The Questrom School of Business at Boston University rose one spot to No. 16 on P&Q’s 2025 ranking of the Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the U.S.
Of our three methodological categories, Questrom scored highest in Admission Standards (No. 11 out of 104 ranked programs). They also finished 18th in Career Outcomes and 39th in Academic Experiences which is based solely on our alumni survey.
Questrom was the ninth most selective program in the ranking with an acceptance rate of 8.1% for the 2024 incoming class. Their average SAT was 1457 and 6-year graduation rate was 88.4%.
In career data, 98.2% of 2024 graduates completed a business-specific internship before graduation, compared to 97.7% for the previous class. Questrom reported a 96.7% employment rate three months after graduation for the Class of 2024, down slightly from the 98.1% rate for the Class of 2023.
2024 graduates reported an average starting salary of $73,827, and 41.3% reported receiving an average signing bonus of $6,675.
BUSINESS ON DAY ONE
The Questrom education emphasizes both the hard and soft skills of business to give its students a comprehensive education that starts the day they step foot onto campus.
Questrom offers a single degree – a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – so all Questrom students major in Business Administration and Management. However, the B-school requires students to complete at least one functional concentration including Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Independent Concentration, Information Systems, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Law, Management & Organizations, Marketing, Operations & Technology Management, Organizational Behavior, and Strategy.
Students start their business education freshman year, taking a mix of courses such as Business Ethics, Finance, Economics, and Calculus. All Questrom freshmen are required to take the year-long foundational program of Business Ethics and Finance with the same cohort of classmates. As Questrom students progress throughout their four years, they are introduced to more focused business courses from Financial Accounting to Marketing Management.
Questrom places a strong emphasis on analytics education for all students, ensuring they develop essential data-driven skills. Those interested in a deeper focus on analytics can pursue the new Business Analytics concentration, while any student—regardless of concentration—can opt for the quantitatively focused track. This rigorous program provides hands-on experience with statistical programming and other key analytical tools, equipping students with the skills needed to tackle complex business challenges.
Unlike other B-schools where students don’t take business courses until their junior year, Questrom allows its students to begin taking business courses their very first day. In turn, this allows students to get a head start on their business education and a leg up in interviews for both internships and jobs.
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL CORE PROJECT
The signature experience at Questrom is the Cross-Functional Core Project, also known as “Core.” Students take part in Core during their junior year, where they work in student teams across disciplines of finance, marketing, operations management, and business analytics to develop a product or service and create a full-fledged business plan. The year-long project is a valuable experience that enables students to understand nearly every aspect of business – from research to presentation.
On top of giving a comprehensive view of the hard skills required to start a business, Core also emphasizes the importance of soft skills such as the ability to work cross-functionally with team members.
For those looking to get a quick start on their business education with an opportunity to learn both the hard and soft skills of business, Questrom is the right place to be.
The Core experience is viewed highly amongst Questrom alumni with many citing the project as one that taught them both the hard and soft skills to succeed post-grad.
ALUMNI SAY
“The CORE project completely shifted my understanding of what the different aspects of a business were actually like, and helped me realize where my passions lie.”
“The Core program–which partnered us with 6 other people in our classes and taught us what it takes to run and launch a business together–really helped put into practice a lot of what I’m doing in my current job especially since I took a big stake in doing the marketing section of it.”
“I studied abroad in Madrid for my final semester and it was the best decision I made in my time at BU. I learned so much about Spanish culture living with a local family and having the opportunity to travel around Europe with people that I had just met was a once in a lifetime experience. I was a Spanish minor, so it really strengthened my skills.”
“Question is a very academically driven business school and requires a lot of effort and time to complete and it’s not for the faint of heart.”
“My years at Questrom were the best years of my life. I loved everything about it, from the peers to the professors to the environment. Professors were often in industry and focused on real world skills.”
