MBA admissions are getting more competitive, and the Class of 2026 acceptance rates make that clear. At Stanford GSB the admit rate is 6.8% while Chicago Booth offers 23.1%, a gap that is impossible to ignore. This post puts acceptance rates side by side with averages on GMAT, class age, compensation, and tuition to show what changes across schools and what stays consistent.
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 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 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
- 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 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
Top MBA programs remain highly selective, with acceptance rates ranging from 6.8% at Stanford to 37.4% at BU.
Related reading
01 · Category
Acceptance Rates29 stats
01
Harvard Business School MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 11.2%
02
Stanford GSB MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 6.8%
03
Wharton MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 11.8%
04
Chicago Booth MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 23.1%
05
Northwestern Kellogg MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 28.6%
06
MIT Sloan MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 17.6%
07
Columbia Business School MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 15.3%
08
Berkeley Haas MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 20.2%
09
Yale SOM MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 25.4%
10
NYU Stern MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 25.7%
11
Dartmouth Tuck MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 22.9%
12
Duke Fuqua MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 19.3%
13
Michigan Ross MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 27.1%
14
Cornell Johnson MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 29.8%
15
UVA Darden MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 26.4%
16
Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 31.2%
17
Emory Goizueta MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 33.5%
18
USC Marshall MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 28.9%
19
Georgetown McDonough MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 30.1%
20
UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 32.7%
21
Vanderbilt Owen MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 29.4%
22
Texas McCombs MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 28.5%
23
Indiana Kelley MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 31.6%
24
Ohio State Fisher MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 34.2%
25
Washington Olin MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 35.8%
26
Wisconsin MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 33.9%
27
Minnesota Carlson MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 36.1%
28
Boston University Questrom MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 37.4%
29
SMU Cox MBA acceptance rate for Class of 2026 is 34.7%
Interpretation
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."
02 · Category
Applicant Demographics29 stats
01
Harvard Business School average age for Class of 2026 is 27
02
Stanford GSB average age for Class of 2026 is 28
03
Wharton average age for Class of 2026 is 28
04
Chicago Booth average age for Class of 2026 is 28
05
Northwestern Kellogg average age for Class of 2026 is 28
06
MIT Sloan average age for Class of 2026 is 28
07
Columbia Business School average age for Class of 2026 is 28
08
Berkeley Haas average age for Class of 2026 is 28
09
Yale SOM average age for Class of 2026 is 28
10
NYU Stern average age for Class of 2026 is 28
11
Dartmouth Tuck average age for Class of 2026 is 29
12
Duke Fuqua average age for Class of 2026 is 28
13
Michigan Ross average age for Class of 2026 is 28
14
Cornell Johnson average age for Class of 2026 is 28
15
UVA Darden average age for Class of 2026 is 28
16
Carnegie Mellon Tepper average age for Class of 2026 is 28
17
Emory Goizueta average age for Class of 2026 is 28
18
USC Marshall average age for Class of 2026 is 29
19
Georgetown McDonough average age for Class of 2026 is 28
20
UNC Kenan-Flagler average age for Class of 2026 is 28
21
Vanderbilt Owen average age for Class of 2026 is 28
22
Texas McCombs average age for Class of 2026 is 28
23
Indiana Kelley average age for Class of 2026 is 28
24
Ohio State Fisher average age for Class of 2026 is 28
25
Washington Olin average age for Class of 2026 is 28
26
Wisconsin average age for Class of 2026 is 28
27
Minnesota Carlson average age for Class of 2026 is 28
28
Boston University Questrom average age for Class of 2026 is 28
29
SMU Cox average age for Class of 2026 is 29
Interpretation
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.
