The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota finished at No. 23 in P&Q’s 2025 ranking of the Best Undergraduate Business
In our three methodological categories, Carlson finished 22nd in Admission Standards out of 104 ranked programs. It also finished 31st in Career Outcomes and 37th in Academic Experience based on our alumni survey.
For the fall 2024 incoming class, Carlson had an acceptance rate of 30.5% and an average ACT score of 29. Its 6-year graduation rate is 94%.
For the Class of 2024, 89.3% finished a business-focused internship before graduation, compared to 91.7% for the previous class. In full-time employment, 97.8% of 2024’s job-seeking grads found positions within three months – up slightly from 2023’s 96.1% employment rate.
2024 grads earned an average starting salary of $70,750 with 53.5% reporting receiving an average signing bonus of $6,064. Top employers include UnitedHeath Group/Optum, Deloitte, PwC, Ernst & Young, Wells Fargo & Company, Target Corporation, KPMG, Ameriprise Financial, Boston Scientific, and U.S. Bank.
Much of that success likely comes down to the “in-action” learning approach at Carlson, its unique location, and the global business component.
CURRICULUM
Carlson’s curriculum is built on three core pillars: People and Planet, Foundations and Impact, and Data and Decisions. Each pillar is anchored by a signature experience designed to enhance real-world learning.
The People and Planet pillar integrates courses that develop leadership with a focus on ethical and sustainable business practices, including a required international experience.
The Foundations and Impact pillar ensures students build strong business fundamentals through a year-long, cohorted “Impact Core” curriculum.
The Data and Decisions pillar develops analytical problem-solving skills through a required “Impact Lab” course, where students partner with businesses, public agencies, and nonprofits to apply their knowledge to real-world projects.
Students hit the ground running in their first-year with two management courses. In their second year, students go into the Immersion Core, a set of four courses that teach how business works cross-functionally in the fields of finance, marketing, operations, and strategy.
Carlson students can choose from 10 majors including: Accounting, Entrepreneurial Management, Finance, Finance & Risk Management Insurance, Human Resources and Industrial Relations, International Business, Management Information Systems – MIS, Marketing, Public & Nonprofit Management, and Supply Chain and Operations Management.
Carlson’s innovative undergraduate curriculum, which was recognized in the AACSB’s 2023 Innovations That Inspire awards, includes 12 newly launched or redesigned courses. These range from Business Ethics, Corporate Responsibility, and Sustainability to Data-Driven Business Decisions, Business Analytics, and Powerful Problem Solving. Courses like Race, Power, and Justice in Business and Leading Self and Teams reflect the school’s commitment to leadership, inclusion, and personal development.
“IN-ACTION” LEARNING
What makes the Carlson education stand out is the “in-action” approach that many courses offer. Those courses provide students with hands-on, real-world experiential learning experiences to apply their studies and bolster their skills.
Examples include a marketing analytics class with different simulations every week and the Enterprise Program, which brings together MBA and select undergraduate students to address real-world client challenges. Students can choose from four different Enterprise Programs including Brand Enterprise, Consulting Enterprise, Funds Enterprise, and Ventures Enterprise.
Carlson leverages its unique location of being in a major metropolitan area to offer its students the signature “in-action” learning experiences. Minneapolis is home to 16 Fortune 500 companies, diverse industries, a robust entrepreneurial and non-profit community, and a variety of small, medium, and large businesses. And Carlson students have access to this rich hub of business through their courses and initiatives such as the Enterprise Program.
Additionally, Carlson ensures every student utilizes its expansive business network through the required “Business Communications” course, where students participate in a consulting project with corporate partners such as Deloitte and Target.
GLOBAL REQUIREMENT
Business is a global industry. To ensure all students are prepared for that reality, Carlson requires all undergraduates to complete an international experience. From Brazil to Cambodia, Carlson students have access to a variety of destinations where they can immerse themselves in unique cultures and learn about business from a multi-view perspective.
The “in-action” learning approach at Carlson coupled with the school’s rich local business hub and international experience requirement ensure that its students are set up for success. If you prefer learning by doing and traveling the world to learn about business, then Carlson is the right match for you.
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.”
