Unfortunately, there is no way to definitively respond to this question because business schools do not release statistics regarding interview invitations.
It is safe to assume that MBA programs interview roughly twice as many applicants as they plan to accept. In crude terms, this means that your chances of acceptance are good%E2%80%94around 50%
But keep in mind that there are additional variables at work that are not covered by this broad statement:
Whatever the outcome of your initial application, the next step should be to effectively practice for your MBA interview with a person who has experience interviewing and is knowledgeable about the program you’re applying to.
Which schools can I get into? is the top concern for most applicants to business schools, especially if those schools have low acceptance rates, like the intensely competitive Stanford Graduate School of Business. We’ve compiled a list of quick facts covering important admission criteria to help you assess your chances of being admitted to Stanford GSB in order to assist you in finding the answers to your questions.
You’ve come to the right place if you’re wondering how difficult it is to get into the Stanford GSB. We’ll give you a brief overview of the requirements for admission to the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) on this page, and we’ll also explain whether your background makes you a good candidate for the Stanford GSB MBA program.
Stanford MBA Acceptance Rate
No other MBA program in the world is as competitive as Stanford when it comes to admission, with an acceptance rate that generally lands around 6% or 7%.
Stanford received 7,367 applications for its MBA class of 2023. While the university did not share how many of these applications it accepted, it did note that 426 students ended up enrolling in the program.
Recent data show that Stanford’s acceptance rate differs drastically from other top MBA programs in the country, being much more selective.
In the 2019-20 admission cycle, Stanford accepted 7.2% of its applications, Poets&Quants noted. During the same cycle, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, which received a similar number of applicants as Stanford (a little over 7,000), accepted 25% of candidates.
Other schools that Poets&Quants named the best in the country include Harvard Business School, which accepted 12% of the roughly 9,300 applications it received, and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, which received over 5,800 applications and said yes to 20%.
According to former admissions officers, people who are not only intelligent and talented but also diverse and seem like they’ll make a significant impact on the world are exactly what Stanford’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) wants in its students. These candidates are risk-takers as well as passionate leaders.
Stanford MBA Tuition
Stanford charged $74,706 in tuition for the 2021-22 academic year. Factoring the cost of books, health care, and related fees, Stanford estimates the cost of attending its MBA program at $119,964 for single students and $144,042 for married students. (The estimate assumes living expenses and transportation fees will be higher for those who are married.)
These sums reflect the price of food, rent, and additional personal expenses, which differ for each student.
However, the amount does not include the $3,000 to $4,500 students will pay for their “global experience,” in which they spend part of their studies learning overseas.
There are a number of ways the university can assist students in paying for their MBA, including loans. Additionally, Stanford provides fellowships to those who can demonstrate their need; these fellowships are not repaid by students.
The class of 2023 received an average annual fellowship of about $42,000 or $84,000 in total financial awards. The university estimates that roughly half of its MBA students receive money from fellowships.
The university also provides students beginning graduate study in any of its seven schools, not just the business one, with up to three years of funding through the Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program.
A maximum of 100 students are chosen for the program each year, and as part of the funding package, they are required to take part in a leadership development program.
Stanford MBA Requirements
Prospective students do not need to have a specific undergraduate degree in order to enroll in Stanford’s MBA program, but its students tend to have done well in whatever they studied. The class of 2023, for instance, had an annual undergraduate GPA of 3.78. Of that same group, 19% already earned an advanced degree.
Stanford also piques applicants’ interest in the MBA program from the very beginning of the application process.
Prospective students take a quick quiz at the website MyStanford.MBA, at which they then will get a dashboard customized to them. Here, candidates can track the progress of their application; learn more about events; and get personalized recommendations about classes, clubs, and other campus activities.
Applications must detail the applicants’ educational background, professional experience, interests, and any honors they may have received. Additionally, students must submit their GMAT or GRE scores as well as two reference letters.
One letter must come from either the applicant’s direct supervisor or an appropriate alternative at their current place of employment, and the second needs to be from another supervisor.
Additionally, prospective students get a chance to express themselves in two personal essays that total about 1,050 words.
Stanford also considers other factors when it looks at applications, including leadership skills, their intellectual prowess, and other personal traits. The university may also invite applicants to interview with either an MBA admissions officer or alumnus.
