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Entering Class Profile

Looking at the Stanford MBA class profiles over the years, you may notice that the percentages always shift a bit here or there. With our class size, even two students can, and do, create such variations. Since our candidate pool is ever-changing, the numbers in the entering class change, too.

These fluctuations also speak to our admission process. We admit person by person, not category by category. There are no quotas or targets in the Stanford admission process, and we assess each applicant based on her or his own merit. This is why we consider a class profile illustrative, rather than informative. In truth, there is no statistic that can capture an individual’s potential.

The MBA Class of 2017 is no exception. Here are some of the shifts in the Class of 2017 profile:​

  • We adjusted industry categories this year to better reflect students’ backgrounds. For example, military and real estate each is its own category. Following industry convention, we merged consumer products and services with healthcare.
  • As always, there was fluctuation in industry representation, with increases in manufacturing and technology, and a drop in consulting.
  • We added grade point average to the profile.
  • The number of U.S. and non-U.S. schools increased.

Class of 2017 Overview1

Total Applicants 7,899
New Students 407
Women 40%
International2 40%
U.S. Minority 19%

Years of Work Experience

Range 0-17
Average 4

Previous Industry Experience

Biotech/Health Care/Consumer Products and Services 7%
Clean Tech, Energy, or Environmental 5%
Consulting 16%
Entertainment or Media 6%
Financial Services 8%
Government/Education/Nonprofit 13%
Manufacturing 4%
Military 3%
Private Equity/Venture Capital  16%
Real Estate 3%
Technology 15%
Other 4%
   
Organizations Represented 296

Test Scores

GMAT
Range 570-800
Average 733
TOEFL (internet-based)
Range 100-120
Average 112

Education

Undergraduate Majors
Business 13%
Engineering/Mathematics/Natural Sciences 39%
Humanities/Social Sciences 48%
Advanced Degrees
Advanced Degree Holders 13%
GPA3  
Average 3.75

Schools and Countries

U.S. Institutions 90
Non-U.S. Institutions 75
Countries (including U.S.) 53

1 As of 21 September 2015
2 Includes permanent residents and U.S. dual citizens
U.S. schools, 4.0 scale only

Last Updated 8 Oct 2015