The Villanova School of Business ranked No. 12 in the 2025 ranking of the Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the U.S., its same rank as last year.
In our three methodological categories, Villanova ranked 12th in Admission Standards, 13th in Career Outcomes, and 22nd in Academic Experience which is based solely on our alumni survey.
The B-school’s acceptance rate for the 2024 incoming class was 19% this year – just a touch less exclusive than last year’s 18%. The class also reported an average SAT score of 1457 as well as a 6-year graduation rate of 94.2%.
In career data, 97.7% of Class of 2024 graduates and 98.1% of Class of 2023 grads completed at least one business-specific internship before graduation. Some 95.9% of 2024 grads found jobs within three months, compared to 96.7% of 2023 grads.
Average salary for the most recent graduates was $85,394 with 39% of them reporting an average signing bonus of $7,817. The top employers included EY, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs and MUFG.
CURRICULUM
As a Catholic university, Villanova is founded on Augustinian values of community and leading with service. The Villanova business education is one that embraces these values while preparing students with the skills needed to become future business leaders. Almost half of the required courses VSB students take come from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. By requiring students to take courses outside business, VSB ensures that its students are gaining the fundamental values that the university as a whole embraces.
VSB students begin taking business courses in their freshman year and continue through core requirements during sophomore year. In their junior and senior years, VSB students focus on their major and minor coursework. Much of the core curriculum is designed to give students an understanding of not only business skills, but the societal values that help drive business.
One such course is “Business Dynamics,” a required first-year course that emphasizes the purpose of business within society. Through the course, VSB students gain an understanding of the global, political, ethical, and technological dimensions of business.
With small class sizes, VSB also ensures its students are getting the support they need.
BACKPACK TO BRIEFCASE
VSB offers a number of experiential learning opportunities for students to gain necessary business skills. One example is the “Backpack to Briefcase” (B2B) initiative, a program that integrates career development into the core business curriculum throughout the students’ four-year education. B2B is designed to give students opportunities to not only learn about business skills, but apply those skills in simulated real-world situations.
Students get a well-rounded support system through a three-tier advising model that includes professional academic advisors, faculty mentors, and peer advisors. From day one until graduation, professional advisors help students navigate course selection, major requirements, and career planning while also offering personalized guidance based on their interests and goals. Peer advisors, who are fellow students, provide insights on everything from transitioning to college life to getting involved on campus, studying abroad, and preparing for internships. Meanwhile, faculty mentors bring their expertise to help students explore majors and minors, select electives, and map out career paths that align with their ambitions. This collaborative approach ensures students have the support and resources they need at every stage of their academic journey.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
A VSB student can choose to co-major/minor in International Business, where he or she learns how to manage and communicate across cultures or even take part in the Global Citizens Program, a 16-week overseas study experience that combines academic coursework with a practical internship located in either London or Singapore. All of these types of programs are designed to give students a different perspective to the world of business.
Overall, the VSB education is one that embraces Villanova’s Augustinian values and develops business leaders who not only know the skills of running and leading business, but the ethics that drive society as well. No doubt, Villanova is in a crowded undergraduate business education market in Philadelphia. But the school holds its own against its fellow Philly-based Ivy League business school, Wharton.
ALUMNI SAY
“Our capstone project consisted of constructing a business plan and pitching the business idea with an overview covering all aspects of the business. It was an important project that gave a holistic perspective of starting/running a business while applying the concepts learned throughout all the courses taken in the business school.”
“At the Villanova School of Business we had ample opportunities to gain exposure to project work, experiential learning, and external consulting projects to drive real-world learning. A signature experience for me was working with Champion Sports in an analytics case competition, putting the statistical concepts and technical application learned in the classroom to a real world example in which we had to assist the company with prioritizing their seasonal apparel release based on past product results and key social trends. This opportunity allowed for creative thinking and collaboration, ultimately leading to a first place finish amongst 10+ other teams from competing business schools and preparing me and my teammates well for the unique situations and challenges that would arise in our post-graduate careers.”
“In the Global Citizens Program, I spent my spring semester of freshman year in Singapore completing classes and an 8 week internship. I also did a summer abroad program through VSB at the London School of Economics, taking a class and also completing a part time internship. Invaluable life and career experience both provided by my business school.”
“The Villanova School of Business was essential to my collegiate growth and learning, which prepared me to excel in my early career. Specifically, the preparation in accounting and finance courses allowed me to have a solid basis in financial and valuation theory that prepared me for early promotions at work and allowed me to pass all three levels of the CFA within 18 months of graduation.”
“I would not be the successful professional I am today without Villanova School of Business. The large network and amount of opportunities the school provided for me were incredible. Working at a fortune 100 company right out of college was always a goal of mine, and I’m happy to say Villanova helped me achieve that goal. I would choose Villanova over and over again.”
