The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University landed at No. 23 in P&Q’s 2025 ranking of the Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the U.S.
Of the three methodological categories, Kelley was first out of 104 ranked programs in Academic Experience, judged solely on our alumni survey. The school also finished 16th in Career Outcomes and 40th in Admission Standards.
For the fall 2024 incoming class, Kelley had an acceptance rate of 34.1% and an average SAT score of 1439. Its 6-year graduation rate is 92%.
At Kelley, business education is founded on professional and leadership development, and Kelley students graduate with strong employment outcomes. Some 93% of the Class of 2024 had at least one business-focused internship before graduation, up one percentages from last class. The school also posted a 97.7% employment rate the last two classes, the percent of job-seeking candidates who found a full-time position within three months of graduation.
2024 grads reported an average starting salary of $78,809 and 71% received an average signing bonus of $7,945. Top employers included EY, PwC, JPMorgan Chase & Co., KPMG, Deloitte, Bank of America, Crowe LLP, Protiviti, Inc., RSM US, LLP, and Grainger, Inc.
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.
Beyond the classroom, Kelley offers over 80 student organizations spanning industry-focused clubs, social impact initiatives, and diversity and inclusion efforts. Students also have access to leadership opportunities through student government, mentorship programs, and the Kelley Living Learning Center (LLC), which fosters a collaborative environment for first-year business students. The recently renovated Jellison LLC provides state-of-the-art study lounges, collaboration rooms, and community areas, creating a dynamic residential experience that enhances academic and professional growth.
Kelley is dedicated to empowering women in business through specialized programming such as the Kelley Women’s Leadership Institute, mentorship programs, and leadership workshops.
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.”
ALUMNI SAY
“The Commercial Real Estate Workshop at IU opened my eyes to the world of commercial real estate through an immersive case-based program.”
“I think working with real life companies on projects, even starting out as a freshman, gave me a real taste of what it feels like to be motivated to serve my clients and make a change through my work. I also believe the capstones were a great foundation for my experience in research, considering how in depth I understood my project and my business issue or company I was studying.”
“My internship abroad in Seville was truly one of the best decisions I made for myself in my life. It opened my world up to so many more people and potential opportunities and career paths. I now want to live and work abroad one day due to what I learned on that study abroad. I think it entirely impacted my career and life trajectory and I’m so grateful for it.”
“CMBW is the best workshop in Kelley, it is the sole reason I was able to secure a job in banking as it helped me with networking, preparing for interviews, and learning the overall industry. By the time I first showed up to my internship I was miles ahead of everyone just based on the CMBW classes I took which taught all about banking and some very important technical skills.”
“As a student coming in with minimal business connections and even fewer connections at the university, I was worried about my future in the business world with what felt like a limited network. Through my peers, my professors, my counselors, and my mentors at Kelley, they became the exact type of network I needed. They supported me, encouraged me, and have helped me build my career from my college years and beyond. I can confidently say that Kelley set me up for success and with the best network of individuals I could have asked for.”
