The Best MBA Programs in Philadelphia for 2027
Key Points: Best MBA Programs in Philadelphia
- University of Pennsylvania ranks #1 in the Philadelphia area on a 97.7 Program Score, with a 97% graduation rate.
- Private schools hold most of the places on this list.
- Villanova University follows at #2 with a 94.7 Program Score.
- Programs analyzed
- 21
- Schools ranked
- 9
- Average graduation rate
- 71%
We analyzed 21 accredited MBA programs in Philadelphia and the surrounding metro and ranked 9 schools on graduation rate, selectivity, cost, and outcomes. Prices differ sharply between the public and private schools on this list, so the cost column is worth reading school by school.
University of Pennsylvania leads with a 97.7 Program Score on a 97% graduation rate. Across all 9 ranked MBA programs in Philadelphia the average graduation rate is 71%, ranging from 54% to 97%. 2 of the 9 are public and 7 are private, a split that drives most of the price gap below. National median pay for the field is $105,770 a year per the BLS, the benchmark every school on this list feeds into regardless of what it charges.
The Top MBA Programs in Philadelphia at a Glance
Penn leads at 97.7, and Delaware Valley closes the chart at 68.2. Longer bars rank higher.
How the MBA Programs in Philadelphia Are Scored
Each Program Score runs from 0 to 100: outcomes count for 44%, selectivity and academics for 38%, and scale and value for 18%, all from federal data. See how the weights work.
The 9 Best MBA Programs in Philadelphia, Ranked for 2027
The 9 best MBA Programs in Philadelphia, ranked by outcomes.
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 97%
- Admit rate
- 5%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
The University of Pennsylvania's Management MBA requires 19 course units, with four units in the major on top of a 9.5-unit MBA core.
- 97% graduation rate
- Program Score 97.7
- 5% admit rate
- 19 course units, 4 in the major
The University of Pennsylvania offers its MBA with a Management major through the Wharton School. The department describes the major as preparing students to manage established enterprises or guide start-ups, with attention to people and organizations across national and cultural borders. Students can take the general Management major or choose a focused major in Entrepreneurial Management, Organizational Effectiveness, Multinational Management or Strategic Management. Graduation requires a minimum of 19 course units. The Management major takes four units beyond the management core, the MBA core totals 9.5 units, and 5.5 units are electives. The core includes courses such as Foundations of Teamwork and Leadership and either Managing Established Enterprises or Management of Emerging Enterprises. The general major lets students choose courses across the department, while the focused majors can count some outside courses.
Penn graduates 97% of its students, and its admit rate is 5%, so this is a highly selective route. The Program Score of 97.7 on a 0 to 100 scale is the basis of its ranking here, and it draws on the federal graduation and admissions figures along with program data. The program fits students who want a general management foundation with room to specialize in entrepreneurship, strategy or organizations. Anyone planning a focused major should plan the electives early, since those 5.5 elective units shape how deep the specialization goes.
Villanova University
Villanova, PA · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 92%
- Admit rate
- 27%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
Villanova University's Professional MBA runs on campus, online or hybrid, with a Fast-Track option that finishes in as soon as 18 months.
- 92% graduation rate
- Program Score 94.7
- Campus, online or hybrid
- Fast-Track in as soon as 18 months
Villanova University's Professional MBA is based in the Philadelphia region and is designed for working professionals. The school says students can take classes on campus at Bartley Hall or at a Center City Philadelphia location, learn online through one-hour live sessions plus asynchronous assignments, or combine both in a hybrid format. A Fast-Track MBA, described as an accelerated hybrid program, can be completed in as soon as 18 months. The program page highlights leadership and analytics, and links to curriculum, professional development, admissions, specializations and global opportunities. Villanova also offers an Executive MBA and a JD/MBA as separate options. The page describes the Professional MBA as one of the highest-ranked MBA programs in Pennsylvania, which is the school's own claim.
