College rankings today are full of expensive and exclusive schools. Less than 10% of applicants are admitted to the top schools on many lists, and tuition rates are extremely difficult for most students and parents to stomach.
This list of best business schools takes academic quality, affordability, and accessibility into account, as well as each school’s average GMAT score for incoming, full-time students and job placement rate of exiting full-time students, three months after graduation. For this reason, you will find different schools on this list than the typical rankings list.
We recommend this list for students who want to find a school that has a reputation for high-quality education, marketable degrees, tuition they can quickly pay off, and reasonable acceptance qualifications.
We know you want to get right to it, so here is the list. Continue reading afterwards for the criteria factors and how this list was developed.
- San Diego State University
San DiegoSan Diego State University (SDSU), locally referred to as San Diego State, is one of the oldest and largest universities in San Diego, California. The institution was founded over one hundred and seventeen years ago as San Diego Normal School. San Diego State offers more doctoral degree programs than any other campus in the California State University system.
National Rank: #19
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- Pepperdine University: Graziadio School of Business and Management
MalibuPepperdine University is a medium-sized, private, university located in Los Angeles, California that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Although completely independent, the university is affiliated with the Churches of Christ.
National Rank: #55
In-state tuition: $43,930
Out-of-state tuition: $43,930
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- University of California – San Diego: Rady School of Management
San DiegoLocated in the suburban district of La Jolla in San Diego, California, the University of California San Diego (commonly referred to as UCSD or UC San Diego) is a public, 4-year research university that offers over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It’s the 7th oldest of the ten campuses that make up the University of California system.
National Rank: #73
In-state tuition: $38,337
Out-of-state tuition: $43,227
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- University of California – Davis
DavisThe University of California, Davis, commonly referred to as UC Davis, is a public, four-year research university located in Davis, California. The university was originally founded in 1905 as the agricultural extension of University of California, Berkeley, at which time it was called the “University Farm”. It was later converted into an independent university and its name was changed to University of California, Davis. UC Davis has the largest campus of all universities in the University of California system and has the third largest enrollment.
National Rank: #82
In-state tuition: $36,449
Out-of-state tuition: $48,694
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- University of California – Berkeley: Haas School of Business
BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley, more commonly referred to as UC Berkeley, or just Berkeley, is one of California’s top public research universities. The school is located on an expansive 1,232 acre campus on the east side of the San Francisco Bay. In addition to being one of the most prestigious and renowned universities in California, the University of California Berkeley is well-known worldwide for its excellence in higher education, academic achievement and for its exceptional research capabilities.
National Rank: #84
In-state tuition: $51,412
Out-of-state tuition: $53,959
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- University of Southern California: Marshall School of Business
Los AngelesAs its name denotes, the University of Southern California (USC) is located in Southern California in the city of Los Angeles. It is a non-profit, private, research university that was established in 1880, making it the oldest private, research university in California.
National Rank: #85
In-state tuition: $50,495
Out-of-state tuition: $50,495
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- University of California – Los Angeles: Anderson School of Management
Los AngelesUniversity of California, Los Angeles, more commonly referred to as UCLA, is a public university situated in the Westwood neighborhood within the city of Los Angeles, California. The school offers an extensive selection of over 300 undergraduate and graduate level programs in various subject areas. UCLA is also the largest university in California.
National Rank: #88
In-state tuition: $48,722
Out-of-state tuition: $55,009
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- Stanford University
StanfordStanford University, or Stanford, is a private research university located in Stanford, California. Stanford is internationally-recognized for its prestigious undergraduate and graduate academic programs and is often one of the first college choices of talented students. Stanford offers students some of the nation’s best law, medicine, English, and engineering programs.
National Rank: #89
In-state tuition: $59,550
Out-of-state tuition: $59,550
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- University of California – Irvine: Merage School of Business
IrvineThe University of California, Irvine, also known as UCI, UC Irivine, or locally as just Irvine, is located in the city of Irvine California. The university has the fifth-largest campus of the ten campuses that make up the University of California system.
National Rank: #93
In-state tuition: $38,450
Out-of-state tuition: $47,089
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- Claremont Graduate University: Drucker School of Management
ClaremontA private graduate university that’s located about 30 miles east of Los Angeles in the city of Claremont, California. Founded in 1925, CGU is the oldest all-graduate university in the nation. Many notable alumni, business professionals and political figures have graduated from CGU. CGU is composed of nine individual academic school.
National Rank: #99
In-state tuition: $50,700
Out-of-state tuition: $50,700
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The factors in this list criteria are: Academic Quality (a great education), Affordability (low tuition costs), and Accessibility (high acceptance rates).
Academic Quality
One of the heaviest factors considered in this list’s calculation is the quality of education offered at each university or school. To assess academic standing, the calculation considers an institution’s categorization and rank published in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings, generally considered the gold standard for college rankings emphasizing academic quality and reputation.
Affordability
This list provides a realistic look at what a typical student will pay for their education at each individual institution, for both in-state and out of state tuition.
Accessibility
Acceptance rate is a major variable in this ranking list. As a general rule, most schools on this list accept a high percent of students who apply, with some schools approaching 90-100 percent acceptance.
(Source: http://www.collegeatlas.org/)
