Stanford Graduate School of Business is considered to be amongst the top 5 business schools of USA where Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business ranks somewhere around 30th to 40th place. Given below is the comparison between two of them on various parameters so that international students can make an informed choice while selecting business schools for pursuing MBA.
| Tepper School of Business | Stanford Graduate School of Business | |
|---|---|---|
| ranking (overall) | # 49 Financial Times 2025 # 27 Financial Times 2021 # 31 Financial Times 2020 | # 3 Financial Times 2020 # 1 Financial Times 2019 # 1 Financial Times 2018 |
| Programs | UG Programs -12 PG Programs -2 Doctorate Programs -11 | PG Programs -3 Doctorate Programs -7 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 55816 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 45000 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 17944 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 135771 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 89622 Per Year |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 18 for Business by US News 2025 # 26 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 # 56 for Business by QS World University 2025 | # 2 for Business by US News 2025 # 3 for Business by QS World University 2025 # 3 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 |
| application | #1269 Applicants # 200 Admissions # 15 % Acceptance Rate | - |
| exam scores | Duolingo - 120/160IELTS - 7.5/9TOEFL - 100/120 | GMAT - 738/800GRE - 327/340IELTS - 7/9PTE - 68/90TOEFL - 113/120 |
| Admission Criteria/Better to Have | GPA of 3.32 average and preferably 680 GMAT Score. Average Work Experience required around 5.4 years. | |
| cost to study | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) - | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -135771 |
| Return on Investment/Average Package | #Average Salary126250 | #Average Salary |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
| application dates | Dec 3, 2025 (Round 2 Decision Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) Jan 8, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline for Fall 2026 Intake) Mar 3, 2026 (Round 3 Application Deadline for Fall 2026 Intake) Apr 21, 2026 (Round 2 Fees Deposit Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) Apr 29, 2026 (Round 3 Decision Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) May 26, 2026 (Round 3 Fees Deposit Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) | Jan 7, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake) Apr 2, 2026 (Round 2 Application Decision Date For 2026 Intake) Apr 7, 2026 (Round 3 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake) May 28, 2026 (Round 3 Application Decision Date For 2026 Intake) Sep 9, 2026 (Round 1 Application Deadline For 2027 Intake) Dec 10, 2026 (Round 1 Application Decision DateFor 2027 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
Listed below are some other factors that international students can consider while choosing a business school for pursing MBA from USA university:
- Stanford University is much more bigger and prestigious brand name than Carnegie Mellon University.
- Stanford’s MBA program, offered by Stanford Graduate School of Business, also ranks at 3 amongst all business schools of USA where as Tepper School of Business (business school affliated with CMU) ranks at 31st as per FT MBA ranking of 2020.
- Although 90% of MBA graduates of both the schools get employment with 3 months of graduation, Stanford GSB’s graduates earn approx 50,000 USD higher than CMU Tepper’s graduates.
- Stanford Graduate School of Business ranks at 1st amongst all business schools of the world when it comes to career progress ranking of 2020 by FT. On the other hand, CMU’s Tepper ranks at 73.
Stanford Graduate School of Business has a higher cost of study and is much more difficult to get in than CMU’s Tepper because of its higher ranking and populaity amongst international students. Yet, between the two of them Stanford GSB is obviously the better choice for pursuing MBA from USA.
