Boston is the capital of the state of Massachusetts and the largest city in the New England region of America. As well as being one of the oldest and most historically significant cities in the country, it is also one of the USA’s intellectual, technological, and political centers.
With over 50 colleges and universities in the Boston area alone, students make up a significant percentage of the population. It is home to a host of excellent universities and business schools, including two which are widely considered the world’s best — MIT and Harvard. In 2024, Boston was ranked the #1 Best Student City in the US by QS World Rankings.
Students who attend a Boston-based university have access to internships and experiences in nearly any major and field, and many stay for careers in fields such as finance upon graduating.
In this article, we look at seven of the best colleges and universities for Business in the Boston area, including rankings, programs, and what makes them stand out from other institutions.
Table of Contents
2. MIT Sloan School of Management
3. Northeastern University D’Amore-McKim School of Business
4. Boston University Questrom School of Business
5. Suffolk University Sawyer Business School
6. Boston College Carroll School of Management
Other Boston Schools to Consider
How Kings Can Help You Study Business in Boston
1. Harvard Business School
Located just outside central Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Ivy League Harvard University is a highly selective private institution that was founded in 1636 and is widely regarded as one of the best universities in the world. Harvard University is made up of 13 schools and institutes, including the top-ranked Business School.
Image source: Harvard University - Harvard Business School
- The first MBA program in the world was started at Harvard in 1908, and it has gone on to offer some of the best business programs in the world.
- The Business School at Harvard University offers a wide range of departments and concentrations, from accounting and consulting, to quantitative analysis/statistics and operations research, tax, and technology.
- Graduate students at Harvard Business School learn by the case method, which challenges them to think in the role of the case protagonist when analyzing and discussing real-life business cases. Students have experiential learning opportunities where they’re able to apply classroom theory in the field.
- There are nearly 90,000 graduates of HBS, many of whom have gone on to lead major corporations. Particularly notable alumni include James Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook); and Michael Bloomberg, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. and former mayor of New York City.
- In 2022, HBS grads had median starting salaries of $175,000.
- Harvard University is ranked #6 in Best Business Schools by U.S. News & World Report for 2024, and further specialty rankings include #1 in Management, #2 in Nonprofit, #5 in Entrepreneurship, #7 in Finance and #8 in Marketing.
- The Times Higher Education world rankings currently place Harvard #3 for Business and Economics globally.
Tuition and fees
Tuition and fees for Harvard University are $59,076. Tuition fees at the graduate business school (full-time) are $74,910 per year.
Acceptance rate
The acceptance rate for Harvard University is 3%.
2.Sloan School of Business (MIT)
Founded in 1861, MIT is regarded as one of the world’s premier universities. Like so many of its schools, MIT’s Sloan School of Management is renowned for academic excellence.
Image source: MIT Sloan Business School
- MIT Sloan offers a diverse program portfolio ranging from undergraduate degrees to programs for senior executives.More than 1,300 students, including undergraduates and business executives, participate in 10 academic programs. Classes are taught by approximately 200 experienced professors and lecturers.
- Among MIT Sloan’s key strengths are its very close ties with other departments at the university, especially in fields crucial to business, such as economics, engineering, and science. Many students take classes in departments and schools outside of MIT Sloan to widen their skills and knowledge.
- The average base salary for the MBA Class of 2021 was $148,075, while the median base salary was $150,000.
- MIT was ranked #5 in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Business Schools category for 2024. It is also currently ranked in the top ten for these specializations: #1 in Business Analytics, #1 in Production / Operations, #1 in Project Management, #1 in Information Systems, #2 in Supply Chain / Logistics, #3 in Entrepreneurship, #6 in Finance, and #8 in Executive MBA.
- The Times Higher Education world rankings currently place MIT #1 for Business and Economics globally.
Tuition and fees
Tuition and fees at MIT are $60,156.
Acceptance rate
MIT has an acceptance rate of 4%.
3. Northeastern University D’Amore-McKim School of Business
Northeastern University ranks among the Top 50 research universities in the US and has made the biggest rankings leap of any Top 100 university. A big part of that success is down to the D'Amore-McKim School of Business.
Image source: Northeastern University - D'Amore-McKim School of Business
- The D'Amore-McKim School of Business delivers a curriculum that combines knowledge in technology and data analytics with uniquely 'human' skills, such as creativity, critical thinking and an entrepreneurial outlook.
- Graduate students have multiple programs to choose from; the school offers a standard full-time MBA program, along with part-time and online MBA programs. It also offers dual-degree programs with the School of Law and within the School of Business.
