In 1958, the University of Rochester founded a small business program, planting the seeds for the Simon Graduate School of Business. The school was formally established in 1964 and renamed almost 20 years later after former U.S. Treasury Secretary William E. Simon. These days, the school is considered a quantitative methods-focused school, with particular strengths in finance and accounting. Simon also profits from its association with the university's School of Medicine and Dentistry, with which it awards MD/MBA, MBA/MPH and MS in medical management.

In the MBA program, Simon has a January entrance option for those seeking an accelerated degree. Out of the 20 classes required to complete the MBA, nine are core classes bunched into the first year. Simon's requirements are based on its 'frame, analyze and communicate' method, which replaces traditional statistics classes with a wider analytical approach. Concentrating in a particular subject is not mandatory, but the option is available in 15 areas ranging from e-commerce to public accounting.

As for career prospects, finance and consumer products employers are the major recruiters at the school. Insiders say many students opt to stay on campus in graduate housing while in school, and that this keeps much of the social life on campus. Clubs and intramural sports are popular, as is spending time together in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area.