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Contact our general manager with any questions. Profile updated: August 15, 2023.

University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business

  • The Charles M. Harper Center at Chicago Booth The Charles M. Harper Center is the global headquarters of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, home to our faculty, leadership, and many of our administrative, program, and research center offices. The designers of the 415,000-square-foot buildingā€”completed in 2004ā€”took their inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wrightā€™s world-famous Robie House and the universityā€™s iconic Rockefeller Chapel, each across the street from Boothā€™s Hyde Park campus. The building features a continuous band of windows, providing the interior with an abundance of natural light, as well as the six-story Rothman Winter Garden in the center of the building, which is topped by curved steel beams that form stunning Gothic arches. The Charles M. Harper Center The University of Chicago Booth School of Business 5807 S. Woodlawn Ave. Chicago, IL 60637 USA

MBA Program Stats

Annual Tuition: $77,841

Annual Tuition Non-Resident: $74,919

Acceptance Rate: 12.3%

Full-Time Enrollment: 621

Average GPA: 3.6

Median GMAT: 730

International: 37%

Minority: 44.2%

Female: 40%

Male: 60%

What You Need To Know

The mantra of the University of Chicagoā€™s Booth School of Business is itā€™s all about the idea. The B-School was founded in 1898 and became accredited in 1916, and ever since, Booth students have been learning to define problems, ask better questions, and develop better solutions. The B-School earned well-deserved attention this year, ranking No. 2 in the P&Q rankings, and No.1 for Best Business Schools by U.S. News and World Report 2023.

ā€œChicago has been my favorite city in the world long before I started my MBA application. The fascinating Lake Michigan, the city parks, and unique ways to experience every season make Chicago the most charming city I know. Combined with a rich culture and food scene, anyone who has the chance to live in Chicago for two years will certainly have a blast. Professionally-speaking, MBA students in Chicago have the opportunity to connect with top professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs in almost every field, as the city is home to several offices and headquarters of market leaders of several industries,ā€ says MBA Andre Beda.

Academics And Programs

The full-time 21-month MBA program welcomed 620 students selected from a total of 5,037 applications this year. Although the curriculum is rigorous and can be overwhelming at first, Booth deploys peers to first-year students to guide and assist them. Their renowned ā€˜Paying-It-Forwardā€™ tradition is handed down between classes as an act of gratitude that extends far beyond graduation.

The flagship of the program is its flexible curriculum. Unlike many other top schools with lockstep first-year MBA programs, Booth does not require its MBAs to go through every class together with the one key exception being the Leadership Effectiveness and Development (LEAD) course which examines the fundamentals of communication and teamwork, which all MBAs must take. The curriculum consists of 20 classes plus LEAD.

ā€œOur multidisciplinary curriculum provides students with analytical frameworks needed to succeed. It evolves and grows to meet the rapidly changing business climate with agility yet maintains the core values that distinguish it from any other MBA program. Whether in Chicago, Hong Kong, or London, our accomplished faculty create knowledge among current and future leaders,ā€ says Starr Marcello, Deputy Dean for MBA programs.

By and large, students design a program tailored to fit their own career goals.

ā€œThe Booth MBA empowers students to select courses that fit their experience, interests, and career goals. The flexible curriculum, rooted in the fundamentals of businessā€”accounting, economics, psychology, sociology, and statisticsā€”is delivered by the worldā€™s best faculty members, pillars of the Chicago Booth community,ā€ says Marcello.

Booth is known for its strong quant power. ā€œI knew the school had a reputation for quantitative curriculum,ā€ says Emma Lawler, Class of 2023. ā€œIā€™m looking forward to learning the hard skills Iā€™ll need to be a business leader throughout my entire career. Yes, maybe I could learn some of these skills over years of hands-on experience, but I believe this two-year program will give me a stronger foundation to achieve my ambitious goals and make a bigger impact.ā€

In addition to Accounting, Analytical Science, and Behavioral Science, the school offers ten more concentrations in Business Analytics, Econometrics and Statistics, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, general management, international business, marketing management, operations management, and strategic management.

Students are required to participate in a summer internship between their first and second year of the MBA, designed to put their knowledge to the test. Outside of curriculum, most Booth students take advantage of a seemingly endless number of extracurricular opportunities.

ā€œThe Management Consulting Group and the Booth Technology Group are student clubs that host large events for professionals, including recruitment and job fairs, meet-and-greets with company representatives, networking with business leaders, info-sharing among peers, as well as conducting mock interviews and educational seminars. These events resonate with students, as these fields are the most popular in which they enter after attending business school,ā€ says Associate Dean Jessica Jaggers.

