The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University ranked No. 16 in 2023, falling five spaces after tying with Emory University’s Goizueta for No. 11 last year. It ranked No. 19 in 2021.
Overall, the school ranked 18th in Career Outcomes, 24th in Admissions, and first in Academic Experience in our three main ranking categories.
Kelley had an acceptance rate of 39.71%, significantly more selective than its 48.96% rate last year and 50.65% in 2021. This year’s incoming class had an average SAT score of 1450, 12 points higher than last year’s average of 1438.
At Kelley, business education is founded on professional and leadership development, and Kelley students graduate with strong employment outcomes. Some 90% of the Class of 2022 had at least one business-focused internship before graduation, up one point from the previous class. 98% of 2022 grads were employed full-time within three months of graduation, up from last year’s 96.47%.
2022 grads reported an average starting salary of $74,015, compared to $67,925 for 2021 graduates. They also reported an average signing bonus of $7,331, down slightly from $8,081 for the previous class. (78% of the Class of 2022 reported receiving a signing bonus, compared to 57% of the previous class.)
KELLEY COMPASS
Kelley’s undergraduate business education is best characterized as one that emphasizes professional and leadership development through its comprehensive curriculum and industry-specific workshops.
Kelley students have access to 19 majors and co-majors including Accounting, Business Analytics, Digital and Social Media Business Applications, Digital Technology Management, Economic Consulting, Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation, Finance, Information Systems, International Business, Law, Ethics, and Decision-Making, Management, Marketing, Operations Management, Professional Sales, Public Policy Analysis, Real Estate, Supply Chain Management, and Sustainable Business.
At the core of each of these majors is the Kelley Compass. Often considered the DNA of the Kelley curriculum, Kelley Compass is a set of classes taken once per year during the first three years of the undergraduate education.
The first course is “The Individual,” in which encourages students to better understand themselves by creating a comprehensive and market-ready personal-branding deliverable. The second course is “The Team,” in which students collaborate with teammates to construct strategies for real-world problems. Students also develop professional resumes and cover letters through this course.
The third course is “The Business Professional,” in which students learn important skills such as self-awareness, self-management, and leadership. This final course focuses on emotional intelligence and real-world, practical applications.
The Kelley Compass courses are highly characteristic of the type of education and values that Kelley strives to instill in each of its students: One that nurtures both hard and soft skills to develop a nuanced individual, team, and ultimately, business professional.
WORKSHOPS
The Kelley education places heavy emphasis on specialized skill development. Students can gain industry-specific knowledge and build in-demand skills by applying to one of Kelley’s 19 workshops that range from investment banking to consulting.
Kelley’s industry-specific workshops are a prime example of how the b-school strategically develops market-ready business professionals for nearly any career. Through these workshops, students can build the necessary skills and knowledge while making meaningful connections in their chosen industry.
ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM
The school is home to the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, led by one of the pioneers of entrepreneurship as an academic discipline – Donald F. Kuratko, the Jack M. Gill Distinguished Chair of Entrepreneurship.
In 2023, the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship awarded the Kelley School its prestigious 2023 Model Entrepreneurship Program Award. The honor is given to the institution with the most comprehensive, high-quality educational program that successfully trains future generations of entrepreneurs.
“I think an award like this is sort of like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It says to incoming students that if you’re interested in the idea of an entrepreneurial mindset, or being innovative even in organizations, this is the school for you,” says Kuratko in this interview. “We’ve made entrepreneurship one of the pillars of our university, and certainly at the Kelley School of Business. This puts a stamp that says not only did we think we’re good, but now the world thinks we’re good.”
2021 Alumni say:
“Just about every business class held real-world work simulations and projects to some extent. These focused on a real-world problem, working with a team to find a solution, and communicating that solution through paper or presentation. Some of the key classes included large capstone projects that require in depth research and problem-solving skills.”
“My senior year I co-founded the ‘Failing Successfully’ summit at Kelley which was aimed at breaking down the perception that you have to be perfect to excel in the business world. This is important to me because if you don’t fail, you don’t try. And my worry with many business school students is that they’re so focused on perfection, they stop focusing on creativity and innovation. It also addressed the mental health component associated with these concepts. Something that is near and dear to my heart.”
“Indiana offered me a life-changing experience allowing me to study abroad at ESADE Business School, a prestigious European University. Additionally, Kelley empowered me with the tools and resources to get my dream job in Silicon Valley working as an analyst at venture-backed startups.”
“My capstone Course for my honors program was one of my favorite classes because of the engagement from the professor the ability to talk about real things in the classroom and having a completely comfortable and creative environment to learn and ask questions.”
“I led a consulting group whom worked with a jewelry manufacturer in Havana, Cuba, and helped create a strategy for them to enter the US marketplace and set up a business plan. It was my first experience getting deep into the realm of real world business, and building something from the ground up. We were able to help them set up a LLC, import their products into NYC, create a website to promote e-commerce, and set up shop successfully.”
