs, 1.5 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 95% of its students, above the 92% average across the ranked schools. Georgetown University admits 13% of applicants, more selective than the 16% average for the group. That is more open than the 4% rate at Yale University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands among the strongest in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%. It is one of the larger campuses in the ranking, enrolling 20,031 students.

On cost, Georgetown University charges $67,896 a year in-state. That puts it at the higher end on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is above-average completion paired with genuine selectivity.

Based in Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution. Its MBA program lands at #14 of the 25 ranked here, earning a 96.1 Hakia Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits above the 96.1 group average, in the middle third of the 25 ranked programs, 1.6 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 91% of its students, below the 92% average across the ranked schools. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill admits 15% of applicants, more selective than the 16% average for the group. That is more open than the 4% rate at Yale University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands in the middle of the pack in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%.

On cost, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill charges $7,019 a year in-state, roughly 6x the $39,228 out-of-state rate. That puts it among the most affordable on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is low in-state cost paired with genuine selectivity.

Based in Champaign, IL, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public institution. Its MBA program lands at #15 of the 25 ranked here, earning a 96.0 Hakia Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits below the 96.1 group average, in the middle third of the 25 ranked programs, 1.7 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 85% of its students, below the 92% average across the ranked schools. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42% of applicants, less selective than the 16% average for the group. That is more open than the 4% rate at Yale University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands toward the lower end in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%.

On cost, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign charges $14,975 a year in-state, roughly 2.5x the $36,804 out-of-state rate. That puts it among the most affordable on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. The spread makes the program a clearer value for IL residents than for out-of-state students. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is low in-state cost paired with an online option.

Based in St. Louis, MO, Washington University in St Louis is a private, nonprofit institution. Its MBA program lands at #16 of the 25 ranked here, earning a 95.6 Hakia Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits below the 96.1 group average, in the middle third of the 25 ranked programs, 2.1 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 94% of its students, above the 92% average across the ranked schools. Washington University in St Louis admits 12% of applicants, more selective than the 16% average for the group. That is more open than the 4% rate at Yale University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands among the strongest in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%.

On cost, Washington University in St Louis charges $64,500 a year in-state. That puts it mid-pack on price on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is above-average completion paired with genuine selectivity.

Boston University is a private, nonprofit institution in Boston, MA. Its MBA program ranks #17 of the 25 analyzed here with a 95.4 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 96.1 group average, in the lower third of the 25 ranked programs, 2.3 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 89% of its students, below the 92% average across the ranked schools. Boston University admits 11% of applicants, more selective than the 16% average for the group. That is more open than the 4% rate at Yale University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands in the middle of the pack in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%. It is one of the larger campuses in the ranking, enrolling 37,737 students.

On cost, Boston University charges $66,670 a year in-state. That puts it mid-pack on price on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the main draw here is its genuine selectivity.

Vanderbilt University is a private, nonprofit institution in Nashville, TN. Its MBA program ranks #18 of the 25 analyzed here with a 95.4 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 96.1 group average, in the lower third of the 25 ranked programs, 2.3 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 94% of its students, above the 92% average across the ranked schools. Vanderbilt University admits 6% of applicants, more selective than the 16% average for the group. That is more open than the 4% rate at Yale University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands among the strongest in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%. The university enrolls 13,575 students overall.

On cost, Vanderbilt University charges $65,008 a year in-state. That puts it mid-pack on price on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is above-average completion paired with genuine selectivity.

Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, nonprofit institution in New York, NY. Its MBA program ranks #19 of the 25 analyzed here with a 95.3 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 96.1 group average, in the lower third of the 25 ranked programs, 2.4 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 96% of its students, above the 92% average across the ranked schools. Columbia University in the City of New York admits 4% of applicants, more selective than the 16% average for the group. Its completion rate lands among the strongest in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%.

On cost, Columbia University in the City of New York charges $66,722 a year in-state. That puts it at the higher end on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is above-average completion paired with genuine selectivity.

