The 20 best business schools in America

May 31, 2017

The 20 best business schools in America

harvard business school commencement

An MBA from a top business school can set you up for a lucrative, successful career. In fact, average graduates of a top-20 program earn starting compensation packages of at least $130,000.

That's according to the latest list of top business schools by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked 131 MBA programs based on criteria that includes job placement, starting salary, selectivity, and assessments by peers and recruiters. The schools were given a numerical score, with 100 representing the best possible result. Read a full breakdown of the methodology here.

Business Insider culled the 20 top schools on the list, each of which made an appearance on our most recent ranking of the best business schools in the world. While many familiar and vaunted MBA programs are congregated at the top, only two were able to earn a perfect score of 100.

Read on to learn more about the 20 top business schools in America.

Note: Tuition figures reflect annual costs for out-of-state students.

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20. Emory University — Goizueta Business School

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Average starting salary: $138,864

Average GMAT score: 683

Tuition and fees: $57,580

Overall score: 74

Goizueta Business School is named after Roberto C. Goizueta, the late CEO of Coca-Cola who led the company from 1981 until he died in 1997. The school, which was founded in 1919 and started offering an MBA in 1954, took Goizueta's name in 1994, and his business philosophy is now a central part of the school's mission: to develop professionals who will add value to their companies by changing the way business is done. The prep pays off: The business school has a 93.1% job-placement rate within three months of graduation.

19. Carnegie Mellon University — Tepper School of Business

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Average starting salary: $140,289

Average GMAT score: 686

Tuition and fees: $62,230

Overall score: 75

The Tepper school prepares graduates to pursue careers in marketing, finance, consulting, technology, entrepreneurship, or operations. The career center helps students connect with companies, meet with potential employers, and build their networks. Students are directly recruited by some of the biggest names in business, including Goldman Sachs, IBM, Google, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo.

18. University of North Carolina — Kenan-Flagler Business School

Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Average starting salary: $131,908

Average GMAT score: 700

Tuition and fees: $59,574

Overall score: 77

The Kenan-Flagler Business School complements its core curriculum with a wide variety of experiential learning opportunities in business, finance, and beyond. The school is particularly valuable for those looking to gain experience in the nonprofit sector. Kenan-Flagler's Nonprofit Board Consultants program places MBA students on nonprofit boards of directors months, where they gain exposure to high-level strategy and leadership opportunities. In the past, students have worked with Habitat for Humanity, Our Children's Place, and the Environmental Education Fund.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider