- March 06, 2024
- 13 min read
The 25 Best MBA Programs For Women
Best women MBAs: Some schools, like George Washington University School of Business, have reached 50% or more female representation on their MBAs ©GWSB / Facebook
At many business schools around the world, women MBA students are gradually climbing toward equal representation. However, some schools have gone above and beyond to boost the number of women in their classrooms.
The percentage of women enrolled at business schools across the globe has been steadily rising over the past decade. In 2013, female MBA enrollment amounted to 34 percent. However, that rose to 38 percent by 2018 and now sits at 42 percent, according to the Forté Foundation.
Closing in on gender parity among the world's MBA programs is timely since the Fortune 500 finally hit double-digit representation for women CEOs in 2023. The figure is now 11 percent.
And gaining an MBA is beneficial for both women and the companies that hire them. According to data from Forté, women with an MBA see pay gains of 55-65 percent from their pre-MBA salary within 5 years of graduation. Companies with female board directors experience, on average, a 53 percent higher return on equity.
With such benefits, top business schools across the world are doing what they can to attract more women to their programs, with varying degrees of success.
Schools in the 2026 Financial Times (FT) \Global MBA ranking have an average of 41 percent women in their MBA cohorts, up from 38 percent in 2023. However, female representation varies considerably by region. In the US, the average is 38 percent, in Europe the figure rises to 45 percent, while in China and Hong Kong it is higher still, at 57 percent. Schools in India have a substantially lower representation of female students, at 28 percent.
A handful of top schools across the globe have managed to attain close to—or even higher than—50 percent women on their MBAs.
So, here is our list of the 25 best MBAs for women based on female representation in the classroom. To compile the list, we took the top 100 schools in the 2026 Financial Times Global MBA listing and ranked them by the proportion of female students.
25. Duke University Fuqua School of Business
47% female students
The Duke Fuqua MBA achieved gender parity for the first time in 2024, and although it has dipped slightly since then, it remains one of the best MBA programs for women in terms of female representation.
Just under one-quarter (24 percent) of the school’s faculty are women, while there is 31 percent female representation on the school board.
Organizations and events such as the Association of Women in Business (AWIB) and the Women’s Leadership Weekend help to make Fuqua a welcoming and empowering environment for female MBA students.
24. Indian School of Business (ISB)
47% female students
The top-ranked Indian institution in this list, the Indian School of Business’ proportion of 47 percent female students in its MBA class is considerably higher than the country’s average of 28 percent for schools in this ranking.
Although that’s undoubtedly a positive, it should also be noted that ISB falls down when it comes to the proportion of women in its faculty (17 percent) and women on the board (14 percent). Both figures are among the lowest of any school in the Financial Times ranking.
23. MIT Sloan School of Management
47% female students
The first (and only) M7 business school to feature on our list, the MIT Sloan MBA has 47 percent female students with 28 percent female representation on the faculty and board.
MIT has a number of initiatives for women including Sloan Women in Management, which works to increase opportunities for all women at MIT Sloan through networking events, speaker series, professional development workshops, and mentorship programs.
22. University of Bath School of Management
48% female students
The first of six UK schools to feature in this list, the University of Bath School of Management has at least 40 percent female representation across its student body, faculty, and board. Only five other schools managed to achieve this feat.
Just under half (48 percent) of the school’s current MBA class are female, a figure that has remained consistent for a number of years—in 2007, the proportion was 43 percent.
21. Bayes Business School
48% female students
Another school with a long-standing record of female representation, Bayes Business School in London has 48 percent female MBA students, while 50 percent of the board are women.
The school has a dedicated Women in Business Club, as well as a Global Women's Leadership Programme, an initiative designed to inspire current and future female leaders.
Read More: For more information, check out our article The World’s Best Companies To Work For Women
©NYU Stern / Facebook
20. University of Oxford Saïd Business School
48% female students
University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School has had a strong female contingent within its MBA program in recent years, and now women make up 48 percent of its cohort, although that has dipped slightly from 51 percent a couple of years ago.
Saïd supports the female student base with initiatives such as the Oxford Women in Leadership Alliance, along with various scholarships for women, including the Laidlaw Scholarship, which encourages women with clear leadership potential.
19. UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School
49% female students
Women make up 49 percent of the current MBA class at UCD Michael Smurfit in Dublin, with the faculty and board comprising just under one-third women.
Those numbers are testament to a range of initiatives the school has introduced to encourage more female MBA students. These include the Women on the MBA Scholarship, which provides a tuition fee discount of up to 50 percent for female applicants, and the Women of the MBA (WMBA) Group, a dedicated network connecting current female students and alumni.
18. Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
49% female students
Gender parity in the MBA classroom doesn’t happen by chance, and the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University is proof of that. It has introduced a range of offerings for female students that have helped the school achieve near gender parity in recent years.
These include scholarships such as the Women in Business Scholarship, and Diversity Scholarship, which offer a tuition fee waiver to exceptional female applicants.
The school also organizes a range of Women in Business events, and has created the Centre for Women and Organisations, which aims to help women step into leadership roles.
17. UBC Sauder School of Business
50% female students
The first school in this list with at least 50 percent female representation in the MBA classroom, UBC Sauder School of Business in Canada also has a strong female presence on the school board (48 percent) and within the faculty (35 percent).
To attract more female applicants, the school awards Forté MBA Fellowships and Women in Business Leadership Scholarships to exceptional candidates.
6. Audencia Business School
50% female students
Based in Nantes in the west of France, Audencia’s 2026 MBA class is made up of 50 percent women. The school is the only institution in this list to have achieved gender parity in its student body, on its board, and within its faculty.
Audencia offers scholarships for women in business, available for women with strong academic backgrounds.
15. University of Miami Business School
50% female students
University of Miami Business School is the top-ranked US school in this list, having achieved gender parity in its MBA class of 2027. Female representation at faculty level is fairly strong (37 percent), but just 19 percent of the school’s board are women—the fourth-lowest percentage in this ranking.
Besides the full-time MBA, Miami Business School also offers hybrid and online options. This is important because GMAC research suggests that women tend to favor flexible study formats over in-person degrees.
14. ESCP Business School
50% female students
One of France’s top MBA programs, ESCP Business School’s MBA achieved gender parity in 2024, and has maintained it up until now. Alongside 50 percent of MBA students being women, 50 percent of the board and 46 percent of its faculty are female—one of the strongest records of any school in this list.
ESCP has been making efforts to attract more women to its MBA through initiatives including the Women in Leadership Scholarship.
13. Durham University Business School
51% female students
Durham University Business School is the first school in this list with a majority of female students in its MBA cohort, although it had achieved gender parity as far back as 2016. It also performs well for female representation within its faculty (36 percent) and on the board (40 percent).
Although there is no single reason why the school has consistently managed to achieve gender parity in the MBA classroom, it does offer a number of Women in Leadership Scholarships that offer a 50 percent tuition fee discount for successful applicants.
12. AGSM at UNSW Business School
53% female students
Women in business who aim to study in Sydney, Australia can find support in a number of ways at the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM). The school offers the AGSM Women in Leadership Scholarship and the AGSM Emerging Female Leaders Scholarship, both of which offer funding that reaches as high as 75 percent of tuition.
Such schemes help the program to reach and surpass gender parity, with 53 percent female students in the current MBA cohort, 40 percent representation in its faculty, and 38 percent on the board.
11. EDHEC Business School
53% female students
EDHEC Business School is one of four French institutions in this list to boast at least 50 percent female students. On its board it has also achieved gender parity, with 50 percent of members being women.
EDHEC offers a number of initiatives to support women in business, such as the Swati Kansal Memorial Scholarship for Women of Impact, which is available to one woman each year and worth €10,000 (US$11,250). It is funded in memory of Swati Kansal, a 2019 EDHEC Global MBA graduate who was president of the MBA Digital Innovation Club during her time on the program.
Read More: For more information, check out our article 10 Inspirational Women MBA Students
©USC Marshall / Facebook
10. CEIBS
53% female students
CEIBS has achieved gender parity in the past, and the current MBA class comprises 53 percent female students. In addition to this, the Shanghai-based school also boasts a 50:50 gender split on the board.
