The Wharton School placed second in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report ranking of the best full-time MBA programs, falling from its first place position last year.
The April 7 global MBA ranking reviewed 134 business schools with eligible programs. Stanford University claimed this year’s top spot after tying for second with Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 2025.
Last year, Penn claimed sole possession of the No. 1 spot.
The ranking evaluated the proportion of students employed after graduation and the average yearly salary, as well as assessments from corporate recruiters and peers at other educational institutions.
Eric Brooks, director of education data analysis at U.S. News, wrote to The Philadelphia Inquirer that Penn’s fall “was primarily driven by a sizable drop in Wharton’s three-month employment rate, combined with micro-level changes in underlying data metrics.”
According to the report, 72% of Wharton MBA students are employed at the time of graduation and 87% have jobs three months after graduating, earning an average base salary of $179,909.
Wharton took the top spot in six business school speciality rankings, including accounting, management, finance, marketing, executive MBA, and real estate. The school ranked fifth for business analytics and information systems and sixth place for entrepreneurship.
Harvard Business School rose two spots to tie for fourth with the Kellogg School.
Wharton also fell from its top position in the 2026 Financial Times ranking of global MBA programs, falling to third place this year.
In September 2025, Wharton placed fourth in LinkedIn’s annual MBA program ranking, which ranks the top 100 business schools in the world according to how they prepare graduates for long-term career success. LinkedIn also ranked Wharton fourth in 2024.
Senior reporter Amy Liao covers clubs and societies and can be reached at liao@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies philosophy, politics, and economics. Follow her on X @amyliiao.
