MBA in California: Top Colleges, Programs, Fees

MBA in California is one of the most popular course choices to study in the USA and over 150,000 international students hail to study here. Those who are aiming for some of the best MBA universities in the USA can think of applying to Californian universities. MBA universities in California are around 39, to be precise and there are no MBA colleges in California at present. 

In terms of salaries, an MBA in California is the most lucrative option with the added advantage of Data Analytics specialisation. The salaries go as high as USD 215,000 and California is also home to the prestigious Stanford University which is considered one of the best B-Schools in the USA. Check out the article for all major details on MBA in California.    

MBA in California Highlights 2024

Why Study MBA in California? 

After Harvard Business School, B-Schools in California took the limelight because of Stanford University MBA which is the second most popular option for business education. Apart from this, remuneration for MBA grads in California is slightly higher (around 2-3%) in comparison to Boston and Pennsylvania. Other reasons to consider studying MBA in California are as follows: 

• There are all types of MBA variations available across California universities like full-time, part-time, online and executive MBA.  
• As per ZipRecruiter, California ranks #4th for offering the highest salaries to MBA graduates in the USA. 
• The MBA universities in California offer some of the highest salaries to their MBA grads through job opportunities offered through partnerships with the concerned university's career centres.
• The top MBA universities in California offering higher-end salaries are as follows: 

• • Stanford University: USD 176,956 
  • UC Berkeley: USD 171,000 
  • UCLA: USD 146,500 

• There are internship opportunities available through each of the Californian universities offering an MBA. Thus, this is an added advantage for MBA students. 
• The admission requirements for MBA universities in California are competitive but in some cases, requirements are at the higher end like Stanford University and not so competitive for universities like California Lutheran University. 

Thus, those who are unable to get through B-schools in Boston and Pennsylvania can try and apply to universities in California because of the above-given reasons.  

Top 10 Business Schools in California 2024

The following business schools have been ranked as per QS and US News for the year 2023:  

As per QS’s recent rankings for global MBA programs, there are just 14 institutions which have been ranked for MBA in California, whereas, around 39 universities plus colleges have been ranked as per US News for the year 2024 for the ‘Best Business School’ category. 

MBA in California Admission Requirements 

Coming to admission requirements for MBA courses in California universities the following will be required: 

• GMAT scores vary between 680 - 730 
• Or, GRE scores between 149 - 170 on verbal and between 150 - 170 for quant section. 
• GPA of 3.0 and above on a 4.0 point scale in bachelor’s 
• A minimum of 2 - 3 years of work experience 
• The minimum TOEFL score or IELTS score based on acceptability at the university in question should be taken from the university website. 

Documents Required for MBA in California

Apart from these admission requirements, the applicants will also require these documents along with the applications: 

• Transcripts 
• Admission essays 
• Personal statement (SOP) 
• Letters of recommendation (LOR) 

Please note that these admission requirements may vary per university for MBA admissions. There may be some requirements applicable to one university and may not be applicable to others.  

Career Opportunities After MBA in California 

Home to Silicon Valley, California is the Tech hub which also attracts students for either internship opportunities or study there to find full-time work opportunities. Numerous MBA grads from various universities are recruited across these Tech companies located in California.  

There are various career options after an MBA from California, but the Tech industry is by far the biggest industry and offers lucrative salaries as well. Let's check out the following Californian MBA universities and compare them in the top three industries of Tech, Consulting and Finance: 

The above-given salaries are for just the top three ranking universities for MBA in California, and it can be noted that the salaries are on the higher end for finance roles at Stanford, followed by UC Berkeley and UCLA scoring the lowest. A similar pattern can be recorded for Consulting and Tech roles at these universities.  

Popular Companies for MBA Grads in California 

The following is a list of 10 popular companies that have recruited MBA grads from various Californian universities in the past: 

1. Google 
2. Amazon 
3. Goldman Sachs 
4. Microsoft 
5. Deloitte 
6. Cisco 
7. Citi 
8. Bank of America  
9. The Walt Disney Company 
10. PwC 

There are other companies too which have recruited MBA graduates from various universities of California like Johnson & Johnson, EY, Meta, Walmart, McKinsey & Company, BCG, Epson, and others.