Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Stanford University's Graduate School of Business (GSB) is one of the most exclusive and prestigious graduate business schools in the nation. As of 2015, Stanford GSB had the lowest admission rate (7.1%) of any business school in the United States. If you want to attend Stanford, you must be among the best of the best. The average GMAT score for incoming MBAs reached an all time high this year of 733–well above the average GMAT score for other top business schools. Wharton University's school of business, with an average GMAT of 732, came in a close second.

So why to so many students want to attend Stanford GSB? Well, for starters your chances of finding "gainful" employment after you graduate are almost 100%. By graduation, over 73% of Stanford MBA graduates have received a good job offer. Within 3 months of graduating, over 91% of graduates have received a job offer–and the average job offer is over $142,000 a year (not including signing bonus).

Stanford GSB vs Harvard Business School

Stanford and Harvard are unquestionably the two undisputed heavy weight contenders when it comes to graduate business education. Both have been ranked among the top two business schools in the nation for nearly a decade. Consequently, earning a business degree at either one of these prestigious institutions is highly coveted. At 7% and 11% respectively, Stanford GSB and Harvard Business School have the lowest acceptance rates and highest admissions standards of any business schools.

Many of the people that apply to Stanford GSB also apply for admission to Harvard–and vice versa. Not suprisingly, when accepted applicants turn down an offer of admission at Harvard, it usually means they're accepting an offer from Stanford. Conversely, when applicant turn down the opportunity to attend Stanford, it usually means they've accepted an offer to attend Harvard.

So, if Stanford and Harvard are both so great, given the opportunity, which one should you attend? Both schools provide a world-class business education, but they have some distinct differences that set them apart. Harvard is known for producing capable and successful managers and leaders that pursue more traditional career paths in business. Many of Harvard's graduates take positions with Fortune 500 companies and work their way up the corporate later of success. While Stanford also produces top business leaders and managers, it's better known for producing some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs. Yahoo!, Google and Hewlett-Packard, as well as a plethora of other successful startups, were all founded by Stanford grads. Business school candidates seeking to work with a startup, or who want to start their own company, often lean toward earning their MBA at Stanford.

Core Metrics

GMAT: 732
GPA: 3.74
Acceptance Rate: 7.1%
Starting salary: $142,834
Pre-MBA salary: $86,000
% of students with jobs at graduation: 73.6%
% of students with jobs 3 months after graduation: 91.1%
5-year MBA gain: $89,100
Years to payback: 4
Tuition & fees:: $127,000

Programs of Study

Stanford University Graduate School of Management offers two graduate-level degree programs in seven areas of focus. Students have the option of earning either an MBA or Ph.D. in business management. For upper-level managers and executies, Stanford offers the MSx Program. This is an intensive 12 month Master of Science (M.S.) in Management degree designed for professional with extensive leadership and management experience. Stanford business school does not offer part-time, online or evening programs. All of Stanford's business programs are full time. Stanford does however offers dual degree programs and joint degrees in various fields of study including engineering, healthcare, education and law.

For aspiring business professionals who are not interested in a full-time degree program, Stanford Graduate School of Management offers over 30 skills-oriented elective courses and training programs.

Learn more about Stanford University today!

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Source: National Center for Education Statistics