Rankings Data For Chicago Booth

Booth MBA Rankings

Ranking Poets&Quants
2023-2024 11
2022-2023 2
2021-2022 2
2020-2021 2
2019-2020 2

Getting Into This School

Tips For Your Chicago Booth Application Essay

Chicago Booth continues to use the application process to identify strong qualitative thinkers who offer a broad diversity of experiences

A Chicago Booth MBA Shares His Journey To B-School And Important Tips For Applicants

Meet Michael, a Booth MBA drawn to his career as a result of what he hopes to ultimately accomplish in life. His goal? To make the world a more efficient place

MBA Program Consideration Set

If you believe youā€™re a close match to this schoolā€“based on your scores, age and work experience, you could look at these other competitive full-time MBA programs as well. We list them by stretch, match, and more to consider. These options are presented on the basis of brand image and ranking status as a general guideline. These are meant to be a starting point for further exploration.

Stretch Schools
More Schools to Consider

Partners who enable Poets&Quants to provide, free to our readers, information, inspiration, and greater access to graduate education opportunities.


Northwestern Kellogg vs. Chicago Booth: The Ultimate Smackdown

Kellogg vs Booth: SBC uses insights from MBA Admissions Officers and more to analyze key differences between two world-class institutions.

Kellogg vs. Booth: The Ultimate Smackdown

How the two Chicago-area giants of business education compare

2023-2024 MBA Admissions Events By School

A school-by-school listing of MBA events for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle

cost of MBA

This Is What It Costs To Get An MBA From A Top Business School

All the data on tuition, expenses & total cost when you study for an MBA from a leading business school in the United States or Europe

GMAT Versus GRE: Which Top-50 MBA Programs Prefer Which Test?

Where a GMAT or GRE score is a must for admission ā€” and where you don't have to worry about sitting for an entrance exam

Average GMAT Scores At The Top U.S. MBA Programs

All the score averages for the Class of 2024 at 27 of the leading business schools

Acceptance Rates & Yield At The Top 50 U.S. MBA Programs

Acceptance rates rose at elite U.S. B-schools in 2022, but across all 50 P&Q-ranked schools the average rate was similar to 2021 ā€” and some schools got much more selective

Rankings, Rates, ROI & More: The M7 By The Numbers

All the 2021 school employment report & class profile data ā€” and much more ā€” for the Magnificent Seven B-schools

Why Students Chose

ā€œIā€™ve been greatly surprised by how welcoming and collaborative the Booth community is. My wife and I are humbled by the kindness and support we have received from the current students and alumni during a challenging (and slightly scary) time of moving to a different country and setting up a completely new life far away from home. We were not expecting such warm and friendly hospitality. We spent hours on Zoom calls to help us understand financial aid, visa bureaucracies and the course bidding system. They also helped us with storing and assembling furniture and letting us crash at their place while waiting for our lease to start.ā€ Andre Beda (ā€˜24)

ā€œAside from the people, there are two main reasons why I chose Booth. The first was Boothā€™s ETA (Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition) program offered through the Polsky Center. My goal after business school is to acquire and grow a company. Booth offers an amazing program with resources that can directly help me to achieve that goal. The second was the flexible curriculum. I have a specific goal and come from a non-traditional background, so I am very excited to be able to tailor my courses to build a strong business foundation and simultaneously focus on cultivating the skills and knowledge to be successful buying and growing a company.ā€ Zach Bidner (ā€˜24)

ā€œFor me, the flexible curriculum was an incredibly important feature of the Booth MBA. Having already completed an undergraduate degree in Business, I wanted a program that trusted me enough to know what I needed to learn. Booth is unique in allowing me to entirely dedicate my coursework to filling the knowledge gaps I have personally identified for myself and taking classes that build on the academic and professional foundations I have already developed to set me up for success in the next phase of my career.ā€ Bianca DiSanto (ā€˜24)

ā€œI try to choose pursuits that offer an outsized opportunity for growth relative to time spent. Early in my career, I pursued consulting and my work at an education non-profit startup was based on this measureā€” I knew that if I gave it my all, each opportunity would allow me to experience personal and professional growth at a faster pace than I might have in other environments. This philosophy around growth and time is what brought me to Booth, where the analytical rigor, ability to flexibly take courses from the get-go in subject areas that are new to me, and strong community will push me beyond my limits and deliver the kind of accelerated growth I am looking for in my next chapter.ā€ Kruti Mehta (ā€˜24)

