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Kellogg Vs. Booth – Which Business School is Better for MBA in 2023?

Kellogg Vs. Booth – Which Business School is Better for MBA in 2023?
A 11 min read

Initially, Kellogg was known for marketing and Booth for Finance. Today, Kellogg is much more than a marketing school and Booth, more than just a finance school. In fact, the majority of the recent MBA graduates from both schools got placed in consultancy function. Kellogg and Booth offer world-class facilities, academic education, and placement opportunities. However, there are a few differences between the two. This article highlights various parameters to analyze Kellogg vs. Booth.

Kellogg-vs-booth

In this article, we differentiate between the two schools and help you decide whether to go for the Kellogg or Booth MBA program. Here are the parameters to analyze Kellogg vs. Booth:

Kellogg vs. Booth: Location and Class Profile

Both schools are located in Chicago. Situated towards the edge of Chicago’s Downtown, the Booth’s campus is in Hyde Park, whereas the Kellogg’s campus is in Evanston.

Hyde Park is one of the city’s most popular neighborhoods and is home to two of the city’s most prominent cultural institutions – the Museum of Science and Industry and the University of Chicago. It is the same area where President Obama used to live.

Evanston is about 30 – 35 minutes train ride into the heart of Chicago. It has a look and feel of a typical university town and has an impressive lakefront. It houses 77 parks and approx. 98% of households in Evanston are within half a mile of green space.

Class of 2024 Profile Full–Time MBA

Kellogg-vs-Booth-classprofile

The table below represents the Class of 2024 profile for Kellogg vs. Booth:

Kellogg vs. BoothKelloggBooth
Class Size503621
Female48%40%
Average GMAT729729
GMAT Range620-780600-780
Average Work Experience55
Average GPA3.73.6
International Students38%37%

The class profile for both schools is quite similar. Kellogg School of Management has a class size of 503, whereas Booth School of Business has a slightly larger class size of 621 for its full-time MBA program. The average GMAT score for both Kellogg and Booth MBA program is 729. The percentage of international students for Kellogg vs. Booth is 38% vs. 37%.

Learn more about what is a good GMAT score for Kellogg and Booth.

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Kellogg vs. Booth MBA Program Focus

Historically, Kellogg has been stereotyped as a marketing school, whereas Chicago Booth has a reputation for Finance. Kellogg ranks number one when it comes to marketing in various surveys and studies, while Chicago Booth often ranks after Wharton for finance.

In the US News 2023 ranking for best business school, Booth is the number one MBA in marketing program (Kellogg is 3rd). And Booth is number two for MBA in Finance (Kellogg is twelfth). Booth gets an edge over Kellogg in entrepreneurship and executive MBA. For an executive MBA, Kellogg vs. Booth is 1st and 2nd rank.

Kellogg beats Booth in general management, where US News ranks Kellogg third in management, after Harvard and Stanford (Chicago Booth ranks 14th). Kellogg also ranks eighth for the top operations management programs, whereas Booth is completely ignored in US News’s best business school for operations list.

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Kellogg vs. Booth: Ranking List

Kellogg tends to have an advantage when it comes to ranking. Both schools have few points of difference on various ranking lists. In the 2023 FT Global MBA Ranking, for example, Kellogg’s program ranks ninth while Booth’s MBA program is ranked eleventh.

You can also note that Booth beats Kellogg in the other three different rankings – QS World University (Top MBA), The Economist, and FT Ranking.

It’s interesting to see that Booth has maintained its rank and is always on the top 10 business schools list for each of the ranking lists.

The table below shows the ranking for Kellogg vs. Booth from the year 2021- 2023:

Ranking and YearBoothKellogg
FT Ranking
2023119
202275
202136
QS World University Ranking
20231032
20221030
2021929
The Economist
202314
202212
202121
US News Ranking
202313
202234
202133

Kellogg vs. Booth: MBA Program and Curriculum

Booth-and-Kellogg-curriculum

Both schools have a flexible curriculum, and at Kellogg’s, students can waive selected classes too if they can prove a certain level of proficiency. Kellogg and Booth offer the following types of MBA programs – Full-time MBA, Evening and Weekend MBA, and Executive MBA program.

