With Stanford GSB accepting less than 7% of applicants and some top programs offering median starting salaries hitting $175,000, securing an MBA spot is a high-stakes investment requiring a clear-eyed view of your odds and payoff.
Key Takeaways
- Harvard Business School MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 11.2%
- Stanford GSB MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 6.8%
- Wharton MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 11.8%
- Harvard Business School average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 740
- Stanford GSB average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 738
- Wharton average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 733
- Harvard Business School average age for Class of 2026 is 27
- Stanford GSB average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Wharton average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Harvard Business School full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $76,410
- Stanford GSB full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $82,455
- Wharton full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $84,830
- Harvard Business School median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
- Stanford GSB median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
- Wharton median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
Top MBA programs are highly competitive with significant costs but offer high post-graduation salaries.
Acceptance Rates
- Harvard Business School MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 11.2%
- Stanford GSB MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 6.8%
- Wharton MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 11.8%
- Chicago Booth MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 23.1%
- Northwestern Kellogg MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 28.6%
- MIT Sloan MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 17.6%
- Columbia Business School MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 15.3%
- Berkeley Haas MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 20.2%
- Yale SOM MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 25.4%
- NYU Stern MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 25.7%
- Dartmouth Tuck MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 22.9%
- Duke Fuqua MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 19.3%
- Michigan Ross MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 27.1%
- Cornell Johnson MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 29.8%
- UVA Darden MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 26.4%
- Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 31.2%
- Emory Goizueta MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 33.5%
- USC Marshall MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 28.9%
- Georgetown McDonough MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 30.1%
- UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 32.7%
- Vanderbilt Owen MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 29.4%
- Texas McCombs MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 28.5%
- Indiana Kelley MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 31.6%
- Ohio State Fisher MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 34.2%
- Washington Olin MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 35.8%
- Wisconsin MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 33.9%
- Minnesota Carlson MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 36.1%
- Boston University Questrom MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 37.4%
- SMU Cox MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 34.7%
Acceptance Rates Interpretation
While Stanford GSB is statistically the most exclusive club, the real story is that even the "safest" top MBA programs reject roughly two-thirds of their applicants, proving that the admissions gauntlet is less about finding an open door and more about surviving a gauntlet of politely worded "no's."
Applicant Demographics
- Harvard Business School average age for Class of 2026 is 27
- Stanford GSB average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Wharton average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Chicago Booth average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Northwestern Kellogg average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- MIT Sloan average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Columbia Business School average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Berkeley Haas average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Yale SOM average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- NYU Stern average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Dartmouth Tuck average age for Class of 2026 is 29
- Duke Fuqua average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Michigan Ross average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Cornell Johnson average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- UVA Darden average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Carnegie Mellon Tepper average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Emory Goizueta average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- USC Marshall average age for Class of 2026 is 29
- Georgetown McDonough average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- UNC Kenan-Flagler average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Vanderbilt Owen average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Texas McCombs average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Indiana Kelley average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Ohio State Fisher average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Washington Olin average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Wisconsin average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Minnesota Carlson average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- Boston University Questrom average age for Class of 2026 is 28
- SMU Cox average age for Class of 2026 is 29
Applicant Demographics Interpretation
It appears the top MBA programs have firmly decided that the ideal student is precisely 28 years old, except for Harvard, which prefers a slightly more youthful 27, and a few outliers like Tuck and Marshall, who bravely allow their students an extra year of life experience.
