Poets&Quants Top Business Schools

Washington University in St. Louis Olin Business School

#11

Contact our general manager with any questions. Profile updated: January 23, 2024.

Contact Information

Location:
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899
Admissions Office:
314-935-6000

Tuition & Fees In-State: $321,592*

Tuition & Fees Out-of-State: $321,592*

Average Salary: $90,371

Graduates With Jobs 90 Days After Graduation: 96%

International: 5%

Minority: 31%

First generation college students: 20%

When do students declare their majors: Sophomore Year

Acceptance Rate: 11%

Average SAT: 1,527

Average ACT: 34

Average GPA: 4.3

HS Class Top Ten: 61%**

*The total cost of the degree over four years for the most recent graduating class inclusive of school fees, room, board, or living expenses.

** HS Class Top Ten is the percent of the student population that graduated high school in the top ten percent of their class.

*** Please note that these statistics are provided for the business school major only whenever possible. If a school does not track these statistics separately, then the university-wide statistics are provided.

The Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis has fluctuated in the Poets&Queants rankings for the past 8 years, but they have always managed to land in the top 15. This year in the 2023 rankings, they came in at No. 11 – just a few places behind last year’s No. 9 in our 2022 rankings.

Of the three methodological categories, they ranked best in the Career Outcomes category, at No. 8 overall. Olin had a slightly more lenient acceptance rate this year at 11% for their most recent incoming class as compared to last year’s rate of 9%. Their average SAT score was 1527 for the incoming class, up a few points on average from last year’s score of 1523. They had the third highest score of all ranked B-schools this year, just behind Stern, with an average of 1545, and Wharton, with 1528. 

In terms of Career Outcomes, Olin grads were especially strong in both internship and employment stats. Both internship and employment outcomes for Olin graduates were especially strong this year. A perfect 100% of the Class of 2023 secured an internship before graduation, up from last year’s nearly perfect rate of 99%. As for employment rates, the numbers were slightly up as well, with a good 96.14% of the Class of 2023 landing a full-time position within three months of graduation compared to the previous year’s rate of 95.89%.

Those of the Class of 2023 starting full-time positions reported an average starting salary of $90,371 – up from the last year’s average of $84,328. That puts Olin graduates in the top 10 as far as starting compensation.

Olin offers a quality business education that is characterized by strong global study programs and a values-based approach to business. 

With a curriculum that’s grounded in teaching values and offering a global perspective, the Olin Business School truly delivers a strong, modern-day business education. Olin students get the opportunity to earn a strong business education in an urban Midwestern setting.

A GLOBAL EXPERIENCE

While the Olin Business School itself is located in St. Louis, Missouri, the education itself is truly global – and it is based in an interesting spot in a revitalized Midwestern city with a lot of startup, tech, and entrepreneurial momentum.

Olin students have a “Global Mindset” degree requirement — a framework designed to ensure every undergraduate can gain international business experience, whether or not they travel abroad.

The Olin curriculum features 11 courses that offer a significant global business component, which we define as at least a third of the coursework. Additionally, students have access to 175 semester abroad opportunities with 19 of them being business-specific. 

VALUES-BASED EDUCATION 

The Olin curriculum is designed to give students a holistic, values-based education. One that gives them a strong foundation in business, but also an understanding of aspects outside of their world of business too. Olin students are required to complete at least 40% of their classes in areas other than business.

What makes Olin unique is that many of the experiences offered are rooted in the idea of using business to create social change in real communities. 

One of the most popular experiences is the Taylor Community Consulting Program, which matches Olin students with nonprofits in need of fresh perspectives and actionable recommendations. Teams of two to four students are assigned to a six-week project and each student must contribute at least 75 hours of work. The students conclude the project with a final presentation. Through these projects, students gain experience in a variety of management functions including market research, brand auditing, strategic planning, and financial and operational assessment — all while making a real social impact. 

Alumni say:

“There were many experiential learning projects in multiple classes. These were fantastic to prepare for the real world as they brought in real world clients! These projects really prepared us for the business world when it comes to presentations and answering/anticipating key stakeholders questions.”

“Did a summer abroad with the Dean of the undergraduate business school immersed in the startup nation of Tel Aviv. I not only learned about the country but experienced it firsthand. Learned about Madagascar and economic development in class then traveled to the community to put our knowledge to the test. We had to adapt to new cultures based on information we couldn’t have predicted from our outsider perspective.”

“WashU has a Center for Entrepreneurial learning that provides students with consulting opportunities with either large companies, small businesses or nonprofits. I completed the small business course and non profit where I was able to directly impact a Saint Louis frame shop and the Illinois Center for Autism. It was foundational to my career in consulting.”

“I participated in two abroad programs – one of which was an entrepreneurial summer program in Israel and one was a semester abroad taking classes and interning in London. Israel allowed me to learn more about starting a business and how Israel is a hub for innovation. London was a great opportunity to work in another country and broaden my work experience while still taking meaningful courses.”

“Student Entrepreneurial Program gave me real life exposure to running a business alongside partners and the Taylor Community Consulting Program allowed me to develop my teamwork and problem solving skills while making a positive impact on the community.”