Harvard MBA Class Profile | Breakdown

Despite dropping outside the global top 10 for the second time in this year’s Financial Times MBA Ranking, Harvard Business School remains one of the world’s most prestigious and influential business schools.

The Harvard MBA program is renowned for bringing together some of the brightest young minds in business. In the Harvard MBA Class of 2027, you’ll find professionals from financial services, consulting, technology, and manufacturing working alongside those from healthcare, the nonprofit sector, and media.

If you envision yourself joining the ranks of HBS’s notable alumni, our Harvard MBA Class Profile Breakdown will help you understand the kind of candidates the school admits—and how you can strengthen your own chances of becoming part of the HBS community.

Harvard MBA | Class of 2027 overview

The Harvard MBA program received 9,409 applications for the 2024–2025 academic year. Ultimately, 943 students enrolled in the MBA Class of 2027, consistent with the school’s typical class size.

Most of the cohort (63%) came from the United States, a slight decrease of 2% from the previous year. Among US students, 26% identified as Asian American, 9% as Hispanic or Latino, and 7% as Black or African American.

Despite tightening visa policies—including a newly announced US government proclamation introducing a $100,000 application fee for the H-1B visa lottery—the proportion of international students still rose from 35% to 37%.

Overall, the Class of 2027 represents 62 countries, with students collectively speaking 57 different languages, including Afrikaans, American Sign Language, Chinese, and Yoruba.

Women make up 44% of the class, reflecting a modest 1% decrease from the previous year.

Harvard MBA | GMAT scores

The GMAT remains the most popular entrance exam for HBS applicants, with 62% of the Class of 2027 submitting GMAT scores compared to 34% who submitted the GRE. This means that if you’re aiming for a place at the school, preparing for the GMAT is essential.

With the introduction of the new GMAT scoring system in 2024, Harvard now reports two separate metrics for the Class of 2027: traditional GMAT scores and GMAT 10th Edition scores.

For the current GMAT format, the median score for the Class of 2027 is 685. Under the previous GMAT 10th Edition format, the reported median is 730.

While HBS is known for applicants scoring in the highest percentiles, a sky-high GMAT score is not the sole determinant of acceptance. Exceptional applicants without a top score can still earn a place. To maximize your chances, it’s important to strengthen every part of your application so that your passion, personality, and academic rigor are clearly reflected.

For GRE takers, verbal and quantitative scores range from 158 to 169, with the median for both sections reported at 164.

Harvard MBA | Undergraduate Majors & GPA

An MBA class made up of a diverse community of learners enables students to examine business issues from multiple perspectives. 

The 943 enrolled Harvard MBA students come from a wide range of undergraduate backgrounds, including business and commerce (22%), economics (19%), engineering (24%), and math (19%). Not all students come from business-related fields either—arts and humanities (5%), as well as physical and social sciences, are also represented.

This diversity means that having a non-business undergraduate major shouldn’t deter you from applying to the Harvard MBA program. Harvard aims to develop future global leaders, and applicants who have shifted their academic path often bring fresh perspectives and a strong commitment to change.

You will, however, need to be at the top of your game. Within the HBS MBA Class of 2026, students were among the strongest in their undergraduate cohorts—the average GPA was 3.76, with more than 283 universities represented.

Harvard MBA | Pre-MBA Industry

Business schools strive to create classrooms that reflect the realities of the business world. To do this, top schools enroll experienced students from a wide range of industries, each bringing their own problem-solving approaches. Harvard’s case method thrives on this diversity of thought.

The average student in the HBS MBA Class of 2026 has just under five years of work experience. Consulting is the most common pre-MBA industry, with 19% of students coming from the field. This is followed by venture capital and private equity at 16%. Technology is the third-most common background at 13%; followed by financial services (10%); consumer products (9%); manufacturing, industrial, and energy sectors (9%); and healthcare and biotech (8%).

While consulting, finance, and tech remain strongly represented, the Harvard MBA program also includes students from less traditional MBA paths. The military accounts for 3% of the class, while the nonprofit, government, and education sectors together make up 6%. Another 5% of students come from careers in media, entertainment, or travel.

*The data in this article is based on the Harvard MBA Class Profile / this article was updated in November 2025 to reflect the new HBS MBA class.