Columbia received 6177 applications for the class of 2024, of which 847 enrolled, whereas Wharton received 6319 applications, out of which 877 students enrolled. Despite a small enrolment variation between both schools, the acceptance ratio remained the same at 14%.
Class Profile
The minimum GPA required for both schools is the same at 3.6, but there is a slight difference in the GMAT score for Columbia (729) and Wharton (733). Both schools have students with an average of 5 years of work experience. Wharton Leads in Women's participation by 6%, whereas Columbia leads in International participation by 16%.
Class Profile | Columbia MBA Class Profile | Wharton MBA Class Profile |
| Applications Received | 6177 | 6319 |
| Admitted | 1363 | -- |
| Enrolled | 844, divided into 12 clusters | 877 |
| Acceptance Ratio | 0.136 | 0.138 |
| Average GMAT score | 729 | 733 |
| Undergraduate GPA (average) | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Work Experience (average) | 5 years | 5 years |
| Average Age | 28 | -- |
| Women | 44% | 50% |
| International Citizens | 51% | 35% |
| Minority of US Origin | 42% | -- |
Ranking
As per the Financial Times MBA Ranking 2023, Columbia MBA ranked 1st, whereas Wharton refused to participate in the ranking for not reaching the threshold for the alumni survey. For the Bloomberg BusinessWeek MBA Ranking, 2022-23 that has a diversity index on race. ethnicity and gender, Columbia is at 8th rank (One rank lower than 2022) and Wharton in 7th (two ranks improvement compared to 2022) .
Both schools are again closer in ranking (Columbia 4th, Wharton 2nd) for the Economist MBA ranking 2022.
Finally, in the 2023-24 Best Business Schools, US News ranks Columbia MBA at 11th position, whereas Wharton dropped by 2 ranks down to 3rd position.
On average ranking, Columbia is 7.6, and Wharton is at 4.
MBA Ranking | Columbia MBA Ranking | Wharton MBA Ranking |
| Bloomberg BusinessWeek MBA Ranking, 2022-23 | 8 | 7 |
| The Economist MBA Ranking 2022 | 4 | 2 |
| Business School Ranking, MBA 2023, Financial Times | 1 | NA |
| Best Business Schools, US News, 2023-24 | 11 | 3 |
| Average Ranking | 7.6 | 4 |
Overall Ranking: Wharton>Columbia
Location
Columbia Business School is the prototypical big-city institution. The school benefits greatly from its location in New York - the world's business, financial, and media center and a living laboratory of markets and companies.
On the other hand, Wharton has three locations: Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Beijing. The main campus, however, is located on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania at the heart of Philadelphia, making it a train ride away from either New York or Washington.
Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the United States, is a beautiful, compact city with world-class restaurants and cultural attractions.
Similarly, Wharton’s San Francisco campus, is housed in the historic Hills Brothers Plaza, which runs alongside the city's beautiful Embarcadero.
In 2015, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School announced the opening the Penn Wharton China Center (PWCC) in Beijing, China. The Center is at World Financial Center with a valuable resource and vibrant gathering place for Penn's faculty, students, alumni, and supporters in China, enhancing the global reach of the learning and research opportunities.
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