20 Business Schools for High-Paying Finance, Accounting Jobs

B-school grads with six-figure wages in finance and accounting

Before picking an MBA program, potential students should consider their career goals and a business school’s outcomes, among other factors. Salaries in the finance and accounting industries, for instance, vary widely among business school graduates. Of the 113 business schools that reported this data to U.S. News in an annual survey, about half — 57 — had graduates making an average of six figures a year in these careers. Here are 20 MBA programs where 2024 grads employed in accounting or finance received the highest average annual salaries, ranging from $144,941 to $182,343.

Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) (PA)

U.S. News business school rank: 18 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $144,941

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $95,000-$175,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 26

Learn more about Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.

University of California, Los Angeles (Anderson)

U.S. News business school rank: 18 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $147,338

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $70,000-$175,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 44

Learn more about the University of California, Los Angeles’ John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management.

University of Texas at Austin (McCombs)

U.S. News business school rank: 16

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $149,319

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $85,000-$185,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 37

Learn more about the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.

Yale University (CT)

U.S. News business school rank: 10

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $150,573

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $53,086-$200,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 60

Learn more about Yale School of Management.

Vanderbilt University (Owen) (TN)

U.S. News business school rank: 18 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $150,841

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $82,500-$175,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 22

Learn more about Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.

University of California, Berkeley (Haas)

U.S. News business school rank: 11 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $153,014

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $90,000-$250,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 34

Learn more about the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Rice University (Jones) (TX)

U.S. News business school rank: 29 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $155,407

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $90,000-$175,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 28

Learn more about Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business.

Northwestern University (Kellogg) (IL)

U.S. News business school rank: 2 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $155,771

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $60,000-$225,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 46

Learn more about Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Duke University (Fuqua) (NC)

U.S. News business school rank: 13 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $157,549

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $70,000-$185,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 61

Learn more about Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Emory University (Goizueta) (GA)

U.S. News business school rank: 17

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $158,966

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $87,000-$175,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 16

Learn more about Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

University of Virginia (Darden)

U.S. News business school rank: 11 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $159,159

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $95,000-$220,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 83

Learn more about the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business.

New York University (Stern)

U.S. News business school rank: 6 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $163,234

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $80,000-$225,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 79

Learn more about New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Dartmouth College (Tuck) (NH)

U.S. News business school rank: 6 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $164,922

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $100,000-$225,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 52

Learn more about Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business.

Cornell University (Johnson) (NY)

U.S. News business school rank: 15

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $165,721

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $110,000-$225,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 68

Learn more about Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management.

University of Michigan (Ross)

U.S. News business school rank: 13 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $167,642

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $101,200-$300,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 38

Learn more about the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

Columbia University (NY)

U.S. News business school rank: 9

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $169,835

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $85,900-$350,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 152

Learn more about Columbia Business School.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)

U.S. News business school rank: 5

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $170,067

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $120,000-$250,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 43

Learn more about Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management.

University of Chicago (Booth) (IL)

U.S. News business school rank: 4

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $172,189

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $82,500-$400,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 140

Learn more about the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)

U.S. News business school rank: 1

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $178,193

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $100,000-$263,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 158

Learn more about Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Harvard University (MA)

U.S. News business school rank: 6 (tie)

Average salary among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $182,343

Salary range among 2024 graduates with finance or accounting jobs: $53,000-$375,000

Number of 2024 graduates who reported having finance or accounting jobs: 196

Learn more about Harvard Business School.

Find the right business school to launch your career.

Learn why your career goals should inform your choice about which B-school is the best fit. For more information, view the U.S. News Best Business Schools rankings, and follow U.S. News Education on X/Twitter and Facebook.

Graduates of these business schools earn high salaries

— Harvard Business School (MA): $182,343

— Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania: $178,193

— University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business (IL): $172,189

— Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management: $170,067

— Columbia Business School (NY): $169,835

— University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business: $167,642

— Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management (NY): $165,721

— Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business (NH): $164,922

— New York University’s Stern School of Business: $163,234

— University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business: $159,159

— Emory University’s Goizueta Business School (GA): $158,966