Harvard

Harvard is number 4 on the overall ranking of US business schools. The Boston-based school is known for its case study method of teaching, as well as a strong emphasis on general management. A plurality of those responding to Bloomberg’s “dream school” question - putting cost and other matters aside, which school would you want to attend? - chose Harvard, attesting to strong brand recognition and resilience.

Of the five indexes this ranking is based on — Compensation, Learning, Networking, Entrepreneurship and Inclusion — Harvard ranked 4th in Networking, 5th in Entrepreneurship, 8th in Compensation, 14th in Learning and 26th in Inclusion. Index scores are based on student and alumni survey responses as well as salary data the school reports to MBA CSEA.

Index Ranks

Index Scores

Student Population

The breakdown below is compared with other US schools. Collected gender and non-binary data is for all students in the newest class, which for most schools is the Class of 2026. Harvard reported 55% male and 45% female/non-binary.

Bloomberg also collects data on race and ethnicity from US schools — they provide us with percentages of the first-year class of American students for the following groups: White, Black, Asian, American Indian, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic (of any race). These groups are categorized as such by the schools when submitting data to the federal government.

Hires by Industry

Harvard sent the majority of its recent MBA graduates, those with jobs, into Financial Services, Consulting Industry and Technology Industry.

Compensation by Industry

The median base salary across all industries reported by Harvard graduates is $175,000; the median signing/starting bonus is $30,000.

Demographics

Survey respondents weigh in on their school’s population, answering broad questions about what campus life is like for female, LGBTQ, and minority students.