Collegedunia Team Content Curator
Content Curator
Choosing between an MBA at McDonough School of Business (Georgetown University) and Cornell Johnson School of Business (Cornell University) involves key considerations. Johnson offers a strong program with a focus on entrepreneurship, technology, and analytics, while McDonough emphasizes global business and social impact. Your decision should align with your career goals, preferred campus atmosphere, and learning style. Johnson excels in its industry connections and specializations, while McDonough provides a strong network and global perspective. Assess these factors to select the program that best suits your professional aspirations and desired MBA experience. Consider visiting both campuses and researching their alumni networks to make an informed decision.
| McDonough School of Business | Johnson Graduate School of Management | |
|---|---|---|
| ranking (overall) | # 43 Financial Times 2025 # 17 Financial Times 2021 # 31 Financial Times 2020 | # 13 Financial Times 2025 # 15 Financial Times 2021 # 23 Financial Times 2020 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 59700 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 12070 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 101268 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 15246 Per Year |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 24 for Business by US News 2025 # 151 for Business by QS World University 2025 # 136 for Business by Times Higher Education 2023 | # 37 for Business by QS World University 2025 # 20 for Business by Times Higher Education 2023 |
| application | #1362 Applicants # 275 Admissions # 20 % Acceptance Rate | #1535 Applicants # 282 Admissions # 18 % Acceptance Rate |
| exam scores | IELTS - 7/9TOEFL - 100/120 | Duolingo - 120/160IELTS - 7.0/9TOEFL - 100/120 |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
| application dates | Sep 8, 2025 (Early Action Application Deadline For 2026 Intake) Jan 7, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake) Apr 1, 2026 (Round 3 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake) Oct 1, 2026 (Round 1 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake) | Sep 17, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) Jan 8, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) Apr 7, 2026 (Round 3 Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
The McDonough School of Business is a part of Georgetown University in Washington DC. The SC Johnson Graduate School of Management is a business school at the SC Johnson College of Business, of Cornell University. Both of these are private schools but Johnson comes under an Ivy League university. Other than that, some facts about the two are:
- McDonough offers two MBA programs, that is, Full-time MBA and Flex MBA.
- Johnson offers three STEM-designated MBA programs - Two-Year MBA, One-year MBA, and Cornell Tech MBA. These are especially good for an international student, who upon pursuing any one of these becomes eligible for OPT, which enables them to work for up to 36 months in the US.
- MBA Students of McDonough have the option to earn a STEM-designated Management Science major by completing a required number of credits in courses for quantitative analysis and management science.
- The program at Johnson is more immersive, with concentrations and electives being taken up in the first year itself. Also, Johnson offers electives not just pertaining to business, but also in engineering, hotel administration, law, medicine, etc. so if you are looking for a multidisciplinary experience, this is a better option.
- At McDonough you can do certificate courses and Intensive Learning Experiences apart from the usual electives, which helps one gain practical knowledge.
- Even though the graduate employment rate is similar for both schools, McDonough graduates experienced a salary increase of 130% while those from Johnson got only 123%.
- The top industry for McDonough graduates was consulting whereas that for Johnson graduates was financial services.
- Both schools had Amazon, BCG, Deloitte, IBM, etc as the top hiring companies.
- McDonough’s location in a big city like Washington DC gives students the advantage of immersing themselves in high-profile business culture. However, Johnson is located in Ithaca, which is a more rural area, and students who prefer learning in a peaceful environment would like to go for Johnson.
Both schools are, without a doubt, excellent for prospective MBA students. you will have to make a decision based on what your expectations are and what you want to achieve with the degree.
