MBA at Chicago Booth vs Harvard Business School

Collegedunia Team logo

Collegedunia Team Content Curator

Content Curator

Deciding between an MBA at Chicago Booth and Harvard Business School hinges on your aspirations. Harvard Business School offers a prestigious program with a broad network, emphasizing leadership and general management. Its case method fosters critical thinking. Chicago Booth is known for its analytical rigor, allowing flexible curriculum and specialization in finance, economics, and entrepreneurship. Booth's campus in a prominent business city encourages networking. Harvard provides a comprehensive network and diverse leadership education, while Booth excels in academic depth and specialization. Choose based on your desired learning style, campus culture, and career goals for a more tailored MBA experience.

Overview Comparison
University of Chicago Booth School of BusinessHarvard Business School
ProgramsPG Programs -15
Doctorate Programs -9
PG Programs -4
Doctorate Programs -1
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees  72000
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 15726 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees  90505
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 23470 Per Year

Top Courses Comparison

Top Courses Comparison

ranking# 9 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025
# 17 for Business by QS World University 2025
# 1 for Business by QS World University 2025
# 6 for Business by US News 2025
# 7 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025
application-#9856 Applicants
# 930 Admissions
# 9 % Acceptance Rate
exam scoresDuolingo - 135/160IELTS - 7/9PTE - 70/90TOEFL - 104/120Duolingo - 145/160GMAT - 740/800GRE - 326/340IELTS - 7.5/9PTE - 75/90TOEFL - 109/120
documents required#Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose#Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose
application datesSep 16, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake)
Dec 4, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake)
Jan 6, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake)
Mar 26, 2026 (Round 2 Decision Date For 2026 Intake)
Mar 26, 2026 (Round 3 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake)
Apr 2, 2026 (Round 3 Decision Date For 2026 Intake)
Sep 3, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline for Fall 2028 Intake)
Dec 10, 2025 (Round 1 Application Decision for Fall 2028 Intake)
Jan 5, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline for Fall 2028 Intake)
Mar 25, 2026 (Round 2 Application Decision for Fall 2028 Intake)
Comparison Notes

Harvard Business School or Chicago Booth School of Business, choosing to study between two business schools in USA can be difficult. Apart from the above-mentioned aspects, here are some more features you must take into consideration before choosing between the two.

  • Rankings for MBA at Harvard are better than that for Chicago Booth as per Financial Times MBA rankings 2020. US News, on the other hand, ranked Chicago Booth better than Harvard Business School in its Best Business Schools 2021 rankings.
  • Salary Increase for MBA graduates from Harvard was around 110% while for MBA graduates from Booth School of Business was 123%.
  • 95% of the MBA class of Chicago Booth was offered employment within three months of graduation. Contrary to this only 88% of the MBA class of Harvard Business School was offered employment within three months of completion of the degree.
  • International Student Percentage: Harvard’s MBA class housed 33% international students while Booth Business School saw an enrollment of 30% international students in the MBA 2020-22 class.
  •  GRE scores accepted: 23% of the total class presented GRE scores for MBA admissions at Harvard while 17% of the total class presented GRE scores for admissions to MBA at Chicago Booth. 
  • The value for money score awarded to Chicago Booth is higher than Harvard Business School.

Before making a choice look into all these aspects and make a decision based on the b-school that aligns with your life goals.