Pennsylvania (Wharton)

Wharton is number 2 on the overall ranking of US business schools. The Philadelphia-based school is known for a strong focus on finance — the rigor of that curriculum is often called out — and a large and effective alumni network. The school rose three spots on our Compensation Index this year to take the No. 1 spot.

Of the five indexes this ranking is based on — Compensation, Learning, Networking, Entrepreneurship and Inclusion — Pennsylvania (Wharton) ranked 1st in Compensation, 6th in Networking, 16th in Inclusion, 19th in Entrepreneurship and 51st in Learning. 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. Wharton reported 53% male and 47% 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

Wharton 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 Wharton 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.