Business is one of the most popular majors among students we talk to, and is seen as a key stepping stone for landing a great career once you graduate from college. Many top universities however, don’t actually have a business major; Harvard doesn’t after all, and neither does Yale. Yet both of these schools are still seen as top feeders for Wall Street firms.
In this article then, we’re going to look at what options you have to study business at top 20 colleges in the US. We’ll look at majors, special programs, and other unique offerings some of these schools have. Each of these schools is unique, and we think this overview will help you understand which will best serve your interests. Let’s get started!
Business vs. Economics Majors
Before we discuss individual programs, we want to include a brief note on the differences between business and economics majors. This is because many of the colleges we will be discussing only offer an economics major, not a business one. This is because economics is seen as a science, and fits within the schema of a liberal arts education. Business degrees are career focused, and so many top colleges do not deign to offer them.
In practice, economics is much more focused on understanding how an economy functions at both the macro and micro levels, with a deep focus on math and data, so as to model the behaviour of humans in aggregate. This often involves a significant amount of math, and can overlap with other fields in the social sciences.
Business degrees are far more practical in their approach, and cover more of the specifics of actually undertaking some aspect of business or a related subfield. These programs cover less math, and are not as heavily based in theory and data gathering. They can be more or less specialized, and focus on different aspects of what you do in business.
Both degree options can set you up for careers in finance, on Wall Street, or in other business contexts, but the experience you have in the programs will be very different. Which is better suited for you depends on your own strengths and interests. If you like the academic side more, then economics may be better suited, while if you are more practical minded then business may suit your aptitudes well.
Finally, there are other degree options which can lead to specific business fields, especially Computer Science and applied math. This is specifically for students interested in quantitative finance or related fields, which make an extensive use of high level math concepts. We will not be focusing on the option to pursue these majors in this article, but we did want you to be aware of their existence.
Top 20 Colleges’ Business Options
We will be listing these colleges in alphabetical order for convenience. We will cover what majors they offer, and any special programs they have you should be aware of, including dual degree options.
Brown
Brown does not offer a business major (or any majors, simply because of how they are organized as a school), but they do have an economics program, with a number of concentrations and an option for an honors capstone. These do all fall more on the side of economics than business itself, as Brown has a very strong liberal arts bent to its curriculum. They do have a graduate business school which offers an MBA program, but undergraduates only have limited access to it.
They do have a small number of business and entrepreneurship programs, which are not quite full concentrations, but which do allow you to explore business to some extent.
Caltech
Caltech offers the Business, Economics, and Management (BEM) Major. This is often paired with engineering or CS majors for students who want to begin careers in entrepreneurship; the students at Caltech tend to look more towards SIlicon Valley than Wall Street for inspiration, though plenty go to both post graduation. This program interfaces with the Linde Institute to give students the option to pursue research in these fields, and to take some graduate level coursework.
Columbia
The primary way to study business at Columbia is to major in economics. They have a significant econ program, with many options for students to work with professors and to pursue research. There are a number of research fellowships and prizes available to students as well, though these are aimed more at students who want to pursue economics for academic reasons than those who are interested in it for the study of business.
There is a special concentration in business available to undergraduates; this is not a major, but may be done in addition to your major. You must apply to this program specifically in your sophomore or junior year, and must have at least a 3.4 GPA to qualify. This allows you to take undergraduate business courses, and to network with faculty in Columbia’s graduate business school. This is a popular option to combine with other majors for students who want to enter business in a particular field.
Cornell
Cornell offers students a path to study business directly through their College of Business. This offers a degree in Applied Economics and Management, and is meant to prepare students to directly enter business after graduation. You may choose from among 11 concentrations to further focus your experience in the school.
If you are interested specifically in hospitality management, Cornell has an entire college devoted to that, and students are encouraged to apply. While this is also a business degree, it is far more focused in scope, and may not be as useful for students who want to focus in other areas of business.
Dartmouth
There is no set major or minor in business at Dartmouth, instead interested students frequently major in economics. Students are able to take business courses at the graduate business school while undergraduates, but these do not form a cohesive major or minor. These may be taken in conjunction with the economics major, or in combination with other fields of study.
Duke
There is no official business major at Duke, instead interested students generally major in economics, which also offers an option for a concentration in financial economics, of interest to students who are considering a career in finance. Duke does have a graduate business program, and there options there for undergraduates, notably the Center on Leadership & Ethics (COLE), which offers internship and networking opportunities to select undergraduates with an interest in business. Finally, Duke has a pre-business advising office to help guide students who are interested in a career in business. We recommend you reach out to them if you are matriculating at Duke, as they have the best grasp of the resources available on campus.
Harvard
Harvard, as we noted in our introduction, does not offer a business major; students who are interested often study economics instead. Harvard has a notably strong economics program, one of the best nationally. For students who wish to pursue a career in business, they have an advising program to help you with networking and to find opportunities which match your goals.
Harvard undergraduates also have some opportunities to work with the graduate business school. These include a ten-week research program, where undergraduates spend their summer working closely with faculty; this program is open to all undergraduates, not just those at Harvard. Peek is a program for Harvard students to give them a preview of the business school. Participating in these programs does not increase your chances of acceptance to the business school.
Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins has no business major, though their graduate school of business does offer an undergraduate minor. There is an economics major, which some Hopkins students avail themselves of. For students interested in continuing their studies at the business school, they do offer some benefits to Hopkins alumni who apply. These include test waivers, scholarship eligibility, and a chance for direct admission.
Finally, there is a dual-degree program offered by Hopkins Engineering. This allows you to earn your BS in engineering and an MBA in just five years. You must apply to this program in your third year of study, and it is competitive. This program is especially recommended for students studying Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, both of which transition quite well to positions in finance and business.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s College of Business offers six different majors in the field to undergraduates, allowing you to explore various facets of the field. The focus in the program is on experiential learning, giving students the tools and experience of working in the field while still in undergrad. They also offer a pair of dual degree programs, which allow you to earn an MBA and an undergraduate degree in engineering or science in only five years. These programs are a great opportunity for students who want to directly enter business in one of these fields, but want a technical background while doing so.
Princeton
Princeton is exceptional amongst Ivy league schools; not only does it not have an undergraduate business major, it also does not have a graduate business school. They do have a very strong economics program, which many students choose to major in. Their proximity to New York, and Wall Street specifically, does help students with networking and securing internships at firms. They offer a finance minor which is open to all majors, and which allows you to take some coursework in their graduate center for finance (which is akin to, but is not, a business school). You must apply for the minor by June 1 of your sophomore year.
Rice
While Rice does have a business school, this is focused on graduate level education. That said, they do have a business major open to undergraduates, which draws from the same pool of faculty, and covers much of the same material. Undergraduates are also welcome to take the business minor or entrepreneurship minor; which are meant to pair with other fields of study.
There are a number of other majors students interested in business can avail themselves of, namely economics and managerial economics; these are both more theoretical than a pure business major, but provide a solid foundation in the same principles.
Stanford
Stanford does not have an actual business major for undergraduates; instead interested undergraduates generally major in economics. They do have an advising program for students interested in pursuing advanced degrees in business.
UC Berkeley
Berkeley’s Haas School offers an undergraduate business major which is highly competitive; you must apply directly to the major when you apply to Berkeley in order to land a spot. In addition, they have a number of specialized business programs as well, including the Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MET) program, a dual degree for students interested in the intersection of technology and business. The Robinson Program offers a similar dual degree for students interested in business and biology.
Haas also has its own global study options for business majors, including chances to intern abroad. Further, they have many career resources to help you take the next steps after earning your degree in business.
UCLA
UCLA’s business school is not itself open to undergraduates, but there is a business economics major available through the Economics Department. This gives students the chance to take courses in the graduate business school, but does not fully replicate a standard business school curriculum, instead focusing more on the principles of economics which underpin systems of business. Students may also major in economics itself.
There is a further concentration available through the Economics Department in value investing, which offers undergraduates a special suite of courses to help them understand the principles of investing.
UChicago
While UChicago has a highly rated graduate business school, they do not offer an undergraduate business major. Most students interested in business major in economics, which does offer a specialized business economics track. Undergraduates are also permitted to take select courses in the graduate business program.
They do offer a joint BA/MS in financial mathematics, which is specifically aimed at students interested in pursuing jobs in quantitative finance. You may complete this program in four or five years, and apply for it while still an undergraduate. Completing this program requires working closely with your advisor and the program administrator to ensure you complete all the required components.
UPenn
UPenn’s Wharton School is the best undergraduate business program in the country, and is consistently ranked as such. Beyond the simple major, they offer a significant number of concentrations, which allow you to focus in your studies on the subject within business which interests you the most.
Wharton also offers specialized dual degree programs; these are for students who wish to combine their study of business with another field. These are even more competitive than Wharton for admissions, and must be applied to directly. There are programs in Management and Technology, Life Sciences and Management, International Studies & Business, and Nursing and Healthcare Management.
Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt does not have a set business major, though they do have a business minor for undergraduates. Students who wish to enter business either pursue the minor or major in economics. Students in the business minor do have the chance to take courses from the graduate business program.
Students in the school of music have an opportunity to combine their undergraduate degree with an MBA in five years. This is a very selective program, and only open to students in teh school of music.
Yale
While Yale does have a top-ranked business school, this is only open to graduate students. Undergraduates interested in business generally major in Economics. You are encouraged, but not required, to complete a senior thesis as part of this major; this is particularly aimed at students with a research focus.
Final Thoughts
Business is an incredibly popular program of study for students, and we work with significant numbers of high school students each year who want to pursue business at a top college. We hope this article has given you a solid overview of what business options actually exist at these colleges, and how studying business can differ greatly depending on which school you go to.
Of course, one thing all of these programs do have in common is how competitive they are for admissions. All of these schools have staggeringly low acceptance rates, and they get lower every year. If you want to maximize your chances of admission, or help deciding what kind of business program is right for you, schedule a free consultation with us today. We have a long experience helping students get into top colleges, and are always happy to hear from you.
