Top 10 MBA Programs for Social Impact

As we start the busy month of February, many of you are prepping for Round 2 interviews, awaiting decision notifications, and polishing Round 3 applications.  We’ll be here for you if you need interview-prep or R3 application help and keep checking our blog for weekly advice and the latest news.

This month we’re featuring an article from The Impact Investor on the top 10 MBA programs for social impact.  Of the top 10 schools, 7 are in the United States, with Oxford and INSEAD representing Europe (and Asia). Topping Impact Investor’s list is Yale SOM.  Yale’s business school was offering a social impact focus long before it was fashionable.  Study focus areas include diversity and inclusion, impact investing, sustainability, social enterprise, non-profit management, economic development, and healthcare.  Yale SOM also offers unique opportunities to participate in conferences and events related to economic development, education, and philanthropy.  Students can also team up with global organizations to work on real-world challenges in exchange for course credit or collaborate with the faculty in the Social Impact Lab to help create social solutions.

Ranked #2, Oxford’s Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship offers a fully-funded one-year scholarship for applicants who have a track record of social impact.  Combined with Oxford’s many co-curricular resources, Saïd students can collaborate with leading practitioners in mission-driven organizations, responsible business practices, and non-profit management.  #3 ranked NYU Stern’s core curriculum includes corporate social responsibility and venture philanthropy.  Stern students are allowed up to three focus areas from the twenty options, creating vast flexibility.  #4 Berkeley Haas offers relevant courses such as the Impact Investing Practicum, Social Investing, Social Impact Marketing, Social Sector Solutions, and Human Rights.  #6 ranked INSEAD has a flagship program called The Social Entrepreneurship Program (ISEP) as part of its Social Impact Initiative that allows students to focus on social responsibility and social entrepreneurship.  #9 ranked Kellogg has a Social Impact Pathway initiative that enables students to explore government and non-profits, public sector impacts, social values, and impact and scale.  Kellogg students can also choose a Non-Profit Management track or Social Innovation track.  Notable courses include Leadership And Crisis Management, Ethics, Strategy Beyond Markets, and Public Economics for Business Leaders.

Here are Impact Investor’s top 10 MBA programs:

1. Yale School of Management
2. Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship (Oxford University)
3. NYU Stern
4. Berkeley Haas
5. Chicago Booth
6. INSEAD
7. MIT Sloan
8. Stanford GSB
9. Northwestern Kellogg
10. Oxford Saïd

If you’d like to pursue a social impact MBA next year, contact us now and speak with one of our expert coaches!