MBA Program

MBA Program at University of Chicago

Private university ยท Chicago, Illinois

  • AACSB accredited
  • MBA
  • Executive MBA
  • Part-Time MBA

University of Chicago is a private university with graduate business programs in Chicago, Illinois. Those programs run through the Booth School of Business. The institution is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

The business school holds AACSB accreditation. It is the longest-established of the three business-school accreditors recognized in the United States, and it covers the school as a whole rather than any one program - a floor, not a ranking. More on accreditation.

Federal reporting puts graduate enrollment at 10,968 students, alongside 7,569 undergraduates. Total enrollment is not MBA cohort size - ask the admissions office how many students are in the specific program you're considering, which is usually a far smaller number and the one that shapes your experience.

Based on MBA Lab's directory data, the school offers a graduate MBA path, an executive MBA (EMBA) format designed for experienced professionals, and a part-time or evening MBA format for students who keep working. That puts it among the 4 of 10 schools in MBA Lab's Illinois directory listing an executive MBA. Format availability changes; confirm the current lineup with the school before planning around it.

Chicago has 4 schools in MBA Lab's MBA programs directory, so it's worth comparing options in the same market before deciding - commute, employer partnerships, and evening scheduling often separate schools that look similar on paper.

What to ask University of Chicago

These questions are picked from what MBA Lab's data already says about this school, so they're the ones most likely to surface a real difference between it and the next school on your list.

  • Published price vs. actual price. Private institutions like University of Chicago often discount heavily through merit aid, so the sticker figure is rarely what admitted students pay. Ask what share of the incoming class receives institutional aid and the median award.
  • Cohort experience level. An EMBA's value is largely the room. Ask for the average years of work experience, the seniority mix, and how many classmates are employer-sponsored - a cohort of directors and a cohort of five-years-in analysts are different products at the same price.
  • Pace flexibility. Ask how long students typically take, whether you can drop to one class during a heavy work quarter without penalty, and how late evening sections actually run against your commute from work.
  • Where the degree is administered. Programs run through the Booth School of Business may have their own admissions timeline, aid pool, and career office, separate from the university's central graduate school. Confirm which office owns your application.
  • Compare inside Chicago first. With 4 schools in this directory in the same city, you can often visit or attend information sessions at all of them in a single week - the fastest way to tell apart programs whose websites read identically.
  • Ask for the school's own outcome numbers. The federal figures on this page cover business master's graduates who took federal aid, pooled across several years. The school's employment report will be narrower and more current - ask for it by program and by graduating class, not a blended average.

At a glance

InstitutionUniversity of Chicago
Business schoolBooth School of Business
Controlprivate
LocationChicago, Illinois
Campus settingLarge city
Carnegie classDoctoral university, very high research activity (R1)
MBA formats listed MBA Executive MBA Part-Time MBA
Graduate enrollment10,968
Undergraduate enrollment7,569
Business accreditation AACSB — view listing
Institutional accreditationHigher Learning Commission
Official site Visit website
Net price calculator Estimate your cost
Federal data College Scorecard profile

School names, locations, and program formats are curated by MBA Lab and reviewed periodically (last data update: August 2026). Enrollment, accreditation, links, and any outcome figures come from U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Always verify formats, deadlines, and costs on the school's official admissions pages. How this data works.

Programs at University of Chicago

Details below come from University of Chicago's own program pages, not from a ranking service or an aggregator. Each card links to the page it was read from and the date it was last checked, so you can confirm anything before you plan around it.

Sokolov Executive MBA

Executive MBA
$223,500 2026-27
  • Length 22 months
  • Delivery Hybrid
  • Meets Four Thursday-Saturday sessions per quarter
What that price isTotal for the 2026 Chicago-based program: $192,220 tuition plus $31,280 in program fees, billed in seven quarterly installments after a $5,000 advance deposit
Price includesBooks, course materials, hotel accommodations for Kick-Off Week and global residencies, and most meals
On lengthLockstep, fixed curriculum; new class begins every September
Class scheduleChicago sessions meet Thursday-Saturday four times a quarter; London sessions run in weeklong blocks about every 5-6 weeks

Evening MBA Program

Part-Time MBA
$179,960
  • Credits 2000
  • Delivery In-person — Evening track at Gleacher Center (downtown Chicago); Weekend track meets Saturdays
  • Meets Multiple entry points per year
What that price is$8,998 per 100-unit course (2026-27 rate); 2000 units required (20 courses) = $179,960 total before one-time Administrative Service Fee, Student Activity Fee, and Lifetime Transcript Fee. Same rate applies to both Evening and Weekend tracks.
On length2.5-3 years on average (30-36 months); 8-year maximum. 20 required courses (2000 units) plus LEAD requirement. Booth measures program size in 'units' (100 units = 1 course), not standard credit hours. A separately-named Weekend MBA Program runs on identical tuition/requirements with all-day Saturday classes.
Class scheduleEvening: weeknights 6-9pm, once weekly per course. Weekend: full-day Saturdays.

Reported outcomes

Median earnings, 1 year out $194,606 Median of 504 graduates working one year after completion +123% vs. the $87,219 median across MBA Lab's directory
Median earnings, 4 years out $243,256 Median of 882 graduates working four years after completion +25% against the 1-year figure - two separate cohorts measured at different times, not one group's career path
Median federal graduate debt $92,529 Median across 379 borrowers entering repayment About 0.48x the 1-year earnings median. Federal loans only - private loans, employer sponsorship, and savings aren't counted

Among the 9 schools in MBA Lab's Illinois MBA programs directory that report a figure, University of Chicago ranks 2nd by one-year earnings. Schools that report nothing are left out of that count rather than counted as zero.

