Northwestern Kellogg holds a unique place among the M7 schools. Its location in Evanston, Illinois lends the program a small college town atmosphere while also being only 12 miles from downtown Chicago. The waterfront campus overlooking Lake Michigan is one of Kellogg’s hallmarks, playing an important role in fostering its acclaimed collaborative and close-knit culture.
When it comes to academics, Kellogg offers a lot of flexibility. MBA degrees can be earned in three different ways: a one-year, a two-year, and a tech MBA called MBAi, which integrates business with machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data science. Dual-degree programs are available as well, notably the Kellogg’s MMM program that grants students an MBA and an MS in Design Innovation.
As for the curriculum, Kellogg is best-known for its unrivaled excellence in marketing. The school’s marketing department boasts top-notch faculty members whose research has led to prestigious positions, papers, and prizes in their fields. Kellogg’s MBA is far from being a one-trick pony, though; it is also considered among the best three programs in management, and top 10 in nonprofit. Those who get into the program must be analytically astute, as evidenced by the average GMAT score and median GRE score (quant) of the MBA class of 2023, 727 and 165, respectively.
Post-graduation, consulting and tech are among the most popular career paths for Kellogg graduates. 31% of the MBA class of 2021 entered the TMT sector, the second-highest percentage among all business schools. That year, consulting topped the list with 33%, with finance coming in third with 14%. In line with the school’s marketing expertise, 10% of students joined CPG and retail, one the highest percentages among all schools. Geographically, graduates mostly took jobs in the West, the Midwest, and the Northeast of the US at 34%, 28% and 14%, respectively. Notable Kellogg alumni include James Allen (Founder of Booz Allen Hamilton, MBA 1914), Douglas Conant (Former President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company, MBA 1976), Betsy Holden (Former CEO of Kraft Foods, MBA 1982), and Alexander De Croo (Prime Minister of Belgium, MBA 2004).
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