Villanova reports a 92% graduation rate and a 27% admit rate, so admission is selective. The program earns a Program Score of 94.7 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits professionals in the Philadelphia area who want a choice of campus, online or hybrid delivery, and anyone who wants the option of finishing faster through the Fast-Track route.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, PA · Public · online option
- Grad rate
- 71%
- Admit rate
- 78%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
A fully online 30-credit MBA built from ten seven-week courses, with six starts a year and a fast track that finishes in one academic year.
- 71% graduation rate
- Program Score 86.6
- 100% online, six starts a year
- One-year fast track option
West Chester University of Pennsylvania offers a Master of Business Administration that is 100% online with no required meeting times. The degree is 30 credits, made up of ten three-credit courses that each last seven weeks, and a new session starts six times a year. The course list covers strategic accounting, advanced financial modeling and valuation, global supply chain optimization, marketing strategy, economic analysis, legal and ethical risk management, entrepreneurship and business analytics, ending with a capstone and an exit exam. The university describes the modernized curriculum as putting AI in every course and analytics across the program, launching in Spring 2027, and it reports AACSB accreditation. Students pick a path: a fast track of one academic year, a typical pace of about twenty months, or a flexible route that can run under three years. Up to three equivalent graduate courses can transfer.
Federal data shows 71% of West Chester students graduate, and the university admits 78% of applicants. The application has three items, requires no entrance exam and is reviewed on a rolling basis. The program earns a Program Score of 86.6 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits working professionals who want to set their own pace.
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 79%
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia 36-credit MBA is built from customizable certificates and can be finished in as little as one year, online, on campus or both.
- 79% graduation rate
- Program Score 79.2
- 36 credits, as little as one year
- Choose two certificates
Saint Joseph's University builds its Master of Business Administration in the Haub School of Business from certificates. The page describes 36 credits, a program length of one to two and a half years, and online, on-campus or hybrid study with no residency requirement for the online option. Every student takes a graduate certificate in business administration covering management, finance, business intelligence and analytics, and marketing, then picks two more certificates. Options include AI in Business, Applied Investment Analysis, Data Science, Healthcare Management, Human Resource Management, Leadership, Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Class size is listed at 1:18, and current Saint Joseph's business majors can use a 4+1 route to finish the MBA in a fifth year. The school cites a U.S. News ranking for its online specialty MBAs.
Saint Joseph's graduates 79% of its students and admits 89% of applicants. The program's Program Score is 79.2 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The MBA fits working professionals who want to combine two specialties, such as data science with marketing, and who may want to compress the degree into one year. Students who prefer a single fixed curriculum may find the certificate-selection model more open-ended than they want.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Great Valley
Malvern, PA · Public
- Grad rate
- Graduate only
- Admit rate
- Graduate only
- Tuition
- Varies by program
A streamlined 33-credit MBA with hybrid or low-residency delivery, seven-week courses and AI built into every core course starting fall 2026.
- Program Score 79
- 33-credit curriculum
- Hybrid or low-residency delivery
- No GMAT or GRE required
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Great Valley offers a 33-credit MBA in the Greater Philadelphia area with two delivery options. Hybrid delivery meets about half in person and half online. Low-residency combines synchronous and asynchronous remote classes with one in-person, one-day residency per semester. All courses run in seven-week sessions, so full-time students can finish in as little as 18 months and part-time students in as little as 2 years. Students can add graduate certificates in Analytics for Managers, Financial Analytics or Human Resource Management. Starting in fall 2026, the school says artificial intelligence will be embedded in each core course. It reports AACSB accreditation, and GMAT or GRE scores are not required for admission.
The campus enrolls 212 students in total, so classes are small and cohorts are close. The program earns a Program Score of 79 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. Great Valley enrolls graduate students only, so its score rests on the measures that apply to a graduate campus. The program fits working professionals and managers in the Philadelphia suburbs who want a regionally anchored degree with a flexible schedule, a concurrent-degree option and access to Penn State's alumni network, which the school puts at more than 800,000 people.
Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 57%
- Admit rate
- 76%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
Rosemont College's MBA offers six specializations, each earning an embedded certificate, in accelerated 7-week online terms.