What these numbers are. Figures cover graduates of master's-level programs in Business Administration, Management and Operations (CIP 52.02) who received federal financial aid. At some institutions that group includes business master's degrees other than the MBA, and it never includes graduates who took no federal aid - so these are a directional signal about a school's business master's programs, not an MBA salary report. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Check University of Chicago's Scorecard profile. Full methodology.

Want to see what these figures could mean for your own timeline? Try the free MBA ROI calculator, prefilled with University of Chicago's context.

Compare with other schools in Illinois

School City AACSB Formats listed Earnings, 1 yr out
University of Chicago This page Chicago Yes MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA $194,606
DePaul University Chicago (same city) Yes MBA, Part-Time MBA $101,710
Loyola University Chicago Chicago (same city) Yes MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA $101,612
University of Illinois Chicago Chicago (same city) Yes MBA, Part-Time MBA $88,048
Northwestern University Evanston Yes MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA $224,402
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign Yes MBA, Online MBA $118,799
Bradley University Peoria Yes MBA Not reported
Illinois State University Normal Yes MBA $85,715
Northern Illinois University DeKalb Yes MBA, Executive MBA $85,140
Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale Yes MBA, Online MBA $73,272

"Not reported" means College Scorecard publishes no figure for that school - usually too few federally-aided graduates to release without identifying them. It is not a low number, and these schools are excluded from every average on this page rather than counted as zero. A dash under AACSB means the school isn't on AACSB's accredited list; it may hold ACBSP or IACBE accreditation instead, which this directory doesn't track.

This school in other directories

Frequently asked questions

What MBA formats does University of Chicago offer?

MBA Lab's directory lists an executive MBA and a part-time MBA at University of Chicago, alongside the core MBA. Formats change - confirm the current lineup on the school's official site.

How much does the Sokolov Executive MBA at University of Chicago cost?

University of Chicago lists $223,500 for the Sokolov Executive MBA. Total for the 2026 Chicago-based program: $192,220 tuition plus $31,280 in program fees, billed in seven quarterly installments after a $5,000 advance deposit. Price includes: Books, course materials, hotel accommodations for Kick-Off Week and global residencies, and most meals. Checked against the school's own page on July 26, 2026; costs change, so confirm before you apply.

How long is the Sokolov Executive MBA at University of Chicago, and when does it meet?

The Sokolov Executive MBA takes about 22 months and is delivered in a hybrid format. Lockstep, fixed curriculum; new class begins every September. Classes meet: Chicago sessions meet Thursday-Saturday four times a quarter; London sessions run in weeklong blocks about every 5-6 weeks

How much does the Evening MBA Program at University of Chicago cost?

University of Chicago lists $179,960 for the Evening MBA Program. $8,998 per 100-unit course (2026-27 rate); 2000 units required (20 courses) = $179,960 total before one-time Administrative Service Fee, Student Activity Fee, and Lifetime Transcript Fee. Same rate applies to both Evening and Weekend tracks. Checked against the school's own page on July 27, 2026; costs change, so confirm before you apply.

How long is the Evening MBA Program at University of Chicago, and when does it meet?

The Evening MBA Program requires 2000 credits. 2.5-3 years on average (30-36 months); 8-year maximum. 20 required courses (2000 units) plus LEAD requirement. Booth measures program size in 'units' (100 units = 1 course), not standard credit hours. A separately-named Weekend MBA Program runs on identical tuition/requirements with all-day Saturday classes. Classes meet: Evening: weeknights 6-9pm, once weekly per course. Weekend: full-day Saturdays.

What do graduates of University of Chicago's business master's programs earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of $194,606 one year after completion for graduates of master's-level Business Administration programs at University of Chicago who received federal financial aid. Four years out the reported median is $243,256. That group can include business master's degrees other than the MBA, and excludes graduates who took no federal aid, so treat it as a directional signal rather than an MBA salary figure.

How much debt do students take on at University of Chicago?

The reported median federal graduate debt is $92,529 for business master's graduates at University of Chicago. Against the reported one-year earnings median, that is about 0.48x a year of earnings. Federal loans are only part of the cost picture - it excludes private loans, employer sponsorship, and savings.

Is University of Chicago's business school AACSB-accredited?

Yes - University of Chicago appears on AACSB's list of accredited institutions. AACSB, founded in 1916, is the longest-established of the three business-school accreditors recognized in the United States (the others are ACBSP and IACBE). Accreditation covers the school, not any individual program, so treat it as a quality floor rather than a ranking.

Is University of Chicago a public or private institution?

University of Chicago is a private university, and MBA Lab lists its graduate business programs in Chicago, Illinois. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

How do I compare University of Chicago with other schools in Illinois?

MBA Lab lists 10 schools in its Illinois MBA programs directory. Use a consistent rubric across them: curriculum, recruiting outcomes, format fit, cost after aid, and location constraints.

Where should I verify program details?

Always confirm formats, deadlines, and costs on the school's official admissions pages. MBA Lab is a planning directory, not an admissions authority, and does not endorse specific schools.

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