USC / Marshall MBA News

Published: April 26, 2025

Choosing Between Top Part-Time or Full-Time MBA Programs

Comparing a business school’s part-time MBA versus full-time MBA means considering many factors. Requirements for flexibility, types of experience, and teaching method must all be taken into account, and evaluated against personal factors such as individual commitments and financial situations. In this article, we will outline the details of and the differences between the two programs, and assist in your decision as to which suits you best. We will also explore business schools with the top part-time MBA programs. Understanding the Full-Time MBA Option A full-time MBA usually lasts one or two Read more

Published: April 22, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Finance Industry Placement

In this edition of Real Numbers of MBA Admissions, see the percentages for placement in the finance industry at top business schools. Finance has typically been in the top three of industry choices for full-time MBA graduates, alongside tech and consulting. The finance industry presents myriad options for MBA graduates to pursue dynamic and lucrative careers, and the quantitative rigor of leading MBA programs supports such paths. Business School % in Finance Boston College Carroll School of Management 29% Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business 19% Cambridge Judge Business School 26% Carnegie Mellon Read more

Published: April 16, 2025

M7 Business Schools Continue to Dominate in Venture Capital and Private Equity Fields

Despite a slowdown in finance industry hiring, MBA graduates continue to be drawn to careers in the finance industry due to the large compensation packages, the chance to work on high-profile deals at investment banks, and the opportunity to invest in the next billion-dollar company at a venture capital or private equity firm. As we will see below, the top MBA programs continue to have a strong track record of finance industry job placement and can accelerate finance careers. In particular, M7 business schools continue to dominate in the buy-side job placements for venture capital, private equity, Read more

Published: April 13, 2025

The Week Ahead: Late Round Deadlines, Decisions & Interview Invites, April 14-18, 2025

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round Three is underway. Final decisions for Round 2 have completed. Attention now turns to Round 3 and beyond. Tuesday, April 15, USC / Marshall has its Round 3 application deadline. Indiana / Kelley has its Round 4 application deadline. Washington / Olin has its Round 5 application deadline. Wednesday, April 16, NYU / Stern has its Round 4 application deadline. London Business School is scheduled to release its Round 3 interview invites. Friday, April 18, Read more

Published: April 8, 2025

USC Marshall MBA Class of 2024 Employment Report

The University of Southern California Marshall School of Business released its MBA Class of 2024 employment report. This year, 80 percent of the graduating MBAs had full-time employment within three months of graduation. The average base salary for the class reached $144,442, with an average signing bonus of $32,524. School-facilitated resources, including summer internships, employer campus recruiting programs (job postings, resume collecting, fairs, on-campus interviews), and alumni faculty and staff referrals, were responsible for 64 percent of hiring. NVIDIA, PepsiCo, Lockheed Martin, Read more

Published: April 7, 2025

U.S. News 2025 Best Business Schools: Wharton Stands Alone at the Top

April showers bring May flowers and the U.S. News Best Graduate Programs Rankings. That’s right, the 2025 Best Business School list is live. Once again, The Wharton School claims the top spot. Stanford GSB slipped from sharing the #1 spot last year to tying for second with Northwestern Kellogg. Chicago Booth now ranks fourth while MIT Sloan holds fifth place again. Clear Admit Community Manager Alex Brown notes, “Congratulations to Wharton for topping the U.S. News Read more

Published: April 4, 2025

The Best Rated Online MBA Programs

As online MBA programs continue to soar towards popularity, ratings continue to be a helpful source of information when choosing the right program for you. Following the U.S. News rankings (read our full analysis here), we wanted to discover which programs were—or continued to be—the best rated over the years. U.S. News: Best Rated Online MBA Programs 2021-2025 To get an understanding of which programs have consistently been highest ranked, let’s take a look at the top 5 best rated online MBAs (according to U.S. News) over Read more

Published: March 25, 2025

Consulting Placement Trends at Leading MBA Programs

Because management consulting remains a highly popular goal for MBA students, we’re taking a closer look at consulting careers placement for Class of 2024 graduates and other recent trends. Jobs at the best strategy consulting firms including McKinsey, Bain and BCG (together known as the MBB) are particularly coveted by business school students because these firms often provide a fast track to senior positions in large corporations. In addition, M7 business schools such as Chicago / Booth and Northwestern / Kellogg have very strong track records of MBB job placement. Consulting Industry Placement for the MBA Class of 2024 All Read more

