2025 US Business School Picks (Part 1): Five Underrated Top Business Schools with Outstanding Specialty Rankings

A Detailed Look at Underrated Top US Business Schools and Their Career Advantages

US business schools have long been a popular study-abroad choice for students from Taiwan, but the schools people think of first are almost always elite names like the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley Haas and NYU Stern.
These schools have extremely low acceptance rates and fierce competition, and the number of Taiwanese students they admit each year is actually tiny.

But did you know? Beyond these household names, the US has a group of very strong, often overlooked "hidden-gem business schools" whose graduates do very well in the job market.
Based on 2024–2026 data from U.S. News, Poets&Quants and the schools themselves, plus some QS subject rankings and actual employment data, this post takes a fresh look at these low-profile but seriously impressive schools. They're listed in no particular order. Let's dive in.

Five Underrated Top US Business Schools: Highlights and Features

Babson College: The Ceiling for Entrepreneurship

Babson College in Massachusetts is small, but its position in US entrepreneurship education is almost unassailable.

• In the U.S. News 2025 undergraduate entrepreneurship rankings, Babson took No. 1 in the nation for the 28th time, making it the undisputed leader in entrepreneurship.

• The school has only one school, business, but in entrepreneurship education even top schools like Harvard and Stanford have to take a back seat.

• Babson holds all three major international accreditations, AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, making it one of the few US business schools with "triple crown" accreditation.

• Major rankings and media outlets (Forbes, The Economist, Money Magazine, PayScale and others) have all listed Babson as a standout for return on investment and graduate salaries.

Admissions and career highlights:

• In recent years the MBA class average GMAT has been roughly 640–700, and many programs have made the GMAT/GRE optional. A score certainly helps, but it isn't the only criterion.

• The campus has a strong entrepreneurial culture: students can take part in real startup projects and entrepreneurship competitions, and can apply for on-campus startup funds or incubator resources.

• If you want to start your own business, join a startup, or go back to Asia to work as a startup advisor or in VC/PE, this is a specialist school that fits very well.

Bentley University: Near the Top Nationally in Accounting and Business

Bentley University is in Waltham, just outside Boston. It's a private university known for business, with an excellent reputation in the East Coast business world, especially around Boston.

• In the U.S. News 2025 "Regional Universities North" rankings, Bentley placed No. 2 and is also one of the region's "Best Value Schools" and "Most Innovative Schools."

• Its undergraduate business school consistently shows up in the upper part of the U.S. News undergraduate business rankings, at roughly the top 80, and is seen as one of the most representative business schools in the US.

• In past College Factual business rankings, Bentley was once rated No. 1 in the US for Business, Management & Marketing, and in recent years it has stayed in the top 5% nationally overall.

Its majors cover accounting, finance, business analytics, information systems, marketing, management and more, which makes it a great fit for students interested in "business + data + technology."

Internship and career advantages:

• More than 90% of students complete at least one internship before graduating, and many do more than one.

• Thanks to the many finance, consulting, tech and insurance companies around Boston, there are plenty of opportunities for internships and first jobs.

• In recent years the MBA class average GMAT has been roughly 580–620, and many programs also have a test-optional policy.

If you want to settle on the US East Coast and pursue a career in accounting, finance, business analytics or data, Bentley may not be as big a name, but its real-world reputation and outcomes are rock solid.

San José State University (SJSU): The Silicon Valley Pipeline

San Jose State University isn't a traditional "big-name" school, but because it sits in the heart of Silicon Valley and has close ties to the tech industry, many people call it the "Silicon Valley pipeline."

• In U.S. News "Regional Universities West," SJSU ranks No. 4 overall and about No. 3 among public universities in the region, making it a leader among West Coast regional universities.

• Its business school is AACSB-accredited and focuses on business education tied to the tech industry, including MIS, marketing, supply chain, management and finance.

• Because it's right in Silicon Valley, the big tech companies (Apple, Google, Meta, Cisco and others) know SJSU students well. There are lots of internship opportunities, and the chances of converting to a full-time role are not low.

Career and school-selection highlights:

• Many students start interning at big companies as juniors, and it's not unusual to stay on in Silicon Valley right after graduating.

• For students who want to go into Tech + Business (product, project management, operations, data, marketing), SJSU is an option that is "less famous than the UCs or USC, but very practical for internships and job hunting."

• Admission is somewhat friendlier than at top-name schools, but GPA, academic background and motivation for internships still matter a lot.

The University of Texas at Austin McCombs: A High-Value Top School with Accounting in the Top 2 for Years

UT Austin's McCombs School of Business is very well known within the US and is a dream business school for many local students.

• In the U.S. News 2025 overall undergraduate business rankings, McCombs placed about No. 6 in the nation, firmly in the top 10.

• Its undergraduate accounting program was No. 1 in the nation in U.S. News for many years, and in the latest 2026 edition it's No. 2, behind only UIUC Gies. It remains a flagship program that has held a top-two spot for a long time.

• Several other programs, including finance, marketing and management, also stay in the national top 10 in the U.S. News specialty rankings.

Tuition and GMAT:

• Compared with peer schools such as Wharton and Stern, McCombs's tuition is seen by US domestic students as a "high-value" choice.

• In recent years the full-time MBA average/median GMAT has been around 700, and the latest class's median even reached 740, which shows how strong applicants' academic backgrounds are.

Who it suits:

• A great fit if you want to work at an accounting firm, in finance or consulting, or in a business role at a tech company.

• For students who want to build a career in Texas, Silicon Valley or at a large US company, McCombs has a very strong brand among employers.

Fordham University Gabelli School of Business: A Springboard into New York Finance

Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business is at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, just a few subway stops from Wall Street, and is a common choice for people who want to make it in New York finance.

• Gabelli's undergraduate business school overall comes in at roughly No. 77 in the nation in the U.S. News 2022–2026 aggregate, a business school with solid national recognition.

• Its specialty rankings matter more. In U.S. News 2026, Gabelli's

  • Finance ranks No. 15 in the nation

  • Accounting No. 20

  • International Business No. 10

  • Entrepreneurship No. 18

  • Marketing No. 20
    Several specialties are in the national top 20.

• In the Poets&Quants 2025 undergraduate business school rankings, Gabelli ranked No. 29, a sign of steady performance in teaching, career outcomes and student satisfaction overall.

Careers and alumni network:

• According to the school's official figures, 98% of students complete at least one internship while enrolled, and the median salary for the Class of 2024 was about US$82,000.

• Alumni are spread across New York's major investment banks, asset managers and the Big Four firms. For students who want to stay in East Coast finance, Gabelli offers a strong combination of "location + internships + alumni."

Because NYU Stern is so famous, many people overlook Fordham. But in terms of location, specialty rankings and real career outcomes, Gabelli definitely counts as one of the "underrated hidden-gem business schools in New York."

Underrated US Business Schools: Summary and Application Advice

These five business schools have several things in common: high specialty rankings, standout career outcomes, reasonable tuition and strong alumni networks. They may not be as famous as Harvard or Stanford, but they're far stronger than most people realize. For students who want to build a career in the US and are looking for high value and practical resources, these schools are well worth a closer look.

Part 2 will cover schools 6–11, more underrated hidden-gem business schools. Stay tuned!