MBA Acceptance Rates – 2024
January 22, 2024
There’s no doubt that the top business schools in the US are highly selective for a reason – they rank as some of the world’s best institutions to study business. MBA acceptance rates across the top business schools in the US all depend on a variety of factors, demanding more than just a high GPA or a high GRE score. It’s safe to assume that any sort of ranking list you find about MBA acceptance rates will reflect just how selective these business schools are.
If you’re ready to apply to MBA programs, or simply planning ahead, it can be a challenging task to determine which business school is ultimately the right fit for you. To give you a better idea, we’ll take a look at the top 25 most selective MBA programs to get into. These rankings are based on their 2023 MBA acceptance rates, ranked from most to least selective.
As the rankings do change every year, we recommend that you also check the university admissions office for any further details.
1) Stanford MBA acceptance rate: 9%
In 2023, Stanford Graduate School of Business had an MBA acceptance rate of 9%. For the previous year, in 2022, it was 7%, and in 2021, it was 6%. In 2022 alone, 6,152 students applied to Stanford GSB and only 528 students received admission. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 424.
2) Harvard MBA acceptance rate: 14%
In 2023, Harvard Business School had an MBA acceptance rate of 14%. For the previous year, in 2022, it was 10%, and in 2021, it was 12%. In 2022 alone, 8,264 students applied to Harvard Business School and only 1,187 students received admission. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 1,015.
3) MIT MBA acceptance rate: 15%
In 2023, MIT Sloan had an MBA acceptance rate of 15%. For the previous year, in 2022, it was 14.8%, and in 2021, it was 12%. In 2022 alone, 5,349 students applied to MIT Sloan and 792 students received admission. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 408.
4) Berkeley MBA acceptance rate: 20%
In 2023, Berkeley Haas School of Business had an MBA acceptance rate of 20%. For the previous year, in 2022, it was 19.6%, and in 2021, it was 18%. In 2022 alone, 3,183 students applied to Berkeley Haas and 625 students received admission. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 247.
5) Columbia MBA acceptance rate: 20%
In 2023, Columbia Business School had an MBA acceptance rate of 20%. For the previous year, in 2022, it was 22%, and in 2021, it was 16%. In 2022 alone, 5,643 students applied to Columbia Business School and 1,109 students received admission. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 629.
6) Duke MBA acceptance rate: 21%
In 2023, Duke’s Fuqua School of Business had an MBA acceptance rate of 21%. For the previous year, in 2022, it was also 21%, and in 2021, it was a close 19%. In 2022 alone, 3,539 students applied to Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and ultimately only 727 were admitted. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 399.
7) Wharton acceptance rate: 23%
In 2023, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania had an MBA acceptance rate of 22.8%. For the previous year, in 2022 alone, that number was 19%, and in 2021, it was 18%. In 2022 alone, 6,319 students applied to UPenn’s Wharton School and 1,442 students received admission. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 894.
8) Indiana acceptance rate: 24%
In 2023, the Indiana University Kelley School of Business had an MBA acceptance rate of 24%. For the previous year, in 2022, that rate was 23.5% and in 2021, it was a much higher 38%. In 2022 alone, 1,372 students applied to the Kelley School of Business and 323 students were admitted. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 125.
9) USC MBA acceptance rate: 25%
In 2023, USC Marshall School of Business had an MBA acceptance rate of 25%. For the previous year, in 2022, it was roughly 24.8%, and in 2021, it was 23%. In 2022 alone, 2,652 students applied to the USC Marshall School of Business, and out of those, only 658 received admission. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 190.
10) Washington University (Olin) MBA acceptance rate: 25.5%
In 2022, the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis had an MBA acceptance rate of 25.5%. In 2021, that acceptance rate was a much higher 33.7%. This means that in 2022 alone, 701 students applied to the Olin Business School and, out of that pool, 179 students were admitted – a significantly smaller number than the aforementioned universities. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 89.
11) NYU MBA acceptance rate: 27%
In 2023, the NYU Stern School of Business had an MBA acceptance rate of 27%. For the previous year, in 2022, that acceptance rate was a very similar 27.1%, and in 2021, it was a much lower 19.5%. In 2022, the total number of students who applied to the NYU Stern School of Business was 3,553 and only 962 students received admission. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 324.
12) Yale acceptance rate: 28%
Compared to some of the Ivy League universities mentioned above, the Yale School of Management had a higher MBA acceptance rate of 28%. In 2022, that number was 27.6%, and in 2021, it was a lower 23.6%. To get a better picture, for the year of 2022, 3,237 students applied to the Yale School of Management, and 894 students received admission. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 347.
13) Michigan acceptance rate: 28%
In 2023, the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business had an MBA acceptance rate of 28%. Similarly, in 2022, that acceptance rate was 28.1%, and in 2021, it was a lower rate of 20%. In 2022 alone, 3,631 students applied to the Ross School of Business and ultimately 1,020 students received admission. The final total number of students enrolled for the class of 2024 was 378.
14) University of Washington (Foster) acceptance rate: 28.1%
In 2022, the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business had an MBA acceptance rate of 28.1%. In 2021, that acceptance rate was a much higher 35.2%. This means that in 2022, a total of 1,000 students applied to the Foster School of Business and 281 students received admission. From there, 81 students were enrolled for the class of 2024.
