The Best Undergraduate Business Schools

[AfricanMustang]

One of the many reasons why full-time MBA programs are in decline has to do with the rising quality and interest in undergraduate business education. Many companies, particularly in the financial sector, have come to prefer undergrads because they are just as well prepared to make an immediate contribution at work and they are a lot cheaper to hire than MBA grads.

WhartonΓÇÖs rise to the top of the list begins in the admissions standards category. With a 6.49% acceptance rate, itΓÇÖs tougher to get into WhartonΓÇÖs undergraduate program than its full-time MBA program which has an acceptance rate nearly three times higher at just under 20%.

In terms of average SAT scores for the incoming Class of 2018, Washington UniversityΓÇÖs Olin Business School boasted the highest score at 1,510 on the new 1600-point scoring scale. Southern Methodist UniversityΓÇÖs Cox School of Business followed with 1,494. The University of California-Berkeley Haas School of Business followed with a 1,490 average. Wharton was next, averaging 1,486. The average SAT among all participating schools was 1,308, a score in the 87th percentile, meaning that only 13% of all test takers scored that well or better.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/poetsandqu ... e83d8643d9

[tristatecoog]

I heard that in the future you may not be able to transfer into Cox if you don't get in directly. I heard that A&M allows for 100 transfers into its undergrad b-school each year while admitting 1000 directly.

I find that MBAs are more mature and business knowledgeable than BBAs but I'm not sure they're worth the premium. BBAs have an option to go to an MBA program so there's a bit more flight risk as well.

[midwestpony]

I've heard its a 95% of people know at the time of admission. Will be 10x better as students are more likely to accept, (about a 4-8% bump depending on the year) if they know they are in. Room will exist for the great students in engineering or english who change their mind, but not the kids who try to backdoor into the school. I'd expect a yield and ACT/SAT bump at least for those at the middle and bottom. The current rating of cox in poets and quants only takes top bba scholars so I'd expect that to be more reflective of the total population.

Change is necessary so long as they continue to fund the colleges and hire professors based on central planning rather than need. Classes are overfilled and people are in danger of not graduating in four years. You also cannot double major in Cox due to the over population.

[gostangs]

I've heard its a 95% of people know at the time of admission. Will be 10x better as students are more likely to accept, (about a 4-8% bump depending on the year) if they know they are in. Room will exist for the great students in engineering or english who change their mind, but not the kids who try to backdoor into the school. I'd expect a yield and ACT/SAT bump at least for those at the middle and bottom. The current rating of cox in poets and quants only takes top bba scholars so I'd expect that to be more reflective of the total population.

Change is necessary so long as they continue to fund the colleges and hire professors based on central planning rather than need. Classes are overfilled and people are in danger of not graduating in four years. You also cannot double major in Cox due to the over population.

Exactly - they just need to grow the overall university by growing Cox by 150 people a class and Lyle by 100 a class. Get the overall school up to 7,500 instead of 6,500. Would help in a ton of different areas - mainly share of mind in Texas. We are in danger of being forgotten as the state grows and we try to stay too small.

[SMU Biz Prof]

If you believe that should happen (growing Cox and Lyle), shout it from the rooftops. Right now, the general consensus is to NOT grow Cox undergraduate. At many universities these days, grant money drives growth decisions, and b-schools don't bring in grant dollars. That's just the reality.

[SMUvet]

Did anyone notice that Cox undergrad is ranked #13 in this ranking by Poets & Quants?

Would an expansion of the size boost it that much? What about PhD programs?