Few MBA programs combine industry expertise with academic rigor like Chicago Booth. The school takes pride in its distinct Chicago Approach, a problem-solving framework rooted in the fundamental scientific principles of economics, accounting, psychology, sociology and statistics. A reflection of Booth’s research strength, ten Nobel laureates are on its faculty, three of whom are still teaching. The school earned its name in 2008 when David Booth (MBA ’71) donated $300M, the largest gift ever made to a business school, which further enhanced its academic and professional leadership.
Booth’s unique blend of theory and practice makes admission to and graduation from its MBA program a task for analytically oriented, professionally focused types. Its curriculum is the most flexible among all business schools, with LEAD, an experiential leadership course being the only mandatory undertaking for students. Right from the first semester, students are expected to tailor their MBA experience to their interests and goals, choosing from a selection of 13 business concentrations and more than 100 electives. In terms of academics, Booth is renowned for its top-ranked finance program as well as its quantitative approach to business. In practice, however, the program is much more well rounded with top-notch offerings across all business areas, such as those by the Kilts Center for Marketing, and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
As for employment, graduates of the MBA class of 2021 headed mostly towards consulting, which attracted 34% of them, followed by finance and tech with 27% and 23%. The Midwest, West, and Northeast of the US attracted fairly similar numbers of graduates, with 30%, 27%, and 20% respectively. Notable Chicago Booth alumni include Joe Mansueto (Chairman and CEO of Morningstar, MBA 1980), Anthony Pritzker (Founder of The Pritzker Group, MBA 1987), Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft, MBA 1997) and Matt Maloney (Co-Founder and CEO of Grubhub, MBA 2010).
Small Town
Large City
100
1,000
Flexible
Structured
30%
90%
10,000
110,000
680
740
Top 25
Top 5
$100,000
$175,000
