Which top US business schools have the highest and lowest acceptance rates?

TL;DR

• Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School, and MIT Sloan School of Management have some of the lowest acceptance rates of top-ranked business schools
• Acceptance rates at UT Austin McCombs School of Business, Virginia Darden School of Business, and Dartmouth Tuck School of Business are less competitive
• Your GMAT score, undergraduate GPA, and performance in MBA essays and interviews can help you get into a business school with a low acceptance rate

What are your chances of being accepted onto an MBA at a top-ranked business school? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—it depends on factors like your GMAT score, undergraduate GPA, and your performance in MBA essays and interviews.

However, it can be helpful to gauge the level of competition for different MBA programs by looking at their MBA acceptance rates. Here, we break down the highest and lowest acceptance rates among the US News top 20 MBA programs.

What is the average acceptance rate for top US MBA programs? 

The average MBA acceptance rate among the top 20 schools as ranked by US News is just over 25%, meaning around one in four applicants are successful.

However, there is a wide range of acceptance rates within this group, with some schools having very low acceptance rates. We've provided the full list below. 

US News top 20 MBA programs: Acceptance rates

Which US business schools have the lowest acceptance rates?

You might think that the business schools with the lowest MBA acceptance rates would all be clustered at the top of the ranking, and for the most part, this is true. Many of the top schools have more competitive acceptance rates, with the lowest belonging to Stanford Graduate School of Business, which takes the third spot in the US News MBA ranking.

Many of the schools with the lowest acceptance rates also belong to the prestigious M7 business schools. However, one of the schools with the lowest acceptance rate can be found outside of US News' top 10 MBAs.

1. Stanford Graduate School of Business 

Acceptance rate: 6.8%

US News ranking: =2

Stanford Graduate School of Business is a common fixture at the top of annually published MBA rankings, thanks in part to its strong career outcomes for graduates. According to US News, Stanford MBA starting salaries amount to almost $207,000.

This naturally leads to intense competition for places, with the Stanford MBA acceptance rate sitting at 6.8%