- 57% graduation rate
- Program Score 72.4
- Six MBA specializations
- 7-week accelerated terms
Rosemont College's Master of Business Administration is offered through its School of Professional Studies, and the page describes an online format available with or without embedded certificates. Specializations named include Entrepreneurship, Healthcare Administration, Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Human Resources Management, Sport Management and Strategic Leadership, and choosing one earns an embedded certificate. Program goals cover strategic planning models, quantitative business planning, marketing theory, ethics and global financial principles. Graduate classes start at six different times a year in accelerated 7-week terms, and the school describes small classes and faculty who work in their fields. Prior learning assessment and credit by examination may reduce the courses a student needs.
Rosemont graduates 57% of its students and admits 76% of applicants. The program's Program Score is 72.4 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The degree fits working adults who want a specialization and a certificate on top of general business training, and who value small classes. Because terms are short and start often, students can begin without waiting for a single fall intake, but the 7-week pace requires steady weekly work.
Eastern University
Saint Davids, PA · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 54%
- Admit rate
- 91%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
A 100% online, 30-credit MBA in Organizational Management with eight optional concentrations and a new start every 7 weeks.
- 54% graduation rate
- Program Score 69
- 100% online, 30 credits
- 8 concentrations offered
Eastern University's online MBA in Organizational Management is a 30-credit program delivered entirely online through the school's LifeFlex format. Courses run in 7-week terms with self-paced work inside each term, and new terms start every 7 weeks. Students who take 6 credits per term can finish in as few as 5 terms, or about 10 months, and they can slow down or skip a term when work or family demands it. Students choose a General Track or add a concentration in AI Business Strategy, Business Analytics, Healthcare Administration, Human Resources, Global Sustainable Development, Marketing, Project Management, or Strategic Leadership. Applicants with an undergraduate business degree may qualify for advanced standing. The program reports accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
Federal data show a 54% graduation rate at Eastern and an admit rate of 91%, so admission is not especially selective. The program earns a Program Score of 69 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits working professionals from any undergraduate background who want a management-focused MBA they can pace around a job, and who value a wide choice of concentrations over a fixed cohort schedule.
Cairn University-Langhorne
Langhorne, PA · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 60%
- Admit rate
- 88%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
Cairn University's online MBA with a Marketing concentration is 36 credits delivered in 7-week asynchronous modules, with 6 credits of Bible and theology.
- 60% graduation rate
- Program Score 68.8
- 36-credit online MBA
- Marketing concentration
Cairn University offers a fully online Master of Business Administration with a Marketing concentration. The page describes a 36-credit, asynchronous program delivered in 7-week modules and built around a biblical worldview at a Christian university. The curriculum has 6 credits of Bible and theology, 27 credits of core courses and a 3-credit elective. Core courses include Decision Analytics, Finance, Marketing, The Legal Environment of Business, Strategy and Advanced Data Analytics, with Consumer Market Behavior and Integrated Marketing Communication supplying the marketing emphasis. Applicants without an undergraduate business degree may need one preparatory course, and all students must provide a personal testimony of Christian faith as part of admission.
Cairn graduates 60% of its students and admits 88% of applicants, so admission is broadly accessible. The program's Program Score is 68.8 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The degree fits working professionals who want a marketing-focused MBA with flexible online pacing and who want faith integrated into their business coursework. Students who prefer a secular curriculum should weigh the faith-based admission and course requirements.
Delaware Valley University
Doylestown, PA · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 56%
- Admit rate
- 93%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
Delaware Valley University's MBA is 100% online with 7.5-week courses and just 10 classes, finishable in as few as 12 months.
- Program Score 68.2
- 56% graduation rate
- 10 online courses, 7.5-week terms
- No GMAT required
Delaware Valley University (DelVal) offers a Master of Business Administration in an accelerated, fully online format. The program page lists 7.5-week courses and a degree that takes just 10 online courses, which full-time students can finish in as few as 12 months. Full-time and part-time options are available, and the page states that no GMAT is required. Students can add one of three optional specializations, Accounting, Business Artificial Intelligence or Supply Chain Management, each made up of three or four courses beyond the core. The university also lists graduate business certificates that can be stacked onto the degree, including a new Business Artificial Intelligence certificate scheduled to begin in Fall 2026.