15) Carnegie Mellon MBA acceptance rate: 29%
In 2023, the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon had an MBA acceptance rate of 29%. For the previous year, in 2022, that rate was a close 28.8%, and in 2021, it was a higher 29.7%. During 2022, the Tepper School of Business had 2,267 student applications come in and, out of that pool, 654 students received admission. A total of 192 students then enrolled for the class of 2024.
16) Chicago MBA acceptance rate: 30%
In 2023, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business had an MBA acceptance rate of 30%. Previously, in 2022, that rate was an incredibly close 30.1%, and in 2021, it was a much lower 22.6%. This means that in 2022, 4,352 students applied to the Booth School of Business, and out of them, 1,308 students were admitted. The total number of students who enrolled for the class of 2024 was 634.
17) Northwestern acceptance rate: 31%
Coming in right after Chicago’s Booth, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management had an MBA acceptance rate of 31% in 2023. Previously in 2022, that rate was at a close 31.4%, and in 2021, it was a significantly lower 26%. To get a better picture, in 2022, this means that 4,187 students applied to the Kellogg School of Management and 1,316 students were admitted. Out of the admitted students, 503 students enrolled for the class of 2024.
18) Cornell MBA acceptance rate: 31%
Like Northwestern, Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management had an MBA acceptance rate of 31% in 2023. In 2022, that acceptance rate was 31.2%, and in 2021, it was a lower 29.5%. This means that in 2022, the Johnson MBA program saw 2,555 students apply, and only 798 were admitted. The total number of students who enrolled for the class of 2024 was 303.
19) Dartmouth acceptance rate: 33%
In 2023, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College had an MBA acceptance rate of 33%. Previously, in 2022, that acceptance rate was a very similar 33.4%, and in 2021, it was 29.5%. During 2022, the Tuck School of Business received 2,282 applications and, out of that pool, only 763 were admitted. The total number of students who enrolled for the class of 2024 was 287.
20) Virginia MBA acceptance rate: 34%
In 2023, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business had an MBA acceptance rate of 34%. The preceding year saw similar acceptance rates, 34.2% in 2022, and in 2021, the acceptance rate was much lower at 29.9%. In 2022, the Darden School of Business received 2,984 student applications and 1,021 students received admission. Ultimately, 384 students were enrolled for the class of 2024.
21) Texas McCombs acceptance rate: 34%
The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin also had an MBA acceptance rate of 34% in 2023. In 2022, that rate was nearly the same at 34.1%, and slightly higher in 2021 at 35.5%. Looking at 2022, the McCombs School of Business received 1,866 applications and, out of that pool, only 637 students were admitted. The total number of students who enrolled for the class of 2024 was 220.
22) UNC MBA acceptance rate: 36%
In 2023, the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School had an MBA acceptance rate of 36%. Much similarly in 2022, the acceptance rate was 35.9% and in 2021, it was a higher 44.3%. The Kenan-Flagler Business School had 1,975 students apply, and only 709 students were admitted. The total number of students enrolled in the class of 2024 was 242.
23) Emory acceptance rate: 37%
The Emory University Goizueta Business School had an MBA acceptance rate of 37% in 2023. Previously, in 2022, that acceptance rate was a nearly identical 37.1%, and in 2021, it was a significantly higher 53.1%. For a fuller picture, the Goizueta Business School received 1,055 student applications in 2022 and admitted only 391 students for that year. Then the total number of students enrolled in the class of 2024 was 113.
24) UCLA acceptance rate: 38%
In 2023, the UCLA Anderson School of Management had an MBA acceptance rate of 38%, and in 2022, that acceptance rate was slightly lower at 37.6%. During previous years, the acceptance rate was much lower, such as in 2021 when it was 29.8%. The Anderson School of Management received 2,473 applications from students in 2022 and, out of that applicant pool, only 929 were admitted that year. Then the total number of students enrolled in the class of 2024 was 322.
25) Rice acceptance rate: 43%
The Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University had an MBA acceptance rate of 43% in 2023. In 2021, that acceptance rate was slightly lower at 42%, and in 2020, it was 36%. Although the Rice MBA acceptance rate has gone up in recent years, gaining admission to the program is still a highly selective process.
The Significance of These Numbers
You might be wondering what all of these percentages really mean. If anything, consider the numbers as signs that some of the MBA programs will inevitably be harder to get into than others; however, don’t let that discourage you from further diversifying your application and applying in the end.
Lists such as this top 25 MBA programs ranking, based on MBA acceptance rate, can serve as a helpful guide to categorize which schools you’ll want to prioritize applying to. If you’re even considering which undergraduate colleges to apply to, while having a bigger plan to eventually pursue an MBA, take this time to also consider what the top “feeder” schools are to these highly-ranked MBA programs.
These MBA acceptance rates should serve as a gentle reminder to have safety schools, target schools and reach schools when you do begin preparing for your MBA applications. What’s most important is to figure out which of these schools could be the best fit for you, given these realistic parameters. With the right planning, you’ll be sure to understand which of these MBA programs will help you overall in your education, career and future goals.
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