Wisconsin School of Business

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Updated January 12, 2023
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Wisconsin School of Business Wisconsin School of Business

Investopedia / Yurle Villegas
Definition
The Wisconsin School of Business is the University of Wisconsin's business school.

What Is Wisconsin School of Business?

Wisconsin School of Business is the business school of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Founded in 1900, the school offers both undergraduate and graduate programs.

The Wisconsin School of Business is known for its emphasis on applied learning, with coursework often incorporating problems drawn directly from real business situations. Its Master of Business Administration (MBA) is regularly ranked among the top 40 in the United States.

Key Takeaways

  • Wisconsin School of Business is located at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
  • Tuition, fees and expenses for the MBA program cost $21,166 per year for in-state residents and $42,704 annually for non-residents.
  • There were 96 students enrolled in the full-time MBA 2022 graduating class. Eighty percent of MBA candidates scored between 610 and 700 on the GMAT.
  • Recent graduates reported a starting salary of nearly $108,000 per year, while the average signing bonus was $24,700.

How Wisconsin School of Business Works

Unlike schools that rely on naming gifts from wealthy donors, the Wisconsin School of Business has taken a different path. In 2007, a group of 13 alumni donated $85 million to their alma mater in exchange for a promise that the school could not be renamed for 20 years. As such, the school remains the Wisconsin School of Business, whereas many other business schools are named after their wealthy donors.

In the Fall of 2020, the Wisconsin School of Business enrolled 3,300 undergrads. Top majors included finance and investment banking; marketing; real estate and urban land economics; and management and human resources. There were 96 students enrolled in the full-time MBA 2022 graduating class. Eighty percent of MBA candidates scored between 610 and 700 on the GMAT.

In 2019, U.S. News & World Report ranked the school's undergraduate business program as No. 7 among public schools and No. 15 overall. The school also is a top producer of chief executive officers at Fortune 500 companies.

The Wisconsin School of Business offers a number of MBA and postgraduate programs. The full-time MBA program (which includes a summer internship) takes 21 months to complete. The school offers virtual and weekend classes for working professionals, for an MBA that can be completed in two to five years. Its Executive MBA program is held on weekends every fortnight and includes a 10-day trip abroad.

Real World Example of Wisconsin School of Business

For 2019, Forbes ranked the full-time MBA program at the Wisconsin School of Business as No. 35 in the U.S. U.S. News & World Report and Businessweek ranked it No. 37, while The Economist gave it similar marks.

Tuition, fees and expenses cost $21,166 per year for in-state residents and $42,704 annually for non-residents. The relatively lower tuition costs helped earn the school the No. 1 spot for MBA programs in terms of return on investment as ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2018.

Recent graduates reported a starting salary of nearly $108,000 per year, while the average signing bonus was $24,700. Almost 90% of students had secured job offers within three months of graduation. Graduates have taken jobs in real estate, risk management and insurance, supply chain management, brand and product management, among other fields.

Article Sources
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  1. Wisconsin School of Business. "About the Wisconsin School of Business." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  2. Wisconsin School of Business. "Costs and Financial Assistance." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  3. Wisconsin School of Business. "Full-Time MBA Class Profile." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  4. Wisconsin School of Business. "Wisconsin MBA Employment Statistics." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  5. Wisconsin School of Business. "Yes, We Are A Named Business School." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  6. Wisconsin School of Business. "Enrollment Counts At-A-Glance," Page 2. Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  7. Wisconsin School of Business. "WSB Rises to 7th Best Public Undergraduate Business Program in U.S. News & World Report Rankings." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  8. Wisconsin School of Business. "UW-Madison ranked high in list of universities that produce top CEOs." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  9. Wisconsin School of Business. "Move Forward with a Wisconsin MBA." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  10. Forbes. "#35 Wisconsin School of Business." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  11. U.S. News & World Report. "University of Wisconsin--Madison." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  12. Bloomberg Businessweek. "Wisconsin." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  13. The Economist. "Wisconsin School of Business." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.

  14. Wisconsin School of Business. "The Value of the Wisconsin MBA." Accessed Jan. 24, 2021.