Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Average starting salary: $131,600
Average GMAT score: 725
The world's oldest MBA program, Harvard Business School is also often considered the best. But its hefty price tag — $141,900 — and a solid but not elite job-placement figure of 91% three months after graduation combined to keep HBS out of the top two.
The high average-starting salary its graduates command, the school's reputation with employers, and the HBS network of more than 44,000 living alumni still make it one of the most coveted business schools for students. HBS's cadre of successful alumni — littered with politicians, CEOs, and billionaires — is unrivaled: Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former President George W. Bush, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, and HP Chairman Meg Whitman all graduated from the institution.