Top Undergraduate Business Programs 2009-2010

Best Business School Rankings by BusinessWeek Magazine

Sep 2, 2009
Naomi Rockler-Gladen

McIntire School of Commerce - Queerbubbles, Wiki Commons

In 2009, the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Business topped BusinessWeek magazine's top list of business schools. Here's more about these college rankings.

(Be sure to check out the 2010-2011 Top Undergraduate Business Programs.)

Looking for an outstanding undergraduate business program? BusinessWeek Magazine annually rates the 100 best business schools in the United States. In 2009, BusinessWeek's top honor went to the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce, which unseated the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

Here are the top 20 undergraduate business schools in America, according to BusinessWeek:

University of Virigina, McIntire School of Commerce
University of Notre Dame, Mendoza School of Business
University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School
University of Michigan, Ross School of Business
Brigham Young University, Marriott School
University of California Berkeley, Haas School of Business
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management
Cornell Univeristy, Johnson School
Emory University, Goizueta Business School
University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business
Villanova University, Villanova School of Business
University of Richmond, Robins School of Business
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School
Wake Forest University, Wayne Calloway School of Business and Accounting
New York University, Stern School of Business
Washington University, Olin Business School
Boston College, Carroll School of Management
Miami University of Ohio, Farmer School of Business
Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business
Indiana University Bloomington, Kelley School of Business

The Cost of the Best Business Schools

Is it expensive to attend one of these top ranked programs? Actually, tuition prices vary quite a bit. Of the top 50 schools, the most expensive were Carnegie Mellon (about $39,700 a year), the University of Richmond ($38,800), and NYU ($38,600). The least expensive in the top 50 were Brigham Young ($4,100), the University of North Carolina ($5,400), and SUNY Binghamton ($6,700).

At about $9,500 a year, top ranked University of Virginia was significantly less expensive than most of the private schools that ranked lower on the list. As expected, the public schools on the list were far cheaper than the private ones 9with the exception of Brigham Young).

Business School Job Placement Rates and Starting Salaries

Of course, related to cost of business schools is the ability to land a good job after graduation. About two-thirds of the top 50 schools had a job placement rating of an A or A+. The programs with the highest median starting salaries were the University of Pennsylvania ($61,000), University of Michigan ($60,000), MIT ($60,000), Carnegie Mellon ($60,000) and Georgetown ($60,000). Top ranked University of Virginia had a starting salary of $58,000.

Rising Business Schools

Although most of the schools listed in the rankings moved up only a few points between 2008 and 2009, a few schools made a significant climb upwards. Newcomers to the list include American University (#28), Chapman (#46), Virginia Tech (#54) and Texas Tech (#77). Notable chart climbers were the University of Richmond (from #20 in 2008 to #12 in 2009), Ohio State (from #59 to #42 in 2009), and James Madison (from #54 to #44).

BusinessWeek Business School Rankings

Obviously, college rankings aren't everything. A top business school might truly be the wrong one for some students, and a less prestigious school might be perfect for others. Nonetheless, this list gives students and parents useful data to consider when choosing potential undergraduate colleges and universities.