Darden Ranks No 1 For Career Outcomes in US News
By Lauren Foster
In a challenging market for MBA graduates, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business continues to deliver strong career outcomes.
Darden ranks No. 1 for employment rates at graduation and three months out among the top 20 U.S. business schools. It also has the highest average starting salaries and bonuses among public schools, according to new rankings from U.S. News & World Report released today.
These results are based on employment outcomes for the Classes of 2024 and 2025.
Darden is also ranked No. 2 overall among public schools and No. 11 among all U.S. schools. This is the third consecutive year where the School has been ranked either No. 1 or No. 2.
“This recognition reflects both the strength of our outcomes and the growing recognition of Darden’s distinctive model among leading business schools,” said Interim Dean Mike Lenox. “We are preparing graduates who stand out in the market — not just for what they know, but for how they lead — and that continues to translate into exceptional career results.”
The overall ranking is based on an aggregate score on a 100-point scale that is very tightly clustered. Darden tied the Yale School of Management with 88 points.
U.S. News also creates specialty rankings by surveying business school deans and faculty. Darden generally saw improvement in its rankings, ranking in four new areas: Finance, Business Analytics, Supply Chain and Real Estate.
Highlights below:
- 13 for Executive MBA Program (up from No. 21)
- 17 for Entrepreneurship MBA Program (up from No. 29)
- 17 for Marketing MBA Program (up from No. 28)
In February, Darden was ranked in the Top 10 U.S. full-time MBA programs in the 2026 Financial Times ranking, reaching No. 9 — its highest position outside of the pandemic-affected 2021 ranking.
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business prepares responsible global leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences. Darden’s graduate degree programs (Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, Executive MBA, MSBA and Ph.D.) and Executive Education & Lifelong Learning programs offered by the Darden School Foundation set the stage for a lifetime of career advancement and impact. Darden’s top-ranked faculty, renowned for teaching excellence, inspires and shapes modern business leadership worldwide through research, thought leadership and business publishing. Darden has Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Washington, D.C., area and a global community that includes 20,000 alumni in 90 countries. Darden was established in 1955 at the University of Virginia, a top public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Press Contact
Molly Mitchell
Senior Associate Director, Editorial and Media Relations
Darden School of Business
University of Virginia
MitchellM@darden.virginia.edu
