There is no doubt that Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business are the top leading Business Schools in the World. It is indeed a dream come true if you get that coveted MBA call letters from either of these prestigious institutes but many times we have found students being confused whether to go for MBA from Stanford University or MBA from Harvard University. So, we are going to evaluate the various parameters which one should consider while comparing Stanford vs Harvard.

Harvard MBA vs Stanford MBA: Which is Best?

The stereotypes would say that if you want to go for a startup then Stanford MBA is the right program for you but if you want to climb the corporate ladder of top 500 companies, Harvard MBA is sure bet for you. This doesn’t hold true anymore and there are many basic differences between Stanford or Harvard. Read on, to know more about these differences and the Stanford MBA Requirements & Harvard MBA Requirements while deciding about the program which will suit you to do an MBA in USA.

Factors to consider between Stanford MBA and Harvard MBA:

• It is more difficult to get into Stanford: (7.1% vs. 11% acceptance rate)
• The average GMAT score for enrolling students is higher for Stanford: (732 vs. 730)
• The average GPA for admitted students is higher in Stanford: (3.75 vs. 3.67)
• The size of the class is larger in Harvard (HBS): (935 vs. 410 students)
• The average post-graduation salary for both schools is similar: ($133,000)
• The total program cost at Stanford is lower: ($119,100 vs. $122,450)

So, when you have to decide whether to go to Harvard or Stanford, just keep the above factors in mind. Read on to know about more dramatic differences:

Location

Harvard is located in Boston, also known as the ‘Athens of America’ for its intellectual and cultural strength.

Stanford GSB is located in the heart of Silicon Valley in California. It’s a campus dotted with palm trees that sway in the afternoon breeze. It is roughly equidistant from San Francisco & San Jose.

QS Business School Ranking

As per the latest QS World University Rankings subject wise, the Harvard Business School is at number one position and Stanford is at number four. Both the business schools are part of the ‘elite global’ group of top B-schools.

Acceptance Rate

When you compare the Stanford MBA Acceptance Rate vis-à-vis to that of Harvard MBA Acceptance Rate, you will know that it is difficult to get into Stanford. The Stanford MBA Acceptance rate is 7.1% whereas the Harvard MBA Acceptance Rate is 11%

Class Size

The class size of the Harvard (HBS) is larger than that of Stanford. There are 935 vs. 410 students. So, we can say that the class size of Stanford is less than half to that of Harvard Business School.

Jobs and Pay

The average post-graduation salary for both schools is more or less same i.e. $133,000.

The 31% of HBS 2015 graduates choose to opt for the finance career, 24% went into consulting and 20% into technology. Only 6% went to health care and 5% into manufacturing whereas the 4% went into non-profit or government organisations.

At Stanford, 31% of the class of 2015 chose to go for finance career and 28% went into technology careers. 14% into consulting and 6% into health care. At GSB, 16% of the 2015 class decided to get into entrepreneurship.

So, when you are choosing between the Stanford and Harvard MBA just keep the above factors in mind and do check Harvard MBA Reviews and Stanford MBA Reviews. This will help you to take a rational decision and you will be able to select a program which is the best fit for you.

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us!