University of Pennsylvania Wharton School
In many ways, the Wharton School Graduate Division at the
University of Pennsylvania is the Lexus of business programs.
It's big, it's expensive, its name impresses people, and it
offers many, many options. With across-the-board departmental
strength, several top-flight nontraditional business
disciplines, and the university resources to support a
hand-crafted curriculum, a Wharton MBA can be tailored to suit
the needs of just about any business students.
Wharton built its reputation as a premier finance program, and
finance continues to hold a prominent place hear, so much so
that students complain: "The reputation in finance is so strong
that people forget that Wharton is also very good at marketing
and operations." Accounting, general management, and business
law are also reportedly strong, as are health care, real estate,
and non-profit. Several students single out entrepreneurial
studies; wrote one, "The Entrepreneurial Center is fantastic, a
real standout. Wharton's greatest strength, though, is its
excellence in so many departments." Global perspectives are
emphasized throughout the program by an international student
body, international courses, two international joint-degree
programs, and a global immersion program in China, the ASEAN
countries, and Latin America.
First year at Wharton flies by due to a quarterly Academic
calendar (second year reverts to the more traditional semester
system). The schedule, while intense, allows students to cover a
great deal of material in a relatively short period, a necessity
given that the curriculum here is "very thorough." First-year
students are divided into five-member teams to tackle foundation
projects during the first two quarters and a Field Application
Project during the second half of the year. Notes one students,
"The first year is very demanding and stressful. As a result,
life becomes less enjoyable for a while. Second year,
fortunately, is more relaxed." Another points out that "Teamwork
is key. If you have a team that works well together, your life
is about 1,000 times easier." All second-year students must
complete at least one major in one of more than two dozen
fields; students may also design their own majors. In a change
from previous surveys, students give professors high praise for
teaching ability, reporting that "professors take teaching very
seriously,' although several warm that "you've got to watch out
for the new hires." Writes one students, "The professors rock!
When I was ill last term, my profs offered me extra help, on
their own time, to help me catch up." Students are similarly
pleased with the administration, describing it as "very
receptive to student concerns."Ranking: University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
Top Business Schools |
|
Score
|
93 |
Peer assessment score (5.0
highest)
|
4.8 |
Acceptance rate (full-time)
|
16.3% |
Recruiter assessment score
(5.0 highest)
|
4.3 |
Average starting salary and
bonus (full-time)
|
$136,676
|
Average undergraduate GPA
(full-time)
|
3.50 |
Average GMAT score (full-time)
|
714 |
Sample GMAT Practice Test (FREE) |
|
Graduates employed at
graduation (full-time)
|
84.6% |
Graduates employed three
months after graduation (full-time)
|
89.1% |
Total graduate business
enrollment (full-time)
|
1,611 |

Tuition and Financial Aid: University of Pennsylvania
(Wharton)
Financial Aid Contact Information |
|
Financial aid director
|
N/A |
Financial aid phone
|
(215) 898-6183 |
Financial Aid Availability |
|
Is college-funded aid
(fellowships, assistantships, grants, or
scholarships) available?
|
Yes
|
Fellowships available
|
120 |
Teaching assistantships
available
|
N/A |
Research assistantships
available
|
N/A |
Are international students
eligible for college-funded aid?
|
Yes
|
2008-2009 Expenses |
|
Tuition
|
Full-time: $44,480 per year |
Required fees
|
$8,550 per year |
Room and board, books, and
miscellaneous expenses
|
$26,970
|
Average indebtedness of 2008
graduating class
|
$98,668
|
MBA Career and Salary Statistics: University of
Pennsylvania (Wharton)School has submitted its most recent career data in
accordance with the MBA Career Services Council
Standards for Reporting MBA Employment Statistics and
has granted permission to the Graduate Management
Admission Council to send an independent third party to
review for accuracy and compliance.
Class of 2008 |
|
Total full-time graduates
|
811 |
Total full-time graduates
known to be seeking employment
|
708 |
Sample GMAT Practice Test (FREE) |
|
Graduates employed at
graduation (full-time)
|
84.6% |
Graduates employed three
months after graduation (full-time)
|
89.1% |
Total Base Salary |
|
Total reporting base salary
|
605 |
Low base salary
|
$30,000
|
Average base salary
|
$112,186
|
High base salary
|
$300,000
|
Base Salary: U.S. Citizens |
|
Low base salary: U.S. citizens
|
$30,000
|
Average base salary: U.S.
citizens
|
$112,789
|
High base salary: U.S citizen
|
$300,000
|
Base Salary: Foreign Nationals |
|
Low base salary: Foreign
nationals
|
$35,000
|
Average base salary: Foreign
nationals
|
$111,354
|
High base salary: Foreign
nationals
|
$250,000
|
Total Signing Bonus |
|
Total reporting signing bonus
|
517 |
Low signing bonus
|
$3,000
|
Average signing bonus
|
$28,659
|
High signing bonus
|
$100,000
|
Signing Bonus: U.S. Citizens |
|
Low signing bonus: U.S.
