MBA at McDonough School of Business vs Cornell Johnson

MBA at McDonough School of Business vs Cornell Johnson

Overview Comparison
McDonough School of BusinessJohnson Graduate School of Management
ranking (overall)# 17 Financial Times 2021
# 31 Financial Times 2020
# 29 Financial Times 2019
# 15 Financial Times 2021
# 23 Financial Times 2020
# 27 Financial Times 2019
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees  59700
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 12070 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees  76690
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 15246 Per Year
placement (average package)

Top Courses Comparison

Top Courses Comparison

ranking# 136 for Business by Times Higher Education 2023
# 101 for Business by Academy Ranking of World Universities 2021
# 20 for Business by Times Higher Education 2023
# 39 for Business by Academy Ranking of World Universities 2021
application#1362 Applicants
# 275 Admissions
# 20 % Acceptance Rate
#1535 Applicants
# 282 Admissions
# 18 % Acceptance Rate
exam scoresGMAT - 650/800GRE updated - 324/340IELTS - 7.5/9PTE - 68/90TOEFL - 80/120GMAT - 700/800IELTS - 7.5/9PTE - 70/90TOEFL - 100/120
Admission Criteria/Better to Have

GPA of 3.3 to 3.8 average and preferably 694 GMAT Score. Average Work Experience required around 11 years.


GPA of 3.34 average and preferably 700 GMAT Score. Average Work Experience required around 5 years.


cost to studyTotal Cost (Tuition + Living) -60894Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -76690
Return on Investment/Average Package#Average Salary116946#Average Salary136281
documents required#Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose#Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose
application datesOct 15, 2023 (Priority Application Deadline For Spring Intake)
Dec 1, 2023 (Final Application Deadline For Spring Intake)
Feb 15, 2024 (Priority Application Deadline For Summer Intake)
Apr 15, 2024 (Final Application Deadline For Summer Intake)
Apr 1, 2024 (Priority Application Deadline For Fall Intake)
Jul 15, 2024 (Final Application Deadline For Fall Intake)
Apr 11, 2023 (Application Deadline Round 3)
Sep 22, 2023 (Application Deadline Round 1)
Jan 10, 2024 (Application Deadline Round 2)
Comparison Notes

The McDonough School of Business is a part of Georgetown University in Washington DC. The SC Johnson Graduate School of Management is a business school at the SC Johnson College of Business, of Cornell University. Both of these are private schools but Johnson comes under an Ivy League university. Other than that, some facts about the two are:

  • McDonough offers two MBA programs, that is, Full-time MBA and Flex MBA.
  • Johnson offers three STEM-designated MBA programs - Two-Year MBA, One-year MBA, and Cornell Tech MBA. These are especially good for an international student, who upon pursuing any one of these becomes eligible for OPT, which enables them to work for up to 36 months in the US.
  • MBA Students of McDonough have the option to earn a STEM-designated Management Science major by completing a required number of credits in courses for quantitative analysis and management science.
  • The program at Johnson is more immersive, with concentrations and electives being taken up in the first year itself. Also, Johnson offers electives not just pertaining to business, but also in engineering, hotel administration, law, medicine, etc. so if you are looking for a multidisciplinary experience, this is a better option.
  • At McDonough you can do certificate courses and Intensive Learning Experiences apart from the usual electives, which helps one gain practical knowledge.
  • Even though the graduate employment rate is similar for both schools, McDonough graduates experienced a salary increase of 130% while those from Johnson got only 123%. 
  • The top industry for McDonough graduates was consulting whereas that for Johnson graduates was financial services.
  • Both schools had Amazon, BCG, Deloitte, IBM, etc as the top hiring companies.
  • McDonough’s location in a big city like Washington DC gives students the advantage of immersing themselves in high-profile business culture. However, Johnson is located in Ithaca, which is a more rural area, and students who prefer learning in a peaceful environment would like to go for Johnson.

Both schools are, without a doubt, excellent for prospective MBA students. you will have to make a decision based on what your expectations are and what you want to achieve with the degree.