- MBA students focus on specialized concentrations, and benefit from a paid 3, 6 or 12-month corporate residency with employers such as IBM.
- In addition to the MBA options at the School of Business, the university offers M.S. degrees in accounting, taxation, finance, international business, technological entrepreneurship, business analytics, and innovation.
- 100% of MS in Accounting/MBA students over the last five years have received full-time job offers within 3 months of graduation.Upon graduation, 97% of students who reported data were either working full time or enrolled in a graduate degree program within nine months of completing their studies.
- The average salary for MBA graduates from the Class of 2021 is $88,915.
- D’Amore-McKim School of Business is currently ranked #10 in graduate entrepreneurship, by Princeton Review, #11 in US-ranked undergraduate international business programs (U.S. News and World Report), #15 in U. undergraduate business programs (Poets&Quants) and #17 in undergraduate career outcomes (Poets&Quants).
Tuition and fees
Tuition and fees at Northeastern University are $63,141. Full-time tuition for the MBA at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business is $96,525 (total program).
Acceptance rate
The acceptance rate for Northeastern University is 7%.
4.Boston University Questrom School of Business
Boston University is a private research university located in west Boston on the banks of the Charles River. Boston University’s Business School, the Questrom School of Business, is home to roughly 250 full-time faculty members and approximately 3,500 students.
Image source: Boston University - Questrom School of Business
- Questrom strives to keep its curriculum and electives consistently relevant and customizable degrees align with student career goals. An emphasis on team collaboration also sets Questrom students apart from their peers.
- Questrom’s portfolio of academic programs is wide and includes an undergraduate program of over 2000 students and full-time, part-time and online MBAs for graduate students. There are also specialty MBAs in social impact, health, and digital technology.
- Grad students can also choose specialized masters programs in areas including business analytics, mathematical finance, and management studies; and a rigorous PhD program.
- Class of 2022 full time MBA students had a mean base salary of $134,940.
- BU is ranked #50 in Best Business Schools by US News & World Report 2024, and further specialty rankings include #4 in Project Management.
Tuition and fees
Tuition and fees for Boston University are $65,168. The cost of tuition for an MBA at the Questrom School of Business is $66,670 per year (full-time).
Acceptance rate
The acceptance rate for Boston University is 14%.
5. Suffolk University Sawyer Business School
Suffolk University and the Sawyer Business School enjoy a great location in downtown Boston, in the midst of a dynamic financial business area. This location gives the school an excellent opportunity to integrate the knowledge gained in the classroom with learning from local businesses.
Image source: Suffolk University - Sawyer Business School
- The Sawyer Business School offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (undergraduate program) and many different graduate degrees and certificate programs. These range from the traditional MBA to specialized master's degrees, along with a Master of Healthcare Administration and Master of Public Administration.
- Almost 25% of faculty in the Sawyer Business School are actively involved in business, government, healthcare and nonprofit communities. Many also serve on corporate or nonprofit boards, consult, or are members of professional associations, which means they can incorporate their real-life experiences into every student's learning.
- At the graduate level, accreditations from AACSB, NASPAA, and CAHME attest to the university's recognized excellence across business, public administration, and healthcare programs, respectively. Sawyer is the only US busines school to hold all three of these accreditations.
- The median salary for MBA graduates post degree is $115,000.
- Suffolk University (Sawyer) is ranked #111 in Best Business Schools (U.S. News & World Report).
Tuition and fees
Tuition and fees for Suffolk University are $45,380.
Acceptance rate
The acceptance rate for Suffolk University is 87%
6. Boston College Carroll School of Management
Located in the leafy area of Chestnut Hill, Boston College was founded by the Society of Jesus and has maintained its Roman Catholic Jesuit religious affiliation. BC has nine schools, which include the highly regarded Carroll School of Management.
Image source: Boston College - Carroll School of Management
- The school's curriculum is designed to be tailored to each student's interests, with six academic departments, nine undergraduate concentrations (Accounting, Accounting for Finance & Consulting, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, General Management, Management & Leadership, Marketing, and Operations Management), eight graduate programs, and the ability to earn additional majors and minors in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences or the Lynch School of Education and Human Development.
- The average total compensation for the Class of 2022 full-time MBA graduates was $133,191.
- Boston College (Carroll) is ranked No. 46 in Best Business Schools (U.S. News & World Report 2024) and ranks in the top 20 for the following specializations: #8 in Accounting, #10 in Finance, #19 in Business Analytics and #21 in Marketing.