Published: March 8, 2025

MBA Fellowships and Community: Support For Women in Business School

The representation of women in business schools and leadership roles is growing, but gender parity in MBA admissions has been fickle. While some business schools have met the fifty-percent mark–with USC Marshall being the first top-tier program to do so with its Class of 2020–class profiles can fluctuate. In order to address the challenges faced by women entering business school, a number of MBA fellowships and scholarship programs are available. These challenges can include imposter syndrome Read more

Published: March 4, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Average GRE Scores by Top U.S. Business Schools

Average GRE scores by business school can provide applicants with a sense of the rigor of the MBA program, expectations of the adcom and general competitiveness of the applicant pool. While the GMAT used to be the only accepted admissions exam at leading MBA programs, many have opened up to other options, including the GRE. Starting in September 2023, the GRE consists of a 30-minute Analytical Writing section, which includes one essay. An additional Verbal Reasoning section features two sections with 18 minutes allowed for 12 questions and 23 minutes allowed for 15 questions, respectively. Another two Read more

Published: February 28, 2025

How are MBAs Integrating Sustainability?

An emphasis on the environment is growing. Consumers are increasingly concerned about sustainability, and businesses are evolving to meet customer demand. To prepare graduates for this new landscape, MBAs are doubling down on sustainability in their curricula. In this article, we’ll explore exactly how sustainability is being incorporated into the world of business. We’ll unpack the ways in which MBA programs are working with sustainability concentrations, and examine the specializations appearing on MBA programs. And, finally, we’ll take a look at the careers on offer for MBA graduates interested in sustainability. Read more

Published: February 26, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Average GMAT Scores at Top U.S. MBA Programs

See where your GMAT score lands among the top U.S. MBA programs, as we report the average GMAT scores in the chart below. If you have yet to take the GMAT, you can also get a sense of what score you need to target. Business school admissions use the GMAT score as a sign of applicants’ academic abilities and a high score can help you stand out in admissions. Also, average GMAT scores play a role in schools’ rankings. If you completed the GMAT Focus edition, with a score ending in 5, please refer to Coming Read more

Published: February 24, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: International Student Statistics

International students statistics can showcase an element of diversity at leading business schools. In the chart below, see the percentage of international students at U.S. business schools. U.S. School % International ASU W.P. Carey School of Business 48% Babson College Olin 85% Boston College Carroll School of Management 24% BYU Marriott School of Business 32%* Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business 39% Columbia Business School 46% Cornell University SC Johnson Graduate School of Management 35% Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business 30% Duke University Fuqua School of Business 41% Emory University Goizueta School of Business 45% Read more

Published: February 12, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Percentage of U.S. Minorities at Top U.S. Business Schools

The percentage of U.S. minorities at top U.S. business schools can provide a sense of the diversity you will find in your MBA program. Business school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and self-identify as African American or Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, Hispanic American or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or those who are multiracial or multiethnic are considered a minority. See the percentage of minorities as reported by top business schools in the chart below. U.S. School % U.S. Minorities ASU W.P. Carey School of Business 41% Boston College Read more

Published: February 10, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Percentage of Women MBA Students

Over the past decade, the percentage of women MBA students has been on the rise across leading business schools. USC Marshall was the first leading business school to achieve gender parity while others have achieved or continue to strive for that benchmark. The Forté Foundation has also consistently reported that women have been gaining or holding their ground on b-school campuses–and, in both 2023 and 2024, reported record highs. Look at the chart below to see the percentage of women MBA students at leading business schools Read more

Published: February 3, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Cost of MBA Programs in the U.S.

In this edition of Real Numbers of MBA Admissions, see the total cost of a full-time MBA per year at U.S. schools. Tuition comprises most of the cost of each program. Other factors, including room and board, program fees, books and supplies, health insurance, transportation and other expenses, have been added to provide the total cost of an MBA in the U.S. by year. Most business schools provide a breakdown of the expenses, which are posted under the financial aid or admissions section of their websites. Schools also typically take the total cost of attendance into account Read more

Published: January 29, 2025

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Class Size of Top U.S. MBA Programs

Business schools come in all shapes and sizes and the class size of top MBA programs can be a factor in considering fit. From networking to a tight-knit culture to campus opportunities, class size can reveal much about an MBA program. No matter which program you choose, the top MBA programs strive to ensure relationship building during full-time b-school life. Some larger programs, such as Harvard Business School and CBS, mainly break the student body down into cohorts/sections/clusters of dozens of students. Other U.S. business schools, like Wharton, also have Learning Teams, groups of 5-6 students who Read more