Post-MBA Outcomes
- Harvard Business School median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
- Stanford GSB median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
- Wharton median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
- Chicago Booth median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
- Northwestern Kellogg median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
- MIT Sloan median base salary for Class of 2023 is $165,000
- Columbia Business School median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
- Berkeley Haas median base salary for Class of 2023 is $155,000
- Yale SOM median base salary for Class of 2023 is $165,000
- NYU Stern median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
- Dartmouth Tuck median base salary for Class of 2023 is $165,000
- Duke Fuqua median base salary for Class of 2023 is $155,000
- Michigan Ross median base salary for Class of 2023 is $155,000
- Cornell Johnson median base salary for Class of 2023 is $155,000
- UVA Darden median base salary for Class of 2023 is $165,000
- Carnegie Mellon Tepper median base salary for Class of 2023 is $150,000
- Emory Goizueta median base salary for Class of 2023 is $150,000
- USC Marshall median base salary for Class of 2023 is $150,000
- Georgetown McDonough median base salary for Class of 2023 is $145,000
- UNC Kenan-Flagler median base salary for Class of 2023 is $145,000
- Vanderbilt Owen median base salary for Class of 2023 is $145,000
- Texas McCombs median base salary for Class of 2023 is $145,000
- Indiana Kelley median base salary for Class of 2023 is $140,000
- Ohio State Fisher median base salary for Class of 2023 is $140,000
- Washington Olin median base salary for Class of 2023 is $140,000
- Wisconsin median base salary for Class of 2023 is $135,000
- Minnesota Carlson median base salary for Class of 2023 is $135,000
- Boston University Questrom median base salary for Class of 2023 is $135,000
- SMU Cox median base salary for Class of 2023 is $130,000
Post-MBA Outcomes Interpretation
In the world of elite MBAs, everyone's selling the same golden ticket for roughly the same eye-watering price, with a few notable exceptions politely pretending that the sun also rises a bit further west.
Program Costs
- Harvard Business School full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $76,410
- Stanford GSB full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $82,455
- Wharton full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $84,830
- Chicago Booth full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $80,961
- Northwestern Kellogg full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $80,964
- MIT Sloan full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $82,000
- Columbia Business School full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $84,496
- Berkeley Haas full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $72,269 (in-state)
- Yale SOM full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $80,800
- NYU Stern full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $84,180
- Dartmouth Tuck full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $77,520
- Duke Fuqua full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $72,900
- Michigan Ross full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $73,000 (in-state)
- Cornell Johnson full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $77,040
- UVA Darden full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $74,240 (in-state)
- Carnegie Mellon Tepper full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $74,900
- Emory Goizueta full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $72,900
- USC Marshall full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $68,802
- Georgetown McDonough full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $73,060
- UNC Kenan-Flagler full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $70,640 (in-state)
- Vanderbilt Owen full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $69,150
- Texas McCombs full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $50,000 (in-state)
- Indiana Kelley full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $54,770 (in-state)
- Ohio State Fisher full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $56,664 (in-state)
- Washington Olin full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $68,300
- Wisconsin full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $52,942 (in-state)
- Minnesota Carlson full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $55,500 (in-state)
- Boston University Questrom full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $64,712
- SMU Cox full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $64,800
Program Costs Interpretation
At these prices, the first and most valuable lesson of business school is learning to write a check for a small house.
Test Scores
- Harvard Business School average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 740
- Stanford GSB average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 738
- Wharton average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 733
- Chicago Booth average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 729
- Northwestern Kellogg average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 729
- MIT Sloan average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 730
- Columbia Business School average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 732
- Berkeley Haas average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 729
- Yale SOM average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 720
- NYU Stern average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 732
- Dartmouth Tuck average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 728
- Duke Fuqua average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 710
- Michigan Ross average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 722
- Cornell Johnson average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 717
- UVA Darden average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 718
- Carnegie Mellon Tepper average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 709
- Emory Goizueta average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 705
- USC Marshall average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 716
- Georgetown McDonough average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 710
- UNC Kenan-Flagler average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 707
- Vanderbilt Owen average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 708
- Texas McCombs average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 704
- Indiana Kelley average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 698
- Ohio State Fisher average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 695
- Washington Olin average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 694
- Wisconsin average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 693
- Minnesota Carlson average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 692
- Boston University Questrom average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 691
- SMU Cox average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 690
Test Scores Interpretation
It seems the primary takeaway from these MBA admission statistics is that while the top schools are locked in a high-stakes arms race separated by mere points, the rest of the ranking is a far more forgiving and varied landscape where a compelling story can often bridge a modest score gap.
Sources & References
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