The school also supports women in business beyond its MBA. For instance, the Women in Leadership program brings together women and male allies to study key issues for women in business and explore gender relations in the professional world.
9. Copenhagen Business School
55% female students
Copenhagen Business School is notable for having the highest proportion of female board members (63 percent) of any school in this list. When combined with an MBA class comprising 55 percent female students, it’s clear to see that the Scandinavian school has a strong commitment to gender equality.
It is also a member of the Forté Foundation, which works to expand access and opportunities for women pursuing business leadership.
8. ESMT Berlin
55% female students
ESMT Berlin is the top-placed German school in the FT ranking and also the top-ranked when it comes to female representation. It is one of just eight schools in the list to achieve gender parity at classroom and board level.
Like many schools, ESMT has a number of scholarships targeted specifically at female applicants. These include the Gender Pay Gap Scholarship, which includes 10 awards of €8,000 ($9,000). One Dean’s Excellence Scholarship, worth €15,000 ($16,800), is also reserved for an exceptional female applicant.
7. ESSEC Business School
55% female students
ESSEC Business School has managed to achieve gender parity in its MBA classroom for several consecutive years, and the cohort is now majority female.
Among this year’s MBA cohort, 55 percent are women, as well as 50 percent of its board and 41 percent of its faculty. ESSEC performs consistently well for gender diversity, in part due to the network it offers to women. For example, the school’s Women’s MBA Network offers a place where professional women can foster mutually beneficial relationships.
6. HKU Business School
57% female students
One of five Asian schools in the top 10, the MBA class at Hong Kong’s HKU Business School comprises 57 percent female students.
Alongside a mentorship program that connects female students with women in leadership positions, the school also offers personalized career coaching to support women in business, and gives students the chance to join the Women in Leadership Club.
5. Shanghai University of Finance and Economics: College of Business
59% female students
The MBA at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics’ College of Business typically boasts a majority female cohort—and that remains the story in 2026. The program has a 59 percent proportion of women.
Alongside the student representation, its faculty is 44 percent women. However, it’s worth pointing out that just 10 percent of the school’s board are female—the second-lowest proportion of any school in this list.
4. HKUST Business School
59% female students
The HKUST MBA is one of several programs in Hong Kong and China to boast a strong female presence in the classroom. Almost 60 percent of this year’s intake are female.
The school offers generous scholarships targeted at female applicants, while the MBA can also be studied in a hybrid format—often an appealing feature for female students who tend to have more of a preference for hybrid work than men.
3. University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School
60% female students
The top three schools in this list all have at least 60 percent female students in their MBA class. However, the University of Glasgow’s Adam Smith Business School also has a high proportion of women in its faculty (44 percent) and on the board (45 percent), making it one of the best MBA programs for women.
The school has a range of initiatives and financial incentives to attract female MBA students. These include generous scholarships, women in business networks, and student societies.
2. Fudan University School of Management
61% female students
Fudan is another of the Chinese schools to crack the top 10 for female representation, continuing the trend of the country’s schools performing better for gender equality than their US counterparts. Fudan is the top-ranked Asian school in this list.
One area where Fudan falls down is the percentage of women on its board. In 2026, this stands at just 4 percent—the lowest of any school in this list.
1. University of Edinburgh Business School
62% female students
Of the schools in the 2026 Financial Times Global MBA ranking, the University of Edinburgh Business School had the highest proportion of female MBA students at 62 percent. The Scottish school also has gender parity at board level, while 42 percent of its faculty are female.
The school has received the Athena SWAN Silver Award for its commitment to advancing gender equality and diversity among staff and students.
Read More: For more information, check out our article Top MBA scholarships for women
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Matt Kefford is Deputy Editor for GMAC.com, responsible for writing, editing, and producing multimedia content as well as driving content strategy for the website. A business education journalist for 5+ years, he regularly features as a judge on education industry awards and speaks at industry events.
Previously, Matt has written and produced content for national news organizations including The Sunday Times, i News, and Sky News, as well as a number of regional titles. Matt has a B.A. in History from the University of Leeds and an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Sheffield. He is also a gold standard accredited journalist with the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