Published: January 20, 2025

U.S. News 2025 Online MBA Rankings: Indiana University–Bloomington Keeps Top Spot

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2025 Best Online Programs rankings, including online MBA programs. Once again, Indiana University’s Kelley Direct Online MBA program leads the online MBA ranking. Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper Online Hybrid MBA program and UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA@UNC Online MBA program traded places compared to last year, with the former moving from second to third and the latter moving from third to second. There is then a tie for fourth between the University of Washington Foster Hybrid MBA program and the Read more

Published: January 5, 2025

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & INSEAD Decisions, January 6-10, 2025

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Busy Week for Round 2 Deadlines! Many Round 2 application deadlines for top MBA programs are scheduled for this week. Monday, January 6, Harvard Business School, Dartmouth / Tuck, Michigan / Ross, UCLA Anderson, Emory / Goizueta, Georgetown / McDonough, CMU / Tepper and Rice Business have their Round 2 application deadlines. Cambridge / Judge has its Round 3 application deadline. Oxford / Saïd has its Stage 4 application deadline. Tuesday, January 7, Chicago / Booth, Read more

Published: December 12, 2024

A Guide to Test Waivers: Should You Request a Waiver for Submitting a GMAT or GRE Score?

It is no secret that standardized tests are not the part of the MBA application process that applicants most cherish. Some applicants simply aren’t good at standardized testing; others feel they do not have the time to invest in studying properly. With competition for applicants continuing to rise among schools, test waivers became a more prevalent option in b-school admissions. Whether you’re hesitant or excited about the GMAT or GRE, what are valid reasons to request a test waiver? Even if you have a valid reason, does it make sense to request a test waiver? In this piece, we take Read more

Published: November 13, 2024

Round 2 MBA Application Deadlines 2024-2025

To help you stay organized, we’ve compiled all of the Round 2 MBA application deadlines (and some Round 3 ones) all in one place. You’ll find links to our corresponding Essay Topic Analysis in the “Essay Analysis” column. School Deadline Decision Essay Analysis Application Live? INSEAD (R2 August Intake) 11/5/2024 1/10/2025 Yes Yes Michigan State Broad 11/15/2024 1/31/2025 Yes Yes Minnesota Carlson 12/1/2024 2/1/2025 Yes Yes Indian School of Business Read more

Published: November 4, 2024

The Best Online MBA Degrees in 2024

Online MBA programs are growing more popular, and their growth comes as no surprise. Online MBAs offer higher flexibility than in-person programs, the chance to hang on to your day job while studying, and often a way to skirt around the high MBA fees. But with so many programs now available to select from, how do you know which to choose, and which are the best online MBA degrees? We’re here to help. In this article we’ll guide you through the best online MBA programs of Read more

Published: September 29, 2024

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & Interview Invites, September 30-October 4, 2024

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Busy Week for Round 1 Deadlines, First Interview Invites of the Season The 2024-2025 MBA admissions season is now underway. Monday, September 30, MIT / Sloan has its Round 1 application deadline. HBS is set to release Round 1 interview invitations, waitlist and early release notifications at noon EST. Tuesday, October 1, Duke / Fuqua, UCLA / Anderson, CMU / Tepper, USC / Marshall, Washington / Foster, Maryland / Smith, SMU / Cox and Minnesota / Read more

Published: August 29, 2024

Weekly Refresh: Latest MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines & Rec Forms

We’re back with another Weekly Refresh, in which we list this week’s admissions advice and updates on the Clear Admit site. Essay Tips Drafting your application essays? See the latest of our experts’ advice in our Essay Topic Analysis. The following schools recently released their essays—click for our advice: Boston College / Carroll Florida Warrington Georgia Tech Scheller Rochester Simon Toronto / Rotman USC Marshall Deadlines Released See the admissions deadlines that have rolled out: Georgia Tech Scheller Rochester Simon SMU Cox Read more

Published: August 14, 2024

MBA Degrees & Majors with a STEM Designation

The past few years have seen a surge in business schools that run MBA programs with a STEM designation. MBAs, that is, that are now classified as a science, technology, engineering or mathematics degree. The new STEM MBA designation is promising students a multitude of new opportunities – but what is it, really? Read on to find out what a STEM MBA is, which schools offer it, and what this all might mean for you. What Is a STEM MBA? The structure of a STEM MBA is relatively simple. The foundational knowledge and core concepts of Read more