ā€œAs a medical student, I wanted to attend a business school that had strong administrative and research connections to a well renowned tertiary care medical center. The fact that Boothā€™s main campus is strategically located on the South Side of Chicago and adjacent to UChicago Medicine provides a unique opportunity to participate in interdisciplinary work with Boothā€™s healthcare initiative that will further my career goals in healthcare administration.ā€ Alonzo Jones III (ā€˜24)

Student Features For Chicago Booth

Meet Chicago Booth’s MBA Class Of 2024

An inside look at the the newest Boothies at Chicago

Meet Chicago Booth’s MBA Class Of 2023

A look at this year's promising class of MBAs

Meet Chicago Booth’s MBA Class Of 2022

A look at this fall's most promising first-year MBAs at Chicago Booth

The M7 B-Schools: Everything You Need To Know

All the data on the U.S. B-schools that consistently lead the rankings & spark the imagination of applicants everywhere

MBA Pay By Region: Hereā€™s How Much Youā€™re Worth

A school-by-school look at how much MBAs can expect to earn by region

MBA pay

MBA Pay By Occupation & Industry: Hereā€™s How Much Youā€™re Worth

A school-by-school pay comparison for MBAs in Consulting, Finance, Technology, and more

Big Jump In MBA Tech Jobs In Chicago Booth’s 2021 Report

Interim employment report shows slight decline in total compensation for this year's grads

Which M7 School Parties The Hardest? This Survey Found Out

In new report, 84% say grades are secondary to the social side of school

10 Movies Every Business Student Must Watch

From Wall Street to Norma Rae, a movie marathon for admits to business school, current MBAs and anyone interested in life's great truths

Career Stats

Career Statistics of Booth MBAs

Year 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
% of MBAs with Job Offer 3 monthsĀ Ā Ā post-graduation 97% 93% 93% 96% 96%

Industry Choices Of Booth MBAs

Compensation 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
Median Base Salary $ 175,000 $ 155,000 $ 150,000 $ 145,000 $ 130,000

Industry Choices Of Booth MBAs

Industry 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
Consulting 36% 34% 38% 34% 31%
Consumer Products 2% 4% 5% 4% 4%
Education/Government/Nonprofit 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%
Environment/Natural Resources 0% 0%
Energy 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%
Financial Services 35% 27% 30% 31% 32%
Healthcare 4% 3% 4% 1% 2%
Manufacturing 0% 1% 1% 1%
Media & Entertainment 0% 1% 1% 2%
Other 3% 1% 2%
Real Estate 2% 2% 2% 3% 2%
Retail 1% 1% 1% 1%
Technology 15% 23% 16% 21% 20%
Transportation Services 1% 1% 1%
Technology 22.9%
Transportation Services/Equipment 1.1%

Top Hirers of Booth MBAs

Firm 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
McKinsey & Company, Inc. 61 46 43 48 39
Boston Consulting Group, Inc. 53 36 42 35 19
Bain & Company, Inc. 28 18 27 26 25
Amazon.com, Inc. 22 34 20 23 23
Credit Suisse 11 10 7 8
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. 11 8 7 7
Google Inc. 11 8 14 9
PwC Strategy&/PwC Advisory 9 8 13 9
JPMorgan Chase & Co. 8 8 11 12
Citigroup, Inc. 7 5 7
Kearney 7 9
Lazard Freres & Co. LLC 7
Bank of America Corporation 6 8
Adobe Systems Inc. 5 4
Deloitte Consulting 5 7
Guggenheim Partners, LLC 5
Morgan Stanley 5 6
Evercore Partners Inc. 4
Facebook 4
Fidelity 4
Greenhill & Co. 4
Salesforce 4

Admissions For Chicago Booth

Essay Questions For Chicago Booth

All Booth MBA candidates are required to submit responses to the following two questions:

1. How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

2. An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development. In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of career, weā€™d like to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are. (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

The third question is optional:

3. Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? (Maximum 300 words.)