- In 2020, it was ranked #1 for teaching quality among undergraduate business schools by Poets & Quants.
Tuition and fees
Tuition and fees for Boston College are $67,680. Tuition and fees for Boston College Carroll School of Management are $62,280 per year (full-time).
Acceptance rate
Boston College has an acceptance rate of 17%.
7. Fisher College
Fisher College is a private institution that was founded in 1903. It enjoys a sought-after location in central Boston - right next to Boston Common, and offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees in small classes.
Image source: Fisher College
- Students from 34 states and 43 countries have chosen to earn their Bachelor’s degree at Fisher because of the college’s small size, attention to the individual, a student-to-teacher ratio of 16:1.
- The college offers over 30 different bachelor and graduate-level programs.
- Though built around the liberal arts, majors and graduate programs reflect the college's expertise in practical fields like management, accounting and fashion merchandising.
- Business students get hands-on experience and access to business leaders through internships, guest lectures, and site visits.
- The college takes full advantage of the educational resources of Boston, a city both rich in history and culture, and a center of entrepreneurship.
Through Kings Guaranteed Outcome programs, students are able to start their degree at Fisher College, taking advantage of the small classes and high quality teaching as they acclimate to higher education in the US and the American university system.
After two years, with full support from Kings on campus staff, they then have the option to transfer to a Top 50 or Top 100 university either in Boston or the wider US, from where they will graduate.
Tuition and fees
Tuition and fees for Fisher College are $34,150.
Acceptance rate
The acceptance rate for Fisher College is 72%.
Other Boston Business Schools to Consider
The following institutions in the Boston area also offer Business programs, and many also feature among US News and World Report's Best Business Schools.
- Brandeis University (Waltham)
- University of Massachusetts Boston (Boston)
- Bentley University (Waltham)
- Babson College (Boston/Wellesley)
- Hult International Business School (Cambridge)
- Simmons University (Boston)
How Kings Can Help You Study Business in Boston
At Kings, we offer a range of programs designed to help international students gain access to the very best US universities and still graduate in 4 years.
Through our Guaranteed Outcome programs, students begin a bachelor’s degree at our partner university in Boston, Fisher College, or at one of our other locations in New York, California, Oregon and Wisconsin.
They are supported extensively by our specialist on-campus teams as they adapt to US college life. They learn more about the US education system, improve their GPA, and gain a host of new skills and experiences. After 2 years, with the full support of our advisors, they are then able to transfer to a Top 50 or Top 100 university, from where they will graduate.
Business schools in Boston which have accepted Kings students include: Boston University, Northeastern University and Boston College.
Our students have also been accepted to major in Business at the following top universities in the wider US: UCLA, USC, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UC Davis, Emory University, New York University, Fordham University, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Indiana University Bloomington and University of Miami.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the average tuition cost for a business school in Boston?
It’s important to note that American universities differentiate between in-state and out-of-state students. The average cost of tuition for in-state students at a typical four-year public college is around $10,000 per year, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $28,000. There are also private, non-profit universities, such as Ivy League Harvard in Boston, which generally charge over $35,000 per year.
The cost of tuition varies by university, and also sometimes by program. Each college or university sets their own fees, so it’s important to research tuition costs on any potential university’s website. It’s also a good idea to research potential financial aid options as this is offered by many colleges and can make a huge difference to the overall cost.
2.What is the ranking of business schools in Boston?
There are a host of different business school rankings, most of which are updated each year. Many of the universities in Boston regularly appear within rankings of top business schools, particularly Harvard and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of technology).
All of the schools mentioned above feature within either domestic (US) rankings for business schools, such as those assembled by US News and World Report, or global rankings, such as those compiled by THE and QS.
3. Is it a good idea to study business in Boston?
Yes. Boston is a great place to study business. It is a great city in which to be a student because of its large number of universities, and many have an outstanding reputation not just for business for a host of subjects.
As a city, Boston is a thriving center for commerce and as such offers a host of opportunities for both internships and post-graduation, for employment. It is also the primary city in Massachusetts, which, in 2023 was ranked the #1 State with the Best Business Environment in the US by U.S. News & World Report.
Next steps
We hope that this article has helped you understand more about the ins and outs of Business degrees in the US, and how Kings Guaranteed Outcome programs and English language courses can help you get there.
If you would like receive more detailed information about the Kings and our programs, please get in touch with us at us.admissions@kingseducation.com.
