Top 10 MBA Programs in the Midwest

Of course, Chicago—the most populated city in the Midwest—is home to a number of great MBA programs. As well as being ranked the world’s second best MBA program by the Economist in 2017, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business’s MBA is also ranked among the top 10 MBA programs by the Financial Times and Businessweek. MBA students enjoy the bustling city’s architecture, cultural life and – of course – business opportunities. The school has a strong reputation for placing MBA graduates in consulting, finance and investment banking roles.

Kellogg’s two-year MBA has been ranked in the top 10 MBA programs around the world by both the Economist and Businessweek. Located in Evanston, Illinois, just a short drive from downtown Chicago—one of the Midwest’s largest business hubs—the school’s graduates are regularly placed in roles in private equity and consulting, in the Midwest and across the US. Additionally, Kellogg offers one of the best one-year MBAs in the US, as well as an Executive MBA ranked #1 in the world by the Financial Times.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan school is known for both its strong MBA rankings and job placements for its graduates. Ranked among the top 100 MBA programs in the world by both the Economist and the Financial Times, the school’s MBA program was also named among the top 20 MBA programs in the US in Businessweek’s latest rankings. Not only do firms like PwC and Amazon regularly recruit graduates from the Ross School of Business, MBA grads are regularly placed in industries that are strong in the Midwest, such as manufacturing and consumer products.

This school’s full-time MBA has been ranked by Businessweek, the Economist and the Financial Times, and its Online MBA was ranked 7th in the world by the Financial Times in 2017. MBA graduates from this school enjoy placements in a diverse range of industries—in the Midwest and elsewhere—including healthcare, technology, retail and manufacturing.

This is another school tapped into the Midwest’s biggest industries, with strong business connections and proven graduate job placements in the manufacturing and automotive industries. MBA candidates looking for careers in supply chain management often look to this school, with good reason. The school’s MBA program, as well as its Executive MBA program, is ranked among the top 100 MBA programs worldwide in all the major published rankings.

Like many of these other MBA programs in the Midwest, Mendoza College of Business’s MBA is ranked among the top 100 programs in multiple international rankings, including strong placement in the latest Businessweek MBA rankings. With concentrations in Business Analytics and Corporate Finance, among others, one of this school’s main strengths is its graduate placements in technology and the financial services industries.

Another Midwest MBA program with a strong focus on tech, supply chain management and other quantitative fields is the full-time MBA offered by the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University. This MBA includes concentrations in Financial Reporting and Analysis, Data Analytics and Technology Entrepreneurship. Graduates enjoy placements in finance, but many also find good roles in consulting and operations. The school’s EMBA also has a strong international reputation and is regularly ranked among the world’s best.

This Madison, Wisconsin business school is good for those on a budget looking for an MBA in the Midwest. But it’s also a well-respected program regularly ranked among the top 100 MBAs by Businessweek, the Economist and the Financial Times and accredited by AACSB. The school has strong job placement statistics in retail, marketing and real estate, in the Midwest and elsewhere.

With both its MBA and EMBA ranked among the world’s top 100, the Olin School of Business is a compelling choice for those looking to make the most of St Louis’s status as a major US Midwest port city. The school has a strong record for placing graduates in roles in the financial services sector, as well as in retail and consumer goods, among other industries.

Krannert School of Management’s MBA comes with a particularly broad selection of concentrations, ranging from Technology Innovation & Entrepreneurship to the Management of Information Systems, Organizational Behaviour and Accounting. This school is a popular among students looking to take the next step in operations, supply chain management or manufacturing. Additionally the school offers an MBA for STEM Professionals. Purdue’s West Lafayette, Indiana location means that MBA students have close access to the Midwest hub of Indianapolis, and a bit further, Chicago.