Top Private Equity School Ranking
UPENN/Wharton ranks #2
prepared by Private Equity Database
Top Private Equity Schools
List of Top 25 Schools for Private Equity
A common question for students hoping to enter the private equity industry is what is the best private equity school? While many students enter private equity through various business schools, and attending a top-tier business school can dramatically help one's chances of working in private equity, there are some schools that offer a specific focus on private equity. For example, Dartmouth's Tuck Business School introduces business students to private equity through their Center for Private Equity and Venture Capital.
While attending a recognized business school is helpful for a career in private equity, it is not required and many professionals working in the private equity industry have taken unique paths to private equity that may or may not include earning an MBA or studying finance even. Some general partners at private equity firms or hedge funds have different backgrounds than what is stereotypical for the industries, for example the successful hedge fund manager, David E. Shaw has an advanced degree in computer sciences.
For those hoping to enter private equity, some schools increase your chances by reputation, others by directly preparing students for buyout modeling and fund operations. Private equity is a challenging environment and an educational background is valuable to entering the industry but it is open to anyone who has the desire to learn the skills necessary to succeed, a passion for working in the private equity industry and a strong work ethic.
Top Private Equity School List
With that said, the list of private equity schools was prepared by Private Equity Database, which compiled the highest number of placements in the private equity industry by school. The list of the top 25 private equity schools includes both graduate business schools and undergraduate schools that have proven most successful at private equity placement of its students. Permanent Link: Top Private Equity Schools
List of the Top 25 Private Equity Schools
1 Harvard University
2 University of Pennsylvania
3 Stanford University
4 University of Chicago
5 Northwestern University
6 New York University
7 University of Virginia
8 Dartmouth College
9 Columbia University
10 Yale University
11 Duke University
12 University of Michigan
13 Cornell University
14 Georgetown University
15 University of California, Los Angeles
16 University of California, Berkeley
17 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
18 University of Texas, Austin
19 University of Southern California
20 University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
21 Indiana University
22 Emory University
23 University of Rochester
24 Carnegie Mellon University
25 Arizona State University