Wharton School

Overview

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania—commonly called Wharton—is one of the world’s leading business schools. Founded in 1881 as the United States’ first collegiate business school, Wharton is best known for its rigorous finance education but offers broad programs across business disciplines and global initiatives.

Key takeaways

• Wharton is a top-ranked global business school, especially renowned for finance.
• It offers undergraduate, MBA, EMBA, and Ph.D. programs with many specialized majors (accounting, finance, marketing, real estate, statistics, entrepreneurship).
• Admissions are highly competitive: recent MBA classes received thousands of applications with average admitted GMAT ~733 and undergraduate GPA ~3.6.
• Wharton maintains a large alumni network (nearly 100,000) and expanding international presence, notably through the Penn Wharton China Center.
• The two-year MBA is costly; total estimated expenses for 2023–24 were roughly $247,000.

Admissions and programs

Admissions are selective across Wharton’s degree offerings.

Admissions snapshot (MBA Class examples)
* Applications: ~6,300
* Enrolled students: ~877
* Average GMAT: ~733
* Average undergraduate GPA: ~3.6
* Common pre-MBA industries: consulting, technology, government/nonprofit, private equity, venture capital (about 59% combined)

Academic offerings
* Undergraduate business degrees with majors such as accounting, finance, marketing, real estate, statistics, and entrepreneurship.
* MBA program with extensive elective and major options.
* Executive MBA (EMBA) offered in Philadelphia and San Francisco.
* Ph.D. programs across business disciplines.
* Global initiatives, including the Penn Wharton China Center (Beijing) and partnerships across the Greater China region.

Campus
* Main campus is integrated with the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; the San Francisco EMBA campus connects students to the Bay Area tech ecosystem.

Notable alumni (selected)
* Donald Trump
* Warren Buffett
* Sundar Pichai
* Elon Musk

Reputation and standing

Wharton is widely recognized for producing candidates favored by Wall Street and the broader finance industry. It claims one of the largest alumni networks of any U.S. business school and has been expanding non-finance offerings—especially technology-focused curriculum and international programs—to align with evolving industry demands.

The Penn Wharton China Center has strengthened ties in Greater China and supports a substantial alumni base in the region.

Cost to attend (MBA example)

Estimated total cost for the two-year MBA program (2023–24): $246,952

First-year estimate
* Tuition & fees (includes pre-term fee): $87,370
* Room & board: $26,028
* Books, supplies, misc.: $6,868
* Health insurance: $4,210
* Total first-year: $124,476

Second-year estimate
* Tuition & fees: $85,370
* Room & board: $26,028
* Books, supplies, misc.: $6,868
* Health insurance: $4,210
* Total second-year: $122,476

(Students should review current official tuition and fees, financial aid options, and living-cost estimates before applying.)

Frequently asked questions

Is Wharton better than Harvard?
* They have different strengths. Wharton is particularly known for finance and quantitative business education; Harvard Business School is commonly associated with general management and leadership. “Better” depends on the candidate’s career goals.

Why is Wharton famous?
* Wharton’s long history (over 120 years), consistent strength in finance, extensive alumni network, and influential graduates have established its global reputation.

Is Wharton part of the Ivy League?
* Yes. Wharton is the business school within the University of Pennsylvania, one of the eight Ivy League universities.

Conclusion

As the U.S.’s first collegiate business school, Wharton remains a premier choice for students seeking top-tier business education—especially in finance—while expanding programs and global reach to prepare graduates for a broader set of industries and international opportunities.