citizens
|
$3,000
|
Average signing bonus: U.S.
citizens
|
$27,077
|
High signing bonus: U.S.
citizens
|
$100,000
|
Signing Bonus: Foreign Nationals |
|
Low signing bonus: Foreign
nationals
|
$5,000
|
Average signing bonus: Foreign
nationals
|
$30,846
|
High signing bonus: Foreign
nationals
|
$100,000
|
Total Other Compensation |
|
Total reporting other
compensation
|
276 |
Low other compensation
|
$2,000
|
Average other compensation
|
$44,787
|
High other compensation
|
$450,000
|
Other Compensation: U.S. Citizens |
|
Low other compensation: U.S.
citizens
|
$5,000
|
Average other compensation:
U.S. citizens
|
$50,787
|
High other compensation: U.S.
citizens
|
$450,000
|
Other Compensation: Foreign Nationals |
|
Low other compensation:
Foreign nationals
|
$2,000
|
Average other compensation:
Foreign nationals
|
$36,001
|
High other compensation:
Foreign nationals
|
$225,000
|
Base Salary by Occupation |
|
Numbers for employment by occupation are based
on those graduates who reported base salary
information by three months after graduation. |
Number reporting
marketing / sales jobs
|
41 |
marketing / sales low salary
|
$70,000
|
marketing / sales average salary
|
N/A
|
marketing / sales high salary
|
$140,000
|
Number reporting
Operations / production jobs
|
4 |
Operations / production low
salary
|
N/A
|
Operations / production average
salary
|
N/A
|
Operations / production high
salary
|
N/A
|
Number reporting general
management jobs
|
34 |
General management low salary
|
$82,500
|
General management average
salary
|
$109,603
|
General management high salary
|
$150,000
|
Number reporting
finance / accounting jobs
|
274 |
Finance low salary
|
$35,000
|
Finance average salary
|
N/A
|
Finance high salary
|
$300,000
|
Number reporting management
information systems jobs
|
1 |
Management information systems
(MIS) low salary
|
N/A
|
Management information systems
(MIS) average salary
|
N/A
|
Management information systems
(MIS) high salary
|
N/A
|
Number reporting consulting
jobs
|
173 |
Consulting low salary
|
$80,000
|
Consulting average salary
|
$121,321
|
Consulting high salary
|
$170,000
|
Number reporting human
resources jobs
|
0 |
Human resources low salary
|
N/A
|
Human resources average salary
|
N/A
|
Human resources high salary
|
N/A
|
Number reporting having jobs
in other areas
|
78 |
Other occupations low salary
|
$30,000
|
Other occupations average
salary
|
N/A
|
Other occupations high salary
|
$210,000
|
Base Salary by Industry |
|
Numbers for employment by industry are based on
those graduates who reported base salary
information by three months after graduation. |
Number reporting manufacturing
industry jobs
|
11 |
Manufacturing industry low
salary
|
$80,000
|
Manufacturing industry average
salary
|
$108,636
|
Manufacturing industry high
salary
|
$150,000
|
Number reporting service
industry jobs
|
N/A |
Service industry low salary
|
N/A
|
Service industry average
salary
|
N/A
|
Service industry high salary
|
N/A
|
Number reporting non-profit
jobs
|
7 |
Non-profit low salary
|
$30,000
|
Non-profit average salary
|
$75,857
|
Non-profit high salary
|
$90,000
|
Number reporting government
jobs
|
0 |
Government low salary
|
N/A
|
Government average salary
|
N/A
|
Government high salary
|
N/A
|
Base Salary by Geographic Region |
|
Numbers for employment by location are based on
those graduates who reported base salary
information by three months after graduation. |
Number reporting jobs in the
Northeast (CT, MA, ME NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT)
|
247 |
Northeast low salary
|
$75,000
|
Northeast average salary
|
$109,183
|
Northeast high salary
|
$200,000
|
Number reporting jobs in the
Middle Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV)
|
51 |
Middle Atlantic low salary
|
$84,000
|
Middle Atlantic average salary
|
$113,183
|
Middle Atlantic high salary
|
$150,000
|
Number reporting jobs in the
South (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN)
|
16 |
South low salary
|
$30,000
|
South average salary
|
$105,000
|
South high salary
|
$130,000
|
Number reporting jobs in the
Midwest (IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH,
SD, WI)
|
36 |
Midwest low salary
|
$90,000
|
Midwest average salary
|
$115,667
|
Midwest high salary
|
$300,000
|
Number reporting jobs in the
Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX)
|
13 |
Southwest low salary
|
$90,000
|
Southwest average salary
|
$115,000
|
Southwest high salary
|
$170,000
|
Number reporting jobs in the
West (AK, CA, HI, ID,MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY)
|
86 |
West low salary
|
$44,200
|
West average salary
|
$115,515
|
West high salary
|
$170,000
|
Number reporting jobs located
internationally
|
147 |
International low salary
|
$35,000
|
International average salary
|
$114,832
|
International high salary
|
$250,000 |
|