Federal data show a 56% graduation rate at DelVal, a private nonprofit in Doylestown with about 2,199 students, and a 93% admit rate. The program earns a Program Score of 68.2 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The format suits working adults who want a short sequence of courses, flexible pacing and the option to specialize in accounting, AI or supply chain without sitting a graduate entrance exam.
Graduation Rates at the Ranked MBA Programs in Philadelphia
The median school on this list graduates 66% of its students. The highest rates belong to University of Pennsylvania (97%) and Villanova University (92%). The school with the highest rate is also ranked #1.
- #1 University of Pennsylvania97% graduation rate
- #2 Villanova University92% graduation rate
- #4 Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia79% graduation rate
Institution-wide graduation rates reported to IPEDS. They describe the whole school, not this program alone.
How Selective Are the MBA Programs in Philadelphia?
On this list, 2 schools admit fewer than half of applicants, the most selective being University of Pennsylvania at 5%.
- #1 University of Pennsylvania5% admitted
- #2 Villanova University27% admitted
- #6 Rosemont College76% admitted
Institution-wide admit rates for first-time applicants, reported to IPEDS. Open-admission schools do not report one.
Public and Private MBA Programs in Philadelphia
This list holds 2 public and 7 private nonprofit schools. Their median Program Scores: 82.8 public and 72.4 private nonprofit.
Control (public, private nonprofit, for-profit) as reported to IPEDS. Public schools usually charge residents less; private schools charge everyone the same rate.
Online Options Among the MBA Programs in Philadelphia
Of the 9 schools ranked here, 5 offer distance education. The highest ranked is West Chester University of Pennsylvania, at #3.
- #3 West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester, PA
- #4 Saint Joseph's University - PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA
- #7 Eastern UniversitySaint Davids, PA
- #8 Cairn University-LanghorneLanghorne, PA
- #9 Delaware Valley UniversityDoylestown, PA
Based on each school reporting distance-education offerings to IPEDS. Whether this specific degree is fully online varies, so confirm the format with the school.
Campus Size Across the MBA Programs in Philadelphia
Enrollment on this list runs from 212 at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Great Valley to 29,109 at University of Pennsylvania. Of the 9, 1 enrolls 20,000 students or more and 4 enroll fewer than 5,000.
Total institution enrollment reported to IPEDS, all levels and programs.
What Graduates of the MBA Programs in Philadelphia Earn
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years outEarnings, 4 yrs |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | University of PennsylvaniaPenn | $272,321 |
| #2 | Villanova UniversityVillanova | $160,428 |
| #3 | West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester | $147,635 |
| #5 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Great ValleyPenn State Great Valley | $127,665 |
| #6 | Rosemont CollegeRosemont College | $86,072 |
| #7 | Eastern UniversityEastern | $85,015 |
| #9 | Delaware Valley UniversityDelaware Valley | $88,935 |
Graduates of Penn earn the most four years after finishing, a median of $272,321; the lowest figure here is $85,015 at Eastern.
Penn leads on both counts: the top rank among these schools and the highest graduate pay.
College Scorecard, October 2026 release. Earnings cover each school's programs in this field at this degree level.
What MBA Programs in Philadelphia Cost
Cost across the 9 ranked schools depends first on whether a school is public or private. West Chester University of Pennsylvania and Penn State Great Valley are the two public options; the other 7 are private, among them Villanova University and Rosemont College. Tuition changes by year and by credit load, so confirm the current figure on each school's own page.
Public figures here are the in-state resident rate, so an applicant moving to Philadelphia from another state should read the out-of-state rate before treating a public school as the cheap option.
How Selective MBA Programs in Philadelphia Are
Admission odds across the MBA programs in Philadelphia are nowhere near uniform. University of Pennsylvania admits 5% of applicants, the tightest on this list, while Delaware Valley University admits 93%. A candidate with an uneven undergraduate record has real options here without leaving Philadelphia.
