Howard University School of Business

Program Overview

Fortune magazine called Howard "the nation's most underrated full-time MBA program," and the employment data makes the case. $105,000 average starting salary. JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, AT Kearney, Dell, GM, and DuPont recruit on campus. Those are companies that typically recruit from top-25 programs, and they come to Howard for a specific reason: the school produces sharp, driven graduates who bring perspectives that homogeneous MBA classes don't.

Howard is the nation's premier HBCU, and the business school carries that legacy with purpose. The 50-student class is 88% underrepresented minorities, creating a community that's unlike any other MBA program in the country. Washington DC provides the location advantage: government agencies, consulting firms, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 government affairs offices are all within recruiting distance. At $35K per year, the tuition is moderate for outcomes that outperform the ranking.

Culture & Community

Howard's culture is purposeful and community-centered. The MBA program attracts professionals who want career advancement and who care about representation in business leadership. The 50-person cohort forms bonds rooted in shared experience and shared ambition. DC's professional scene provides networking opportunities across government, consulting, finance, and tech. Howard's broader alumni network (across all schools) is deeply loyal and opens doors in ways that raw rankings don't capture.

Academics & Curriculum

Finance, consulting, and entrepreneurship anchor the curriculum. The DC location enables coursework and projects connected to government contracting, policy consulting, and public-private partnerships. Entrepreneurship courses build on DC's growing startup ecosystem. The small class size means faculty engagement is personal and direct. Guest speakers from the Fortune 500 recruiting pipeline bring real-world perspectives that complement classroom theory.

Career Outcomes

The Fortune 500 recruiting pipeline is Howard's career services superpower. JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, GM, Dell, and AT Kearney recruit actively from the program. Finance (30%), consulting (25%), and tech (15%) are the top sectors. The $105,000 average salary places Howard's outcomes alongside programs ranked 20-30 positions higher. DC-based government consulting and financial services firms provide additional placement opportunities. The Howard alumni network in corporate America is disproportionately influential relative to class size.

Who Should Apply

Professionals who want Fortune 500 career outcomes from a program that values diversity as a competitive advantage. Anyone targeting DC-based careers in finance, consulting, or government affairs. Candidates who want a tight-knit, purpose-driven community. People who recognize that Howard's employer relationships produce outcomes that the ranking alone doesn't predict.

What to Watch Out For

Howard's MBA class is small (50 students), which limits the breadth of alumni connections compared to larger programs. The 84% employment rate trails the 90%+ rates at some peer programs. If your career goals are in West Coast tech or Silicon Valley, Howard's geographic focus on the East Coast and DC corridor may require more independent job searching. And while Fortune 500 companies recruit heavily, the total number of on-campus recruiters is smaller than at larger programs.

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See also: Overall Rankings · Highest Salaries · Is an MBA Worth It? · GMAT vs GRE Guide