Stanford MBA Notable Alumni
Given its reputation and competitive admissions process, it may not come as a surprise that Stanford’s MBA program has drawn students who have gone on to experience great success in the business world.
While Phil Knight is known for his connection to the University of Oregon, the founder of Nike also earned an MBA from Stanford in 1962. Another leader of a major American corporation, Mary T. Barra, graduated from Stanford with an MBA in 1990 and went on to become chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors Company. And Yvon Chouinard, founder of the environmentally focused apparel corporation Patagonia, also got his MBA from the school.
Numerous politicians from the United States as well as several other countries also have earned MBAs at Stanford, including former NFL player and Republican Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, who represents Ohio.
Former Republican and later Independent Congressman Jim Kolbe earned his MBA in 1967. (While President John F. Kennedy attended business classes at Stanford, he ultimately did not earn a degree.)
MBA alumni have made themselves known in other fields as well, such as astronaut Steve Smith, who flew on four space shuttle missions and repaired the Hubble Space Telescope several times. Smith, who also earned a pair of electrical engineering degrees from Stanford, is the only person to join the astronaut program as an MBA holder.
Stanford MBA Ranking
Rankings from several publications consistently put Stanford’s MBA program among the best in the world. For 2021-22, Bloomberg Businessweek placed Stanford first out of 119 MBA programs worldwide.
The publication used nearly 20,000 surveys of prospective students, recruiters, and alumni as well as information on pay and employment to create the rankings. Stanford received a score of 100, followed by the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth (91). 8) and Harvard Business School (89. 2).
The Economist, meanwhile, took a closer look at different qualities of Stanford’s program, and several aspects earned high rankings, including coming in first for post-MBA salary. The program also came in eighth for personal development and educational experience and 18th for networking.
Stanford’s business school earned high marks from U.S. News & World Report as well, which named it the best school for an MBA in the nation for 2022.
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business followed in second and third places, respectively.
The publication looked at full-time MBA programs only and based its rankings on factors such as student excellence and successful career placement.
Several specialties of Stanford’s MBA program landed in the top 10 nationwide, too. These include entrepreneurship and management, which each came in second, while nonprofit studies and marketing both landed in third place.
Should You Attend Stanford for an MBA?
Stanford offers students a degree that is worth the time and effort, with numerous publications ranking it as one of the best in the world and an alumni list that includes a large number of high-ranking businesspeople.
Students aren’t just a number at Stanford, either, thanks to the MBA program’s 6:1 student-faculty ratio. They learn from well-respected faculty members who have won Nobel Prizes or belong to acclaimed organizations, such as the National Academy of Sciences.
Outside the classroom, students can participate in loads of clubs and other groups that revolve around not only business but also sports, theater, and other special interests.
Within three months of graduating, 91% of students have received job offers.
Alumni of the program were hired by 445 employers in 2019–20, and 20% of the people named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list have earned MBAs from Stanford. Alumni in the last five years have raised an incredible $1.4 billion in startup capital.
Overall, Stanford provides students with the potential for success with a top-notch education. At this Silicon Valley school, candidates who want to position themselves for careers as business leaders and industries will be able to do just that.
MBA Admissions Advice
FAQ
What GPA do you need for Stanford MBA?
The MBA Class of 2022 at Stanford has an average GPA of 3, so what is a good GPA for GSB MBA? 8/4. 0. This number fluctuates around 3. 7 and 3. 8 in the last several years. As can be seen, Stanford GSB has the lowest acceptance rate of 6 and the highest average GPA. 1% among the leading b-schools in the world.
Is Stanford MBA hard to get into?
The most difficult MBA program in the world is Stanford GSB. How difficult is it to get into the GSB? Well, the 2021 acceptance rate for the Stanford MBA was only 6. 2% of applicants. Additionally, the school achieved its highest yield level ever with 93. 6% of admits, up from 82. 3% the year prior, according to Poets & Quants.
Is it worth getting MBA from Stanford?
One of the top-rated MBA programs in the U.S. is offered by Stanford Graduate School of Business. S. Additionally, it generates some of the best-paid graduates.
What GPA do I need for Stanford business school?
GPA/GMAT/GRE: GSB claims that there is no minimum GPA requirement for admission, but with an average GPA of 3, it is not true. 8, the typical applicant shouldn’t be much lower than a 3. 5 if you want a decent shot at admission.