That is an 88-point spread, wide enough that the MBA programs in Philadelphia do not form a single tier. A file that is competitive at Delaware Valley University will not necessarily clear University of Pennsylvania, so applying across the range rather than within one band is the sensible strategy here. Completion does not follow the same order: University of Pennsylvania finishes 97% of its students, the strongest on this list on a 5% admit rate, which is why selectivity is one input to the Program Score rather than the score itself.
Accreditation Across Philadelphia Business Schools
The MBA programs in Philadelphia lean private: 7 of the 9 ranked schools are private against 2 public, which is most of why prices differ across this list. Accreditation is what makes those prices comparable at all. For an MBA the signal employers read is business-school accreditation from AACSB sitting on top of the university's institutional accreditation, and a high price is not thereby carrying it. Confirm it on the school's own page: Rosemont College and Villanova University are held to the same standard.
Why Study for an MBA in Philadelphia
The 9 ranked schools are spread across 8 towns, which makes "Philadelphia" a looser description than the heading suggests. University of Pennsylvania tops the list, with Villanova University and West Chester University of Pennsylvania behind it, and the table names the town of each. For a part-time cohort meeting on weeknights that spread is the deciding constraint: a campus across the metro is a different degree from one on the way home, whatever the ranking says.
5 of the 9 also run a confirmed online option, which keeps the credential but gives up most of the local access that justifies studying in Philadelphia in the first place.
Careers and Pay After a Philadelphia MBA
Every one of the MBA programs in Philadelphia points toward the same national labor market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts national median pay for the field at $105,770 a year, a figure that describes the profession rather than any single school here, and it holds whether a graduate paid $7,716 at West Chester University of Pennsylvania or $66,838 at Villanova University. That is the tradeoff this ranking exists to expose: in the federal wage data, a higher price does not buy a higher salary.
Set against a single national benchmark, the 9-fold tuition spread on this page is the reason to look hard at the cheap end before the famous end. West Chester University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University feed graduates into the same wage distribution, and nothing in the federal data attaches a higher salary to the higher price. Pay in a metro the size of Philadelphia generally runs above the national median, and so does the cost of living that absorbs it. Full occupational detail, including job-growth projections and metro wage breakdowns, is published by the BLS.
Keep Exploring
MBA Programs in Philadelphia: Your Questions, Answered
What is the best MBA program in Philadelphia?
By Program Score, University of Pennsylvania ranks first among the 9 ranked MBA programs in Philadelphia, with a 97.7 score and a 97% graduation rate. The score weighs graduation rate, selectivity, cost, and outcomes together, so the top school balances all four rather than winning on any one of them.
Do MBA programs in Philadelphia require the GMAT?
Fewer of them every year, and the 9 ranked here are not uniform about it. University of Pennsylvania is the tightest on this list at 5% and Delaware Valley University the most open at 93%, so the answer depends on which of them a candidate is applying to. Many programs now waive the GMAT or GRE for applicants with several years of relevant work, and the terms differ program by program, so check them on each school's admissions page before registering for a test. A waiver saves the fee and the study time, and it does not loosen the rest of the file.
How much does an MBA cost in Philadelphia?
Tuition among the ranked Philadelphia schools runs from $7,716 to $66,838 a year. Public schools publish the in-state resident rate, so students moving in from another state should check the out-of-state column before comparing. Neither figure includes Philadelphia living costs, which are a real part of the total.
How many MBA programs in Philadelphia does this ranking cover?
We analyzed 21 accredited MBA programs across Philadelphia and the surrounding metro and ranked the top 9 schools, listing one entry per school on its strongest program. This list covers the Pennsylvania side of the Philadelphia area, so some schools sit outside the city line; the city of each is shown in the table.
Is it worth doing an MBA in Philadelphia instead of online?
5 of the 9 ranked schools run a confirmed online option, so in Philadelphia this is a live choice rather than a hypothetical one. An accredited online program carries identical standing on a transcript, since accreditation attaches to the school and the program rather than to the delivery format. What a campus adds is proximity to the employers that school recruits into, and the honest comparison is local access against the cost of being here.