What are The M7 Business Schools?

Introduction

What are the M7 business schools? Should you be looking to get an M7 MBA? What is an M7 MBA? 

These are questions you may have pondered as you prepare to apply to business school.

This article will give you everything you need to know about the elite set of M7 business schools. We’re going to take a detailed look at the rankings, requirements, and what you can expect to get out of an MBA at each of the M7 business schools. 

Keep reading to discover how the prestigious group of M7 business schools could benefit you and your career.

What Does ‘M7’ Mean?

You’ve probably heard the term M7 peripherally — maybe while browsing the internet or while conversing with a colleague. But what does M7 mean? 

You will get two different answers depending on who you ask — it means ‘magnificent 7’ to some and ‘magic 7’ to others. Either way, its meaning is clear; the M7 business schools are among the top in the world. 

These schools regularly cooperate with each other, holding events to better their approach to business education. Their world-class education comes with significant benefits and attracts the best students and faculty. 

As John Byrne, the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Poets and Quants, notes, “it’s hard to beat the M7 schools with their formidable endowments, great faculty and the ability to consistently attract among the best students in the MBA applicant pool.”

What does this mean for students interested in pursuing M7 MBA programs? 

The M7 business schools offer some of the best programs in the world. If you’re aiming for the top, going for an M7 MBA is a sure route to success. 

Not only will this almost certainly result in a higher average salary than other equivalent MBA programs, but it will give you the prestige and recognition of having studied at an exclusive and elite institution. 

So, what colleges form the ‘magic 7’?

The M7 MBA Schools

The M7 schools are as follows:

1. Harvard Business School

• MIT Sloan School of Management

• Stanford Graduate School of Business

• Columbia Business School

• Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

• Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management

• University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business

Every business school is unique, and the M7 schools are no different. If you’re considering an M7 MBA, take a look below to find out more about each college and how they compare. 

Ranking the M7 Schools

Now that we have enticed you, let’s explore the M7 MBA program options in more detail. First off, let’s take a look at the overall rankings given to the M7 by major business news authorities:

A note about these rankings – this table only shows the rankings of the M7 against each other. These publications typically form rankings based on all major business schools. In some cases, schools are ranked above those in the M7. Schools outside of the M7 are not taken into account for this article. 

As you can see, the rankings are pretty mixed. US News won’t even choose a definite first. But there are a few trends — Stanford is, on average, rated highly, while Columbia is generally at the lower end of the publications’ opinions. 

These trends shouldn’t discourage you from applying to any particular M7 school. It’s important to remember that each of these institutions is a world-class business school. Ranking the M7 business schools alongside each other doesn’t provide a definitive basis for choosing where to apply. 

Another thing you need to consider is what you are looking to get out of an M7 MBA. For example, some schools have better results for specific career paths. Other things to consider are varying tuition costs and requirements for entry. 

We’re going to lay out how all of these factors stack up against each other for every M7 school to give you the best picture possible of which would be the best fit for you. 

Ranking the M7 MBAs by Specialization 

An overall ranking for a business school can be a pretty vague piece of information, so let’s look a little closer: 

You might notice some substantial differences between this table and the first one. 

Stanford is now swinging between 7th and 1st in different common areas of MBA study, Columbia is coming up in the rankings, and each of the schools has at least one area in which they are dominant. This should already give you a clearer picture of which school would be the best option for you. 

Columbia might be less highly rated overall than the other M7 schools, but it’s second in consulting. If you’re only interested in a consulting career path, Columbia might still be a good option for you.

Likewise, you might look at Stanford and like its overall score, but you might want to opt for a marketing focus rather than a consulting focus to play into its strengths and give yourself the best chance for success in your future career. 

The Class Profiles of the M7 Business Schools

The latest class profiles for the M7 schools are as follows: 

Another note: The COVID-19 Pandemic (you might have heard of it) has meant a lot of business schools have had to change their programs, and the M7 are no different. As such, the information for some schools is a little outdated. Take these figures with a pinch of salt.

This is a lot of information, but don’t worry! There are many similarities, which can give you a good idea of the standards that are generally expected at any M7 Business school. Let’s explore these details and emphasize the salient features that are really going to impact your M7 MBA experience. 

This probably isn’t much of a surprise to you — these schools have a reputation for being the best and expect the best out of their students. All the M7 schools average at least a 3.5 GPA and 720 GMAT score for their candidates. Harvard and Stanford top the list with the highest academic averages amongst their accepted students.

If you feel that an M7 MBA is right for you but lack the test scores to get yourself a place, don’t fret! Andrea got into MIT with a GPA of 2.6, and Marcus got admits from Columbia and Wharton with a GMAT score of 660 with the help of an MBA admissions expert. 

Aside from their test scores, most successful applicants to M7 business schools are around 27 or 28 years of age and have four or five years of work experience. This gives you an idea of the sort of person the schools are looking for in their application process: young but with enough experience to benefit from these institutions’ advanced instruction. 

If that doesn’t sound like you, remember that these are only averages — in the actual classes, there is a huge amount of diversity for nearly every measure. 

Speaking of diversity, you’ll see that all the M7 schools have a healthy amount of it. There is a significant presence of international, women, and minority students at all of the M7 business schools. You should find somewhere to fit in no matter your particular circumstances. 

Finally, there are the class sizes and acceptance rates to consider. These are some of the most significant factors that could affect your choice of school. All the M7 schools run tight-knit programs with less than 1,000 students. 

There is a considerable gap between Stanford and Wharton, but that is less significant than the acceptance rate. As you might expect for such prestigious institutions, the acceptance rate for all of them is low. The rate for Stanford is an eye-watering 7%. 

Your takeaway from this should be that getting into these schools is challenging. A lot of people want an M7 MBA, but not a lot of people get them. But, if you want to be a successful applicant, it pays to be well prepared. 

Achieving competitive test scores, looking at MBA admissions guides, having strong letters of recommendation, and acquiring meaningful MBA work experience are all great ways to stand out from the crowd and improve your MBA profile. 

The Average Salaries and Tuition of M7 Schools

Let’s take a look at what you can expect to earn after studying at an M7 business school:They’re not called world-class for no reason — graduates of M7 MBA programs have an average salary of at least $135,000 a year, with the higher-end candidates stretching even higher. 

They’re not called world-class for no reason — graduates of M7 MBA programs have an average salary of at least $135,000 a year, with the higher-end candidates stretching even higher. 

Getting into one of these programs means you are almost guaranteed to start earning $100,000+ a year after graduation. Of course, this is offset by the hefty price tag. 

For example, $81,000 a year for Wharton is no small amount. You should consider that this would be a significant financial investment. With that said, the earning potential of an M7 MBA means that you could be paying off the cost of the degree in your first year of post-graduate employment. 

Industry Choices for Students of M7 Business Schools

Upon graduating from an M7 MBA program, your expectations for your salary depend on what field you plan to enter with your degree. This table gives more information on graduate specialties at each M7 business school:

The industries that M7 MBA graduates enter could be an important consideration for you to choose between the schools because different schools are more likely to help you get into different industries.

If you are interested in a different industry or something more specialized within one of the listed categories, consider looking up the employment reports for schools that interest you. 

Most of the schools publish detailed data concerning their graduates’ career paths, so you should be able to find information on your desired category, no matter how niche.