The Best Cities (And Towns) To Earn An MBA

Cambridge (UK): “For anyone who has visited Cambridge, it is one of the most magical cities in the world. It has so much history, and the college buildings are incredible – it feels like you have been transported into a scene from Harry Potter. It is also a very walkable city, surrounded by the River Cam and beautiful, lush green fields. Finally, it has lots of nice old English pubs, including one of my favourites, The Eagle, which was a famous RAF hangout during World War II (you can still see squadron stickers and graffiti on the walls and ceiling) as well as where Watson and Crick announced their discovery of the structure of DNA!”
Steven Pillon, Cambridge Business School

“What I loved most about Cambridge is that it never felt like I was just visiting history, it felt like I was living inside it. The town carries more than 800 years of university ideas, tradition, and extraordinary people, but in a way that feels woven into everyday life rather than sealed behind glass. From the architecture and college chapels to the stories attached to so many corners of the town, Cambridge made it easy to feel inspired simply by moving through it. I also loved the rhythm of being a student there. Cycling through the city, passing beautiful colleges, Christmas markets and cafés, made ordinary days feel quietly magical. It is a place that somehow makes excellence feel both historic and completely alive.”
Tevarus Naicker, Cambridge Judge Business School

Cambridge (US): “Paul Graham wrote that the message Cambridge sends is, “You should be smarter.” I think this is the only place where that notion doesn’t have me mired in impostor syndrome but, rather, thrilled about my relative “un-smartness.” In Cambridge, ideas are rampant and learning is inevitable. You can’t escape it. For instance, there’s history lessons on the wall of the subway station, a passing tour group will teach you an architectural tidbit, or the scaffolding of a construction site will proudly celebrate Kendall Square’s intellectual density.

In essence, I like Cambridge because it constantly gives me FOMO about every discipline I haven’t engaged with, every lab machine I don’t know the name of yet, and every brilliant new startup idea being dreamed up by the stranger standing next to me.”
Aditi Ramakrishnan, MIT (Sloan)

Charlottesville: “Charlottesville is a place where nature and ambition live side-by-side. I loved the combination of exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains and enjoying the local wineries. What truly makes this town special is its energy. As a big sports fan, breathing the air of a “champion university” was incredible. However, the smaller moments were what I valued most. There is something unique about a town where you can run into your professor grabbing a croissant on the Downtown Mall. Charlottesville is a place that makes you feel like you truly belong to a community, not just a school.”
Carlos Pardal, University of Virginia (Darden)

Chicago: “Lake Michigan. Chicago is a high-intensity city, and the lakefront is its natural pressure valve. Running on the Lakefront Trail is incredible because you have the city’s architecture on one side and a vast, open horizon on the other. My family loves being on the water, whether we’re spending the day at one of the beaches or taking a boat out to see the skyline from the lake. It’s a great part of the Chicago experience.”
William Dougherty, University of Chicago (Booth)

Coventry: “Warwick Business School sits between two vastly different towns: Coventry and Royal Leamington Spa.

Coventry, where I live, feels raw and evolving. It carries history, you see its rebuilding, its grit and ambition. It can feel both inspiring and challenging at times. But that honesty makes it real.

Leamington Spa, by contrast, feels polished, Regency architecture, calm cafés, beautifully kept streets. Just beyond it lies Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, where centuries-old buildings and theatres stand as a reminder of his enduring legacy. The thoughtful preservation of his birthplace and buildings from his time are amazing to witness.

Moving between the two almost daily became symbolic for me. Coventry shows resilience in progress. Leamington Spa and Stratford represent the outcome of vision sustained over time.

That contrast mirrors the MBA experience itself, operating between ambition and reality.”
Chaitanya Baboo, Warwick Business School

“What I love most about Coventry is how well-connected it is. The train lines have made it incredibly easy for me to explore the UK, and I have really tried to take advantage of that during the MBA, spending weekends traveling to London, Oxford, Bath, Liverpool, the Cotswolds, Manchester, and even a few areas in Scotland. These trips have become a meaningful extension of the experience, giving me a deeper appreciation for the country’s history, character, and culture. It turned my time at business school into something much broader than academics and made the experience feel genuinely immersive. I’m still undecided on the country’s best fish and chips but will have an answer before I’m done at WBS!”
Megan Dirgins, Warwick Business School

Dallas: “What I love most about Dallas is the abundant opportunities and energy the city offers. It’s a lively place with amazing art, professional sports, and countless restaurants and bars, making it easy to spend time with classmates and build friendships outside the classroom. Some of my favorite memories from business school are simple ones like grabbing dinner after class, going to a Stars game with friends, or taking walks on the Katy Trail. Dallas also provides an exceptional business environment. The city is ambitious and relationship-focused, and professionals across various industries are surprisingly open to meeting with MBA students. This accessibility made Dallas an ideal place to pursue an MBA and start building a professional network.”
Gavin Livingston, Southern Methodist University (Cox)

Davis: “What I loved most about Davis is how it makes a busy MBA life feel sustainable. It’s a true college town which is walkable, bike-friendly, and calm. Even on intense weeks, you can reset quickly with a ride through tree-lined streets, a coffee run downtown, or a quiet moment in a park. There’s a warmth to the community that makes it easy to feel at home: familiar faces, local farmers markets, and a pace that supports both focus and well-being. And honestly, I love everything about Davis. There are my simple routines like grabbing Chinese food at Bao Bao, clubbing with friends at Parkside, and working out at the ARC. At the same time, the way the town gives you the rare combination of high ambition during the week and genuine breathing room around it. It’s exactly what I needed to grow during business school.”
Shubhi Gupta, UC Davis