For this article, we focus on the full-time MBA program

Chicago Booth Full-Time MBA

The length of the full-time MBA program at Chicago Booth is 21 months. The school offers 13 concentrations, and students take up 3-4 courses per quarter.

Four major components make up the flexible curriculum at Booth – Foundational Courses, Functions management and business environment courses, electives, and leadership training (LEAD).

The students are required to take three foundation courses, one from each of the following divisions: Financial accounting, statistics, and microeconomics. Each of these divisions has various course options that the student can choose from.

Apart from foundational courses, students choose six courses from the seven categories (Finance, Marketing, Operations, strategy, etc.) presented in functions, management, and business environment course.

For students who want to gain in-depth knowledge, Booth offers 13 concentrations where you typically fulfill one to three electives from the list.

The Business Analytics and Analytic Finance elective at Booth is STEM eligible, giving a massive advantage to international students.

What is STEM- Designated Program, and How is it beneficial?

The last component for the Booth curriculum is the LEAD program, which is a required course. The course offers a series of classes and exercises related to core management skills such as team building, negotiation, and giving feedback.

Kellogg Full-Time MBA Curriculum

There are four types of full-time MBA programs offered by Kellogg school of business – one year, two -year, MMM, and JD-MBA Program.

The MMM Program is a dual-degree full-time MBA that offers an integrated curriculum and is ideal for business leaders with a focus on business and design innovation. The MMM graduates receive an MBA from Kellogg and an M.S. in Design Innovation from the Segal Design Institute.

On the other hand, the JD-MBA Program is for students who want to pursue a career in law with a solid foundation in management. Kellogg also offers a one-year MBA program, which is an excellent option for applicants who have completed the required coursework as an undergraduate or graduate.

For this article, we focus on a two-year full-time MBA program

For a two-year full-time MBA, there are nine core courses. The courses required include marketing management, operational management, leadership, and many more. In addition students complete the leadership and crisis management course.

Kellogg curriculum is more flexible as compared to Booth as it offers course waivers for seven of its core courses if the student has previous work experience or relevant coursework. Thus, students can take advantage of taking up a greater number of electives.

Like Booth, Kellogg offers pathways and majors that give the students the flexibility and guidance they need to carve out a unique intellectual experience.

Overall, Chicago Booth requires a minimum of 21 courses for graduation, whereas Kellogg requires a minimum of 20.5 courses for a two-year full-time MBA.

Learn about Kellogg’s New STEM-Designated Major in Management Science

Kellogg vs. Booth: Teaching Method, Experiential Learning, and Global Opportunities

Both schools have a mixture of case studies, lectures, experiential learning, and stimulation. One of the significant differences between the two schools is the emphasis on Teamwork. Kellogg is known for its collaborative teamwork, and team-based learning exists throughout its curriculum.

Kellogg offers more than 1000 experiential learning opportunities where students use strategic management concepts to solve critical business issues through labs, courses, and special projects. Some of the classes and labs offered by Kellogg’s are asset management lab, new venture course series, global lab, analytical consulting lab, and many more.

Similarly, Booth offers various project-based experiential learning opportunities that help to strengthen the connection between theory and practice. Students face real-world challenges and get hands-on learning in lab courses offered by Booth, such as entrepreneurial discovery, global social impact, marketing lab course, and many more.

Kellogg focuses on building a global mindset by offering full-time exchange programs, global lab courses, student trips, and global initiatives in management. As per Kellogg’s global opportunity website, the students tap into experiential learning programs worldwide and partner with international companies to impact and drive business.

Similarly, Booth offers international business exchange program (IBEP) were students get an opportunity to study abroad at one of their 30 partner schools.

Kellogg vs. Booth: Placement and Internship Opportunities

When it comes to placement and internship opportunities, both schools provide excellent career services.

Kellogg-vs-booth-placement-internship

Placement Statistics

Kellogg’s Career management center (CMC) focuses on three foundational pillars – Aspire, Explore, and mobilize. These pillars represent each phase of a student’s career path and facilitate personal and professional growth in a way that aligns with the student’s values and goals.

As it states on Kellogg’s CMC site, personalized support help students to identify their goals, outline their career path, prepare and develop interview skills, and provide tools and knowledge to realize their goals.

Similarly, career services at Booth provide coaching, career resources, and career management tools and programs. They help students refine their career goals and help them navigate the recruiting process. They offer web-based self-assessment tests and tools, coaching on developing interview and negotiating skills, workshops on a specific aspect of job search such as resume, and many more.

