Profile updated with AI and edited by Poets&Quants
The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota finished at No. 23 in P&Q’s 2026 ranking of the Best Undergraduate Business Schools. In our three methodological categories, Carlson finished 22nd in Admission Standards, 27th in Career Outcomes, and 47th in Academic Experience.
For the most recently reported entering class, Carlson posted a 27.7% acceptance rate, an average ACT of 28.7, and a six-year graduation rate of 92.3%. For the Class of 2025, 89.8% reported completing at least one internship while in school, up from 89.1% for the Class of 2024. Average starting salary for the Class of 2025 was $73,149, up from $70,750 for the Class of 2024. Among graduates who reported one, the average signing bonus rose to $6,736 from $6,064. Employers hiring Carlson students and graduates in the most recent report include Accenture, Amazon, Ameriprise Financial, Deloitte, U.S. Bank, UnitedHealth Group, Wells Fargo, EY, KPMG, PwC, and Target.
Much of that success likely comes down to Carlson’s “in-action” learning approach, its location in Minneapolis, and its required international experience.
CURRICULUM
Carlson’s curriculum is built on three pillars: People & Planet, Data & Decisions, and Foundations & Impact, each paired with a signature experience. People & Planet is tied to the International Experience, Data & Decisions to the Impact Lab, and Foundations & Impact to the Impact Core.
The People & Planet pillar develops leadership and ethical decision-making while reinforcing Carlson’s required international experience. The Foundations & Impact pillar gives students a strong base in business through the eight-course, cohort-based Impact Core taken during the second year. The Data & Decisions pillar develops analytical problem-solving through the Impact Lab, where students work with real organizations on real business challenges beginning in the first year.
Students hit the ground running in their first year with coursework such as Leading Self & Teams, Design Your Life, Business Statistics in R, Modeling Business Scenarios in Excel, Business Economics, Financial Reporting, and Business Ethics, Corporate Responsibility, and Sustainability. In the second year, they move into the Impact Core, which includes eight courses across the Maroon and Gold blocks in marketing, information systems, managerial accounting, race, power and justice in business, finance, strategy, sustainable supply chain and operations, and human capital management.
Carlson students can choose from 11 academic major options or degree pathways reflected in the school’s current materials, including Accounting, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurial Management, Finance, Finance & Risk Management Insurance, Human Resources and Industrial Relations, International Business, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Public/Nonprofit Management, and Supply Chain & Operations Management.
“IN-ACTION” LEARNING
What makes the Carlson education stand out is the “in-action” approach that many courses offer. Those experiences give students hands-on, real-world learning opportunities that let them apply classroom concepts to real organizations and real problems.
Examples include the Impact Lab, where students work with businesses, nonprofits, and social enterprises, and the Enterprise Programs, which bring together MBA and select undergraduate students to solve client challenges. Carlson currently offers four Enterprise Programs: Brand Enterprise, Consulting Enterprise, Funds Enterprise, and Ventures Enterprise.
Carlson also benefits from its location in Minneapolis, giving students access to a major business hub and a wide network of employers, mentors, and experiential learning opportunities. The school’s current materials also highlight 30+ Carlson-affiliated student groups and strong connections to Fortune 500 companies.
GLOBAL REQUIREMENT
Business is a global industry. To prepare students for that reality, Carlson requires all undergraduates to complete an international experience. The Carlson Global Institute notes that undergraduates may fulfill this requirement through any credit-bearing study abroad program, while Carlson-designed options are built to align with the curriculum and may include Global Enrichment Programs and Global Immersion Programs in more than 30 countries.
The “in-action” learning approach at Carlson, coupled with the school’s rich local business hub and international experience requirement, helps set students up for success. If you prefer learning by doing and gaining global exposure as part of your business degree, Carlson is a strong match.
ALUMNI SAY
“I was a part of the Carlson Funds Enterprise. This was an extremely positive experience as it allowed me to understand financial markets and statements outside of the confined classroom setting. Dealing with real world situations allowed me to learn so much more than the classroom could provide.”
“The biggest piece for me was the finance capstone class. I really enjoyed the workshop nature of being presented a case, and then working through that problem with your team members. I learned a lot in terms of evaluating decisions and weighing the costs and benefits whether they were quantitative or qualitative. These cases often brought in so many different perspectives on the solution and helped to expand my view on how a solution is never just a straight cut answer.”
“Went abroad to Bangkok, Thailand to study at Thammasat University. This experience was extremely influence to me both academically and personally. This allowed me to meet people from all over the world and learn about their views and ways to connect across cultures.”
“The Carlson School provided fantastic groundwork on which to build my business life. It was helping in providing practical assistance in aspects like professional writing and communications but also encouraged students to explore the many facets of entrepreneurship (I majored in entrepreneurial management) which I felt was a unique major that was not only applicable to my situation but not something I would have found at another business school.”
“My professors within my major were awesome. I never had a financial professor I didn’t like. They were all very devoted to their students and to learning and it made me passionate about my degree and for that I will always be grateful to my professors.”