Durham: “Durham’s Southern hospitality is genuine. Over nine years in the city, I’ve found it to be welcoming, unpretentious, and community-oriented. Durham doesn’t try to be something it’s not, and that authenticity is what has made it feel like home.”
Dan Crair, Duke University (Fuqua)

Evanston: “Evanston is the perfect mix of a charming college town with urban sophistication; it provides the peacefulness from being on Lake Michigan, while providing quick access to the vibrant city of Chicago in 30 minutes. You can go for a run or a nice stroll with friends on a sunny day, or just as easily decide to grab dinner in West Loop that same evening.”
Irune Andres, Northwestern University (Kellogg)

Fontainebleau: “Fontainebleau is tiny and that’s exactly the point. You can’t walk to the bakery without running into three classmates. Dinners happen spontaneously, house parties are a weekly thing, and everyone gets around by bike. It sounds simple, but that intimacy is actually what makes the INSEAD experience so intense in the best way. And when you need a breath of a bigger city, Paris is just 40 minutes away, close enough for a day trip, far enough that Fontainebleau still feels like its own little world.”
Amanda Chermont, INSEAD

Gainesville: “Gainesville is very scenic. I love the walking trails that wind through campus and Lake Alice. There are also various springs and rivers to float down during the summertime. My favorite experience in Gainesville is watching the bat houses empty at sunset. Every evening at dusk, thousands of bats take flight all at once to hunt mosquitoes, and people from all over come to watch.”
Jonny Amon, University of Florida (Warrington)

Hanover: “As a father of a curious and energetic four-year-old, I could not have picked a better town than Hanover. What I loved most was how seamlessly family life and the MBA experience could coexist. Without ever moving the car, we could spend a Saturday afternoon at a Dartmouth football game, walk over to Ramunto’s for a casual dinner, and then make our way to Red Kite Candy for some of the best homemade ice cream. We would finish the evening walking around campus or looping Occum Pond.

Hanover’s charm is not just its scenery, but its scale. Everything feels accessible, intimate, and safe. Professors, classmates, and families intersect on the same sidewalks, at the same playgrounds, and in the same cafés. The town creates a sense of community that extends beyond Tuck and into daily life.”
Peatros Haile, Dartmouth College (Tuck)

Hong Kong: “What I love most about Hong Kong is its density of contradictions—in the best way. It’s a place where modern skyscrapers overlook working harbours, hiking trails start minutes from subway stations, and traditional markets sit beside cutting-edge fintech hubs.

For someone passionate about both emerging technologies and environmental sustainability, Hong Kong feels like a living lab. The city constantly forces you to think about trade-offs: growth vs. livability, efficiency vs. resilience, development vs. conservation. That tension has sharpened my ambition to work on solutions that don’t accept “either-or” as the default, especially when I think about air and ocean conditions back home in India.”
Paramvir Singh, University of Hong Kong

Ithaca: “Ithaca gave me stillness. The hills, the gorges, the trails. I ran through all of it, and I now have the “Cornell calves” to prove it (it’s a real thing). But beyond physical, there’s something about Ithaca’s being removed from the noise of the world that creates the perfect conditions for growth. No distractions, no bustling city pulling your attention in ten directions. Just nature, a world-class institution, and the space to develop — mentally, professionally, and as a human being.”
Abdul-wahab Alhaji, Cornell University (Johnson)

“Ithaca is the kind of place that forces you to slow down and appreciate nature. Between the waterfalls, hiking trails, lake views, and the weekly farmer’s market, it’s a town that constantly reminds you to step away from the noise and reconnect with what matters. Even being a big city girl, any time I’m away from Ithaca too long, I actually miss it: The walkability, seeing deer walking on my lawn in the mornings, and the beautiful Finger Lakes wine region right in our backyard.”
Tyler Bryant, Cornell University (Johnson)

Jouy-en-Josas: “What I loved most about HEC’s location was the feeling of living in a small, self-contained community. Everything was within walking distance: classes, sports facilities, housing, the supermarket just across the street, and the train station fifteen minutes away for easy access to Paris. In many ways, it felt like living in a bubble where daily life was simple and organized around student life.

This environment made it incredibly easy to focus on studying while also building strong relationships. Because we all lived on campus, we constantly ran into each other, at the gym, in the laundry room, at the supermarket, or over dinners at each other’s apartments. Having done an exchange semester, I realized how special this was. When we wanted to step outside that bubble, Paris was close enough to offer a completely different atmosphere, but the campus itself created a true sense of community that became one of the most valuable parts of the MBA experience.”
Lina Guérin, HEC Paris

“Jouy-en-Josas is a small, rural, farm town, and while there’s not much nightlife, it is right next door to Paris. Surprisingly, it is not its’ proximity to Paris that makes Jouy-en-Josas such a special place, rather its’ uncanny ability to take a group of strangers and make them lifelong friends. So many students live on campus because of the rigorous academic schedule the first few semesters, so everyone is almost secluded in this little, beautiful farm town together. During our lunch breaks, my friends and I would go for long walks or runs, discussing freely what was on our mind as we breathed in the fresh air. It became a place we associated with friends and good times, a place to unwind and take a break, a place that quickly felt like home away from home.”
Kathryn Kochevar, HEC Paris

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