By offering the career services mentioned above, 98% of the Kellogg’s MBA graduates and 96.8% of the Booth MBA graduates received job offers within three months of graduation (2022). The average base salary for Kellogg vs. Booth is $160,000 and $155,000, respectively, with an average sign-on bonus of $33,500 for Kellogg and $35,000 for Booth.

Booth put more of its MBAs into consulting (35.9%), followed by finance/Accounting (30.3%). On the other hand, a higher number of Kellogg graduates also ended up in consulting (33%), followed by Finance (19%).

The table provides the placement statistics for Kellogg vs. Booth:

Kellogg vs. Booth Placement Statistics Kellogg (2022)Booth (2022)
Job Offers within three months of graduation98%96.8%
Average Base Salary$160,000$155,000
Average Sign-on Bonus Acceptance by Function$33,500$35,000
Placement Statistics by Major FunctionsPercentage Percentage 
Consulting33%35.9%
Accounting/Finance19%30.3%
General Management12%4.6%
Business Development1%2.8%
Information Technology10.30%0.9%
Marketing / Sales11%6.8%
Operations/ Logistics1%2.4%
Others4%0.10%
Strategic PlanningN/AN/A

Read the individual report on Kellogg and Booth Class Profile, Admissions, Placement Report, and Notable Alumni.

Hiring Companies

Some of the significant hiring companies for the Kellogg class of 2022 are McKinsey & Company, Bain $ Company, Amazon, Agoda, Google, Alpine Investors, Apple Inc. , Nike, and many more.

For Booth, McKinsey & Company hired a maximum number of graduates (9.9%), followed by Boston Consulting Group (7.2%), and Brain & Company (5.4%). Other hiring companies were Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group, PwC Strategy, JPMorgan Chase & Co., EY, and many more.

Want to get into Kellogg or Booth MBA program?  Your GMAT score holds 16% of weightage when it comes to MBA Applications. Kick start your GMAT preparation with our Free trial today. Get access to quality online content and GMAT resources.

Source of Accepted full-time Job Offer

It’s interesting to see that the maximum number of offers came from summer employers for both the schools. Also, the alumni referral is stronger at Kellogg’s (5.2%) as compared to Booth (2.7%).

The table below presents the source of an accepted full-time job offer by Kellogg and Booth:

Source of Accepted Full-Time Job Offer – School/ Students FacilitatedKelloggBooth
Alumni Referral5.20%2.70%
Off-Campus Interview15.60%N/A
On-Campus Interview16.80%13.20%
Resume Book0.80%5.40%
Job Board Posting3.50%
Summer Employer41.80%48%
Others5.90%12.50%
External Job board3.50%N/A
Previous employer2.50%N/A
Direct contact with companiesN/A18.20%

Note: Data from Kellogg and Booth employment report 2022.

Internship Statistics

The average monthly salary for Kellogg’s and Booth’s summer internship is $7830 and $9,852, respectively for the Class of 2020.

30.3% of Kellogg’s MBA intern were in consulting function, followed by 17.9% in Finance, whereas 35.6% of Booth’s intern were in the finance function, followed by 27.9% in consulting and 6.95 in marketing.

The table below provides summer internship statistics for Kellogg vs. Booth:

Summer Internship Statistics Class 2020Class 2020
Kellogg vs. BoothKelloggBooth
Average Monthly Salary by Industry$7830$9,852
Internship Statistics by Major FunctionsPercent Percent
Consulting30.3%27.9%
Accounting/Finance17.9%35.6%
General Management7.4%5.3%
Human resourceN/AN/A
Information Technology13.1%9%
Marketing / Sales13.3%6.9%
Operations/ Logistics1.6%1.9%
Others3.2%1.6%
Strategic PlanningN/A9.5%

Note: Data from Kellogg and Booth Internship Report 2019.

Kellogg vs. Booth: Admissions Process and Cost of Attendance

cost-of-attendance-kellogg-chicago-booth

Both the schools follow a similar admissions process where the candidate needs to submit an online application form, after which shortlisted candidates go for an interview on campus or in a location convenient for the prospective student.