School Features And Admissions Analysis

MBA Class Of 2025: What It Took To Get Into This No. 1-Ranked B-School

Women's enrollment grows at this M7 school, which like many of its peers received fewer applications for a second year in a row

MBA Class Of 2024: Full Speed Ahead For Chicago Booth Despite App Decline

Apps are way down, but Booth has kept its class size stable after growing it by 30 seats in the pandemic year of 2020

Chicago Booth’s MBA Class Of 2023: More Apps, Record GMAT & Women

Booth's GMAT mark of 732 represents an 8-point upswing from last fall

2022 MBA Jobs: Finance Powers 10% Pay Bump At Chicago Booth

Median base salary grows 13% to $175K as finance jobs boom & tech jobs plummet

Chicago Booth’s 2021 Jobs Report Shows Big Bump In MBA Compensation

Chicago grads' total compensation climbs nearly 5%

High & Low MBA Salaries And Bonuses At The Top 100 B-Schools

All the most important numbers from the top business schools in the United States

How To Tackle Chicago Boothā€™s New Essay Question

What Booth is looking for & how to stand out

How To Prepare For The MBA Interview With Chicago Booth

What to expect from Booth and what Booth expects of you

The Charles M. Harper Center at Chicago Booth The Charles M. Harper Center is the global headquarters of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, home to our faculty, leadership, and many of our administrative, program, and research center offices. The designers of the 415,000-square-foot buildingā€”completed in 2004ā€”took their inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wrightā€™s world-famous Robie House and the universityā€™s iconic Rockefeller Chapel, each across the street from Boothā€™s Hyde Park campus. The building features a continuous band of windows, providing the interior with an abundance of natural light, as well as the six-story Rothman Winter Garden in the center of the building, which is topped by curved steel beams that form stunning Gothic arches. The Charles M. Harper Center The University of Chicago Booth School of Business 5807 S. Woodlawn Ave. Chicago, IL 60637 USA

The Unconventional Guide To Getting Into The Booth MBA

Tried-and-true advice to help you get into one of the M7 schools that dominate the annual rankings

Fortuna Admissions

Your MBA Recommender Strategy Starts Now

5 tips to secure a strong recommendation

Positioning Extracurriculars On Your MBA Application

Tips from the MBA admissions experts on how to stand out

Jody Keating, Fortuna Admissions

5 Tips To Craft A Killer MBA Resume

Insider tips with specific before/after examples

Matt Symonds, Co-Founder and Director at Fortuna Admissions

When To Start Your MBA Application

Round one countdown: 7 strategies to start now

what it costs to hire an MBA admissions consultant

What It Now Costs To Hire An MBA Admissions Consultant

The cost can vary from $20K to a three-school package to $195 an hour for one-on-one coaching

The Most Favorably Reviewed MBA Admission Consulting Firms

These nine MBA admissions firms stand out for their success with MBA applicants

top MBA admission consultants of 2023

The Top MBA Admission Consultants Of 2023

These MBA admission consultants are at the top of their game, winning more favorable client reviews than any other in the world

MBA Watch For Chicago Booth

MBA Watch is where thousands of MBA applicants not only get to tell their story but have John A. Byrne, MBA admissions coaches and our audience, assess their odds of admission and get help to improve their chances of getting in!

Mr. Army Engineer

I'm currently an Army Captain and engineer at heart but am looking to jump into the finance or consulting industry - an MBA seems the best way to start.

Mr. EduTech

An engineering guy with keen interest in what makes or breaks a company and what makes a product successful.

Mr. Marine Pilot

I am a US Marine Corps pilot and have completed one combat deployment to the Middle East.

Mr. Unilever To MBB

- Four years of experience in CPG (P&G and Unilever).

Ms. Engineer In Finance – Deferred MBA

I am a final year Engineering student from the University of Toronto.

Mr. Market Analyst

After working in the software industry for 18 months, I left to take up a role in the finance industry, taking a ~40% cut and leaving behind a stable career path that would have led to senior positions.

Mr. Data Scientist

An aspiring Technical/Product manager at one of the FAANGs.

Mrs. Company Leader

After graduating from university, I started at a small supply chain/logistics company as a marketing analyst.

Mr. Corporate Development

Started career in the corporate development (M&A) team of a highly acquisitive biotech company.

Mr. Asian Veteran

6-year US Army veteran, wants to do Part-Time (Weekend) programs.

MBA Handicapping: 2+2 Positioning For Finance Types

A Chicago econ major targets the top MBA deferred admission programs

MBA Handicapping: Can This Band Leader Jazz His 3.3 GPA Into HBS 2+2? Working At McKinsey Helps

A highly talented jazz pianist and composer seeks an MBA to ultimately land a leadership job for an arts nonprofit

MBA Handicapping: How To Move From Pure Tech To Strategy Consulting

Can a high GMAT score of 760 offset a low GPA of 2.5?

A 770 GMAT & Two No-Name Employers Equals What?

This 24-year-old hopes it equals Stanford and Wharton, among other top MBA programs

Handicapping Your MBA Odds: Do Female Indian Techies Have An Easier Time?

