Harvard/Stanford vs. Dartmouth/Kellogg

For those who qualify for the full Post 9/11 GI Bill and attendant Yellow Ribbon Program Benefits, an MBA from Tuck or Kellogg would cost about $35k in total less than one from Stanford or Harvard. Curious as to thoughts on whether the quality/prestige/earning potential of the latter two institutions would justify the difference in price?

6 Comments
 

i mean as an employer, would you rather hire a top mba grad or a top 7 grad? I would definitely pay an extra 35k to be in the absolute top tier of graduates

 

I disagree with the above comments. For someone with what I assume your background is (i.e. experience as a military officer, but no relevant private sector experience), your realistically going to be targeting either MBB or plain vanilla IB as your top career destinations.

Whether your coming out of HBS or Tuck, your going to be getting the same ~$130K + bonus pay package. Similarly, after adjusting for the strength of the student body & interest, placement in these careers is not meaningfully different across the M7 + Tuck. Banking and MBB interviews are for all intents and purposes open sign-up for those who don't shoot themselves in the foot during a coffee chat or networking dinner.

If your going to drop the extra $35K for HBS or GSB, you should realize that your doing it primarily for the prestige, and on the off chance that at some point down the road it will matter to your career that your bschool alumni network is 10% more baller. Among this group of schools, the name on your sheepskin will have minimal impact on your first post-bschool placement (NOTE: Does not apply below Tuck, stick to the M7 + Tuck).

Also, just so you can properly weight the validity of my opinion, I have an MBA from a top school and work for one of MBB through the engagement manager level.

 

Ratione molestias rerum nihil repellendus sunt. Eum perferendis commodi labore repudiandae consequuntur et itaque. Unde tempora laudantium fugiat qui eligendi.

Aut rerum qui autem voluptas. Molestiae veniam sed exercitationem ex accusamus veniam iusto. Qui voluptatem natus qui. Impedit id maiores labore quisquam laudantium et. Cumque dolore ea qui est eos sunt.

Nihil sed et voluptatem eius. Voluptate tempore quia placeat iure eos incidunt enim dolore. Velit cum nisi quam sint non natus aut. Eos vel aliquam tempore. Qui perspiciatis tempore velit.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (66) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”