University of California-Berkeley is a public institution in Berkeley, CA. Its MBA program ranks #20 of the 25 analyzed here with a 95.2 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 96.1 group average, in the lower third of the 25 ranked programs, 2.5 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 93% of its students, above the 92% average across the ranked schools. University of California-Berkeley admits 11% of applicants, more selective than the 16% average for the group. That is more open than the 4% rate at Yale University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands among the strongest in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%.

On cost, University of California-Berkeley charges $12,260 a year in-state, roughly 4x the $44,148 out-of-state rate. That puts it among the most affordable on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. The spread makes the program a clearer value for CA residents than for out-of-state students. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is low in-state cost paired with above-average completion.

Auburn University is a public institution in Auburn, AL. Its MBA program ranks #21 of the 25 analyzed here with a 95.1 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 96.1 group average, in the lower third of the 25 ranked programs, 2.6 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 82% of its students, below the 92% average across the ranked schools. Auburn University admits 46% of applicants, less selective than the 16% average for the group. That is more open than the 4% rate at Yale University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands toward the lower end in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%.

On cost, Auburn University charges $11,016 a year in-state, roughly 3x the $33,048 out-of-state rate. That puts it among the most affordable on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. The spread makes the program a clearer value for AL residents than for out-of-state students. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is low in-state cost paired with an online option.

University of Chicago is a private, nonprofit institution in Chicago, IL. Its MBA program ranks #22 of the 25 analyzed here with a 95.0 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 96.1 group average, in the lower third of the 25 ranked programs, 2.7 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 96% of its students, above the 92% average across the ranked schools. University of Chicago admits 4% of applicants, more selective than the 16% average for the group. Its completion rate lands among the strongest in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%. The university enrolls 18,566 students overall.

On cost, University of Chicago charges $67,446 a year in-state. That puts it at the higher end on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is above-average completion paired with genuine selectivity.

Based in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private, nonprofit institution. Its MBA program lands at #23 of the 25 ranked here, earning a 94.9 Hakia Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits below the 96.1 group average, in the lower third of the 25 ranked programs, 2.8 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 91% of its students, below the 92% average across the ranked schools. Boston College admits 16% of applicants, more selective than the 16% average for the group. That is more open than the 4% rate at Yale University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands in the middle of the pack in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%. The university enrolls 15,432 students overall.

On cost, Boston College charges $69,400 a year in-state. That puts it at the higher end on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the main draw here is its genuine selectivity.

Based in Wellesley, MA, Babson College is a private, nonprofit institution. Its MBA program lands at #24 of the 25 ranked here, earning a 94.8 Hakia Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits below the 96.1 group average, in the lower third of the 25 ranked programs, 2.9 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 93% of its students, above the 92% average across the ranked schools. Babson College admits 17% of applicants, less selective than the 16% average for the group. That is more open than the 4% rate at Yale University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands among the strongest in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%. It is one of the smaller campuses here, with 3,932 students.

On cost, Babson College charges $57,152 a year in-state. That puts it mid-pack on price on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the draw here is above-average completion paired with an online option.

Based in Villanova, PA, Villanova University is a private, nonprofit institution. Its MBA program lands at #25 of the 25 ranked here, earning a 94.7 Hakia Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits below the 96.1 group average, in the lower third of the 25 ranked programs, 3 points behind top-ranked University of Pennsylvania. The program graduates 92% of its students, above the 92% average across the ranked schools. Villanova University admits 27% of applicants, less selective than the 16% average for the group. That is more open than the 4% rate at Yale University, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands among the strongest in a group where graduation runs from 82% to 97%. The university enrolls 10,041 students overall.

On cost, Villanova University charges $66,838 a year in-state. That puts it at the higher end on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $4,477 at University of Florida to $69,400 at Boston College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. Graduates step into a field with a $105,770 national median salary reported by the BLS. For prospective students, the main draw here is its above-average completion.