Sandy is back with some tough love for this MBA applicant

handicapping your mba odds

MBA Handicapping: How Powerful Is A 750 GMAT At Kellogg, Booth, Stern & Ross?

Calculating the odds of success for an male Indian engineer in digital marketing

Handicapping Your MBA Odds: What Accountants and Actuaries Should Say

What accountants & actuaries should say when they apply to elite B-schools

MBA Handicapping: Say ‘Yes’ To Silver or ‘Hold Out’ For Gold?

Sometimes, it's the hardest choice 2+2ers have to make

News Coverage For Chicago Booth

The Charles M. Harper Center at Chicago Booth The Charles M. Harper Center is the global headquarters of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, home to our faculty, leadership, and many of our administrative, program, and research center offices. The designers of the 415,000-square-foot buildingā€”completed in 2004ā€”took their inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wrightā€™s world-famous Robie House and the universityā€™s iconic Rockefeller Chapel, each across the street from Boothā€™s Hyde Park campus. The building features a continuous band of windows, providing the interior with an abundance of natural light, as well as the six-story Rothman Winter Garden in the center of the building, which is topped by curved steel beams that form stunning Gothic arches. The Charles M. Harper Center The University of Chicago Booth School of Business 5807 S. Woodlawn Ave. Chicago, IL 60637 USA

Chicago Booth Changes Course In ‘Emailgate,’ But Alumni See Only Partial Victory

School backtracks on elimination of thousands of accounts by offering new, more secure accounts with new subdomain

Chicago Booth Alumni In An Uproar Over Losing ‘Email4Life’ Accounts

Booth alumni launch petition to get school to reverse decision to cancel email that it says only 6% of alums use

Chicago Booth Launches A Master In Finance, Its Second New Degree In 88 Years

6 months after announcing a new Master in Management, the Booth School is out with its second new degree program since before World War II

Median Pay For Chicago Booth MBAs Is Now Over $200K

Significant gains for Booth's latest MBA class in consulting, tech employment run counter to national narrative

Booth School Alums Give UChicago $75 Million For New Faculty

Plus: GMAC announces European winners of the GMAT Talent & Opportunity Scholarship

MBA Class Of 2025: What It Took To Get Into This No. 1-Ranked B-School

Women's enrollment grows at this M7 school, which like many of its peers received fewer applications for a second year in a row

Chicago Booth Returns To Top Of P&Qā€™s 2023 Executive MBA Ranking

Out of 67 U.S.-based EMBA Programs, Chicago Booth shot up to No. 1 after finishing 30th in last year's composite ranking

Harvard & Wharton Slump In New 2023 Businessweek MBA Ranking

Stanford's MBA program claims first for the fifth consecutive year

Chicago Booth Makes A Big Healthcare Splash ā€” Times 2

Plus: Michigan Ross MBA students talk about the value in their summer internships

MBA Scholarships At The Leading Business Schools

At most top business schools, dozens ā€” and sometimes hundreds ā€” of need- and merit-based awards are available

Congrats to Dacheng Xiu of the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago for being named a 2023 Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professor.

2023 Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors: Dacheng Xiu, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago

Congrats to Dacheng Xiu of the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago for being named a 2023 Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professor.

The Charles M. Harper Center at Chicago Booth The Charles M. Harper Center is the global headquarters of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, home to our faculty, leadership, and many of our administrative, program, and research center offices. The designers of the 415,000-square-foot buildingā€”completed in 2004ā€”took their inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wrightā€™s world-famous Robie House and the universityā€™s iconic Rockefeller Chapel, each across the street from Boothā€™s Hyde Park campus. The building features a continuous band of windows, providing the interior with an abundance of natural light, as well as the six-story Rothman Winter Garden in the center of the building, which is topped by curved steel beams that form stunning Gothic arches. The Charles M. Harper Center The University of Chicago Booth School of Business 5807 S. Woodlawn Ave. Chicago, IL 60637 USA

Whoa: Chicago Booth Gets Second-Largest Gift Ever: $100M

'Transformative' gift from entrepreneur & philanthropist Ross Stevens will advance academic business research, school says

Stanford, Harvard & Wharton Also-Rans In Topsy-Turvy U.S. News MBA Ranking

Changes in the methodology for ranking MBA programs mixes up U.S. News ranking

Poets&Quants 2022-2023 MBA ranking

Poets&Quants 2022-2023 MBA Ranking: A Surprising Change At The Top

Stanford loses the crown to Wharton's MBA experience