03 · Category
Post-MBA Outcomes29 stats
01
Harvard Business School median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
02
Stanford GSB median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
03
Wharton median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
04
Chicago Booth median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
05
Northwestern Kellogg median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
06
MIT Sloan median base salary for Class of 2023 is $165,000
07
Columbia Business School median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
08
Berkeley Haas median base salary for Class of 2023 is $155,000
09
Yale SOM median base salary for Class of 2023 is $165,000
10
NYU Stern median base salary for Class of 2023 is $175,000
11
Dartmouth Tuck median base salary for Class of 2023 is $165,000
12
Duke Fuqua median base salary for Class of 2023 is $155,000
13
Michigan Ross median base salary for Class of 2023 is $155,000
14
Cornell Johnson median base salary for Class of 2023 is $155,000
15
UVA Darden median base salary for Class of 2023 is $165,000
16
Carnegie Mellon Tepper median base salary for Class of 2023 is $150,000
17
Emory Goizueta median base salary for Class of 2023 is $150,000
18
USC Marshall median base salary for Class of 2023 is $150,000
19
Georgetown McDonough median base salary for Class of 2023 is $145,000
20
UNC Kenan-Flagler median base salary for Class of 2023 is $145,000
21
Vanderbilt Owen median base salary for Class of 2023 is $145,000
22
Texas McCombs median base salary for Class of 2023 is $145,000
23
Indiana Kelley median base salary for Class of 2023 is $140,000
24
Ohio State Fisher median base salary for Class of 2023 is $140,000
25
Washington Olin median base salary for Class of 2023 is $140,000
26
Wisconsin median base salary for Class of 2023 is $135,000
27
Minnesota Carlson median base salary for Class of 2023 is $135,000
28
Boston University Questrom median base salary for Class of 2023 is $135,000
29
SMU Cox median base salary for Class of 2023 is $130,000
Interpretation
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.
More related reading
04 · Category
Program Costs29 stats
01
Harvard Business School full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $76,410
02
Stanford GSB full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $82,455
03
Wharton full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $84,830
04
Chicago Booth full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $80,961
05
Northwestern Kellogg full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $80,964
06
MIT Sloan full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $82,000
07
Columbia Business School full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $84,496
08
Berkeley Haas full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $72,269(in-state)
09
Yale SOM full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $80,800
10
NYU Stern full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $84,180
11
Dartmouth Tuck full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $77,520
12
Duke Fuqua full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $72,900
13
Michigan Ross full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $73,000(in-state)
14
Cornell Johnson full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $77,040
15
UVA Darden full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $74,240(in-state)
16
Carnegie Mellon Tepper full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $74,900
17
Emory Goizueta full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $72,900
18
USC Marshall full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $68,802
19
Georgetown McDonough full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $73,060
20
UNC Kenan-Flagler full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $70,640(in-state)
21
Vanderbilt Owen full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $69,150
22
Texas McCombs full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $50,000(in-state)
23
Indiana Kelley full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $54,770(in-state)
24
Ohio State Fisher full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $56,664(in-state)
25
Washington Olin full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $68,300
26
Wisconsin full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $52,942(in-state)
27
Minnesota Carlson full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $55,500(in-state)
28
Boston University Questrom full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $64,712
29
SMU Cox full-time tuition for 2023-2024 is $64,800
Interpretation
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.
05 · Category
Test Scores29 stats
01
Harvard Business School average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 740
02
Stanford GSB average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 738
03
Wharton average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 733
04
Chicago Booth average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 729
05
Northwestern Kellogg average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 729
06
MIT Sloan average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 730
07
Columbia Business School average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 732
08
Berkeley Haas average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 729
09
Yale SOM average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 720
10
NYU Stern average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 732
11
Dartmouth Tuck average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 728
12
Duke Fuqua average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 710
13
Michigan Ross average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 722
14
Cornell Johnson average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 717
15
UVA Darden average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 718
16
Carnegie Mellon Tepper average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 709
17
Emory Goizueta average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 705
18
USC Marshall average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 716
19
Georgetown McDonough average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 710
20
UNC Kenan-Flagler average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 707
21
Vanderbilt Owen average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 708
22
Texas McCombs average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 704
23
Indiana Kelley average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 698
24
Ohio State Fisher average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 695
25
Washington Olin average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 694
26
Wisconsin average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 693
27
Minnesota Carlson average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 692
28
Boston University Questrom average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 691
29
SMU Cox average GMAT for Class of 2026 is 690
Interpretation
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.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Mba Admission Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mba-admission-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Mba Admission Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/mba-admission-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Mba Admission Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mba-admission-statistics.
Sources & references
31 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level