Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business, which houses the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, enjoyed its highest ranking ever in 2025, landing at No. 2 in evaluation of the Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the U.S. Cornell is also one of just two Ivy League schools that offers an undergraduate business degree.
Of the three methodological categories for 2025, Cornell Dyson ranked second in Admission Standards, third in Career Outcomes, and ninth in Academic Experiences (as reported by recent alumni.)
Cornell’s was the third toughest undergraduate business program to get into with an acceptance rate was 4.94%. It also had the fourth highest 6-year graduation rate of 97.9%. Incoming freshmen posted the highest average SAT score in our ranking of 104 schools, tied with New York University Stern School of Business at 1540.
In career metrics, 100% of its undergraduates had a business-specific internship before graduation, a strong indicator for full-time employment after graduation. Speaking of which, 95.36% of job-seeking candidates from the Class of 2024 found jobs within three months of graduation, earning an average salary of $97,230. Further, some 79.1% of 2024 grads reported getting an average signing bonus of $11,896 on top of their first-year salary.
Located next to New York City’s financial district, the top employers for 2024 graduates include Citi Bank, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.
UNIQUE CONVERGENCE WITH COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND LIFE SCIENCES
Dyson students develop strong business fundamentals along with self-insight, flexibility, and empathy, aligning with Dyson’s mission, “Our Business is a Better World.” Students gain high-level data analytic skills while also learning to identify opportunities, prototype ideas, learn from failure, and collaborate effectively.
A key feature of Dyson’s undergraduate experience is the Grand Challenges Program, a four-year, team-based initiative that integrates business skills with civic engagement. Unique aspects of the program include:
- A required project with an external client or community partner.
- A focus on professional skill development rather than faculty research.
- A human-centered approach that considers stakeholders beyond shareholders.
- Mentorship from MBA students through a cross-College leadership initiative.
- A strong foundation in societal engagement and sustainable business.
Dyson students major in Applied Economics and Management (AEM) with flexible degree requirements, allowing interdisciplinary studies in life sciences, environmental sciences, and information sciences. With Dyson’s placement in Cornell’s SC Johnson College of Business and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, students integrate business education with diverse fields such as biological sciences, sustainability, and technology.
The major offers concentrations in Accounting. Business Analytics. Finance. Marketing. Strategy. Applied Economics. Entrepreneurship. Sustainable Business and Environmental Policy. Food Business Management, and International Trade and Development. Students must complete a group of core courses, a set of liberal arts courses, and pick at least one these concentrations.
With a long-standing focus on sustainability and global impact, Dyson fosters multi-disciplinary knowledge, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit, preparing students to lead in an increasingly interconnected and science-driven world.
A FOCUS ON SOFT SKILLS
The school says its unique aspect is a focus on soft skills to go along with more traditional business skills.
“Dyson students gain excellent analytical business skills but also develop the self-insight, flexibility, and empathy to enable them to chart a productive course in a rapidly changing world,” the school says. “This is fundamental to Dyson’s mission for undergraduate education. Not content with providing a strong pathway to a student’s coveted first job, we strive to educate for the long haul: our graduates can only make a better world if they are confident and creative about their own place in that world.”
To help students develop these skills outside the classroom, Dyson has 22 business specific student-led clubs as well as 50 more offered through the larger university. Cornell’s Office of Global Learning offers more than 180 opportunities to earn international experience, and nearly a quarter of Dyson graduates have at least 4 weeks of global experience before leaving the program.
In our alumni survey (used to calculate the Academic Experience category in our ranking), recent graduates rated the the school a 9.3 out of 10 for preparing them for the world of work. They also rated the program’s teaching of soft and people skills a 9.5.
Some 58.82% of alumni reported completing a “signature experience,” such as a global immersion, comprehensive consulting project, capstone project, and other experiential work.
“As part of Dyson’s Grand Challenge requirement, I worked with a team to restructure the largest Hawaiian macadamia nut company into a co-op. This project helped me understand the nuances of the agriculture world and the various types of corporate structures, knowledge that I believe helped me land my current job as a venture investor and sets me apart when sourcing deals and diligencing companies,” one alum told us.
Another reported working in the eLab Incubator during his entrepreneurship program. “The eLab program was instrumental in shaping how I view and evaluate businesses, which has had a deep impact on my ability to perform at a high level in a private markets investing role.”
Alumni say …
“I was involved with experiential learning through the low income tax practicum which involved learning how to file taxes and then applying that knowledge and skillset to actual client work in the form of working with someone who underwent identity theft and helping her amend the situation, and then also traveling out to rural villages in Alaska to file taxes for hundreds of individuals who otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to file their taxes. These experiences lasted throughout my college years and were pivotal in bringing my education to real life, epitomizing Dyson’s “Our business is a better world” school motto.”
“The entire school is based on group projects and collaboration is key. We also have a capstone project which is very in-depth and works with companies on solutions. Dyson is an excellent school and rivals or exceeds Wharton (Which I was also accepted to, and shows Dyson). Its US News ranking is Very unfair! Graduates of Dyson are all making the highest salaries in their industries and all receive job placement in their career field upon graduation.”
“The knowledge I was fortunate to gain by being a student at Dyson is irreplaceable. I still actively tell my friends, family, and colleagues about what I learned in the classroom and continue to be excited about it. To add, I transferred to Cornell, so I’m able to benchmark my experience at Cornell to a different university experience.”
“Coming from a background that lacked connections / exposure to high finance, Cornell Dyson provided me with a top tier education, a robust alumni network, and the confidence to pursue my dreams. Cornell alumni played a key role in recruiting for both my first job out of college (investment banking) and my subsequent exit to a private capital investment firm.”