For the online application, both the schools require two letters of recommendation, essay questions, academic transcripts, GMAT/GRE scores, and an application fee. Kellogg school of management also requires three video essays to be submitted with the online application.

Tips to write Kellogg and Booth MBA essay questions.

The application fee for both schools is $250. Also, the total estimated cost of attendance is quite similar to Kellogg at $107,197 and Booth at $ 110,328.

The below table presents the cost of attendance for Kellogg vs. Booth:

Kellogg vs. Booth – Cost of Attendance KelloggBooth
Tuition$74,871$73,440
Room & Board$17,100$22,185
Books & Supplies$1,647$684
Travel$1,329$1,944
Personal$3,150$2,286
Health Insurance$4,170$4,566
Computer Equipment$1,200$1,300 (First year only)
Student activity and experience Fee$1,400$1,248
Student Association fee$330N/A
First Year Fee/ Administrative service first year only$2,000$2,600
Lifetime Credential FeeN/A$75
Total Estimated Expenses$107,197$110,328

Note: Data from Kellogg and Booth official website.

Learn more about the MBA application process – GMAT weightage and other factors.

Application Deadline

The table below presents the application deadline and decision release dates for Kellogg and Booth for 2023 intake:

MBA Application Deadline – Number of RoundsKelloggBooth
Round 1September 14, 2022September 22, 2022
Round 2January 10, 2023January 5, 2023
Round 3April 5, 2023April 11, 2023
Decision ReleasedKelloggBooth
Round 1December 14, 2022December 1, 2022
Round 2March 28, 2023March 23, 2023
Round 3May 10, 2023May 25, 2023

Note: Data from Kellogg and Booth official site.

Kellogg vs. Booth: Alumni Network

alumni-network

There is a huge gap between both the colleges when it comes to the Alumni network. Booth claims to have 12,656 alums in the Windy City alone, compared to 2,300 in New York, 783 in Boston, and 782 in San Francisco. Kellogg, meantime, claims over 60,000 alumni, including executive education alums with alums in Chicago, New York, L.A., Boston, Washington D.C., Seattle, and San Francisco.

According to the Bloomberg survey, where MBA grads rate the power of their alumni network Kellogg School of Management was ranked number 10 with a score of 91/100. On the other hand, Chicago Booth School for Business ranks 23rd with a score of 84/100.

Also, 5.2% of alumni referrals at Kellogg helped in getting a fulltime job offer for 2018 MBA graduates (Booth at 2.7%).

Thus, the alumni network at Kellogg is stronger as compared to Booth.

Kellogg vs. Booth: Scholarship Program

Kellogg’s offer a variety of different scholarships based on merit or financial need. There are four types of the scholarship program at Kellogg School of Management –

  1. Austin Scholars: Students are selected based on the leadership skills that they have demonstrated professionally and academically. It is one of the largest scholarships that Kellogg offers.
  2. Merit-Based Scholarships is for students who demonstrate excellence in one or more areas of their application. There are many varieties of merit-based scholarships such as Diversity Scholarship, Finance fellow, PepsiCo Scholarship, and many more.
  3. Financial Need-Based Scholarship: offered only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents
  4. Second Year Scholarship: There are additional facilities for students entering the second year in Kellogg.

Booth offers a large amount of merit-based scholarships to promising students. The scholarship is given based on academic merit, the quality of the interview, competitiveness, prospective concentration, career goals, and life experience.

Did you know a GMAT score of 730+ yields an incremental $500K in ROI? Start your GMAT Preparation by Signing up for our FREE Trial and get access to FREE online GMAT preparation resources. We are the most reviewed GMAT preparation company on GMATClub with more than 2500 reviews.

Kellogg vs. Booth: Facilities

Kellogg spreads across six unique building cities. In 2017 school opened a $250 million Global Hub on the shores of Lake Michigan. The Global Hub has also been award Leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) Platinum certification. There are various amenities offered to students, such as mailroom, mother’s room, Gym, ATM, Vending, Emporium, and many more.

Booth’s Hyde Park campus is the most sophisticated business schools built with 11 classrooms, four outdoor terraces for relaxing, over 50 workstations, and many more. The University of Chicago offers a full range of recreational facilities and social activities such as court theatre, Reynolds club (for a haircut), Doc films (film society), and many more.

Here are some related articles on other Business Schools:

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