Best Business Schools for the Tech Industry

Tech industry buffs looking into MBA programs will find plenty of career ventures in these startup cities.

You’d rather go without water than WiFi, Google Glass is an integral part of your wardrobe, and you’ve become the de facto tech support for your family and friends. You’re a total technophile … and you’re going to business school. Find the right MBA program to nurture your passion for technology and advance your career.

The best business schools for tech careers

• Whether you’re hoping to launch the next big social media startup or aiming for an executive role with a leading software company, earning an MBA may be your ticket to embarking on an exciting and lucrative tech industry career. After you weigh ranking, reputation, and academics when choosing the best business schools for you, you’ll want to think about how you’ll dive into the tech scene over the next two or so years of your life.
• Check out our picks for the best business schools in tech industry hubs around the country.

Stanford Graduate School of Business in Stanford, California

• The MBA program: Stanford GSB is one of the most selective business schools in the country, with more than 7,000 applications for a class of only 400 new students in the full-time MBA program. Even though the average GMAT score is a 732, the admittance range is 550 to 790. International students make up nearly half of admitted students, and almost 40% come with a background in engineering, mathematics, or natural sciences.
• The tech industry: Silicon Valley is synonymous with technology, and Stanford students enjoy significant recruiting and networking opportunities with the area’s industry giants. Not only will you blend right in wearing your Fitbit and Pebble Smartwatch, you’ll have access to the most influential and ubiquitous tech companies in the world. Silicon Valley also boasts one of the best startup scenes in the country, with tech meet-ups attracting likeminded entrepreneurs who work in areas ranging from web development to supercomputing.

MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts

• The MBA program: Housed in one of the foremost engineering schools in the country, 30% of Sloan MBAs have an engineering background. GMAT scores in the full-time MBA program range from 660 to 760, and successful applicants bring an average of four years of work experience.
• The tech industry: The Boston-Cambridge area surrounding MIT Sloan is fertile ground for innovation, technology, and startup culture. For MBAs looking to join a leading tech company, Cambridge has attracted such employers as Google, Apple, and Facebook. Boston’s expansive network of entrepreneurs, startup incubators, and popular tech meet-ups also provide exciting career options for those looking to venture out on their own.

The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business in Austin, Texas

• The MBA program: McCombs MBA students can pursue their studies in six different formats to accommodate their post-graduation goals. With an average GMAT score of 690 in its full-time, two-year program, McCombs MBA students also have an average of five years of work experience and come from various fields, including the petroleum and energy sectors. Students can participate in the Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs, a startup accelerator designed to take student innovations to market.
• The tech industry: Nestled in the Texas Hill Country, Austin has in recent years become a rapidly growing market for high-tech firms and startups—earning it the moniker “Silicon Hills.” Austin is one of the leading areas in the country for venture capital investment and is host to the annual South by Southwest Interactive festival and conference—among the most prominent venues for emerging technologies, startup accelerators, and creative multimedia. Software and gaming are big drivers of the city’s tech scene, keeping Austin “weird” and wired-in.

Duke University Fuqua School of Business in Durham, North Carolina

• The MBA program: With a full-time MBA class of just over 400, Fuqua attracts almost 40% of its students from abroad, and its commitment to diversity is highlighted through multiple outreach weekends focusing respectively on women, veterans, and LGBT candidates. As a top-ranked business school, the middle 80% of matriculants at Fuqua have a GMAT range of 640 to 750 and an average five years of work experience.
• The tech industry: The Research Triangle—comprising Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill—is not only home to some of the nation’s largest high-tech and pharmaceutical firms, but offers numerous tech incubators and a healthy startup scene. With several large research universities, engineering and tech innovation plays a large part in the state’s economy. Fuqua’s multiple tech and startup student clubs further cement the school’s role in Durham’s emerging tech scene.

University of Washington Michael G. Foster School of Business in Seattle, Washington

• The MBA program: From part-time matriculation options that allow you to balance school and work, to an international MBA tailored to working executives, to a more traditional full-time MBA program, the Foster School of Business has a robust suite of programs to service its students. Of particular relevance for techie applicants is the school’s Technology Management MBA. With a full-time MBA class of 100 students, this smaller program attracts a slightly older student body with an average age of 30. Impressively, the average starting salary for 2013 graduates is more than $100,000, with a very high job placement rate. Successful matriculants into the full-time program have a GMAT range of 630 to 720 and a GPA of 3.4.
• The tech industry: Seattle’s tech scene rivals that of Silicon Valley. In addition to major tech companies like Microsoft, the Seattle area boasts multiple venture accelerators, renowned computer scientists, and the Seattle Interactive Conference, one of the country’s largest tech parties. Seattle’s downtown area is being rapidly consumed by the construction of a new Amazon headquarters. Once completed, the massive corporate campus is projected to employ roughly 5% percent of the city’s workforce.

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