A comparative analysis of the MBA program of two of the top ranking business schools of USA, Yale School of Management and Columbia Business School is discussed below to help international students make a better choice.
| Columbia Business School | Yale School of Management | |
|---|---|---|
| ranking (overall) | # 2 Financial Times 2025 # 8 Financial Times 2020 # 9 Financial Times 2019 | # 24 Financial Times 2025 # 4 Financial Times 2021 # 14 Financial Times 2020 |
| Programs | PG Programs -5 | PG Programs -14 Doctorate Programs -3 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 68160 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 21816 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 85400 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 22214 Per Year |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 9 for Business by US News 2025 # 20 for Business by QS World University 2025 # 11 for Business by Times Higher Education 2023 | # 10 for Business by US News 2025 # 16 for Business by QS World University 2025 # 9 for Business by Times Higher Education 2023 |
| application | - | #2156 Applicants # 345 Admissions # 16 % Acceptance Rate |
| exam scores | GMAT - 732/800GRE - 324/340 | GMAT - 720/800GRE - 330/340 |
| Admission Criteria/Better to Have |
| |
| Return on Investment/Average Package | #Average Salary | #Average Salary150000 |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
| application dates | Jun 17, 2025 (Final Decision Date For January 2026 Intake Round 1) Aug 13, 2025 (Application Deadline For January 2026 Intake Round 2) Aug 13, 2025 (Final Decision Date For January 2026 Intake Round 2) Sep 3, 2025 (Application Deadline For August 2026 Intake Round 1) Jan 6, 2026 (Application Deadline For August 2026 Intake Round 2) Mar 26, 2026 (Application Deadline For August 2026 Intake Round 3) | Apr 8, 2025 (Round 3 Application Deadline For 2025 Intake) May 15, 2025 (Round 3 Decision date for 2025 Intake) Sep 10, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake) Dec 5, 2025 (Round 1 Decision date for 2026 Intake) Jan 7, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake) Mar 20, 2026 (Round 2 Decision date for 2026 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
Despite having lower ranking, Yale School of Management is considered to be a bigger brand name for pursuing MBA degree than Columbia Business School. There’s not much difference in the ranking of both business schools too. According to FT 2020 MBA ranking, both dropped a position lower since 2019.
Placement record of both Yale SOM and CBS is also approximately the same and approx 90% of MBA graduates of both these business schools get placed within 3 months of graduation. Only difference is that CBS graduates get paid slightly higher than Yale SOM.
Majority of the MBA graduates from Yale SOM get placed in consultancy sector whereas Columbia Business School graduates are hired majorly for finance and banking sector.
If we look at all other factors except specialization such as acceptance rate, eligibility, cost of study, ranking, etc, both these business schools have almost equal standing. So, international students should choose between them depending upon what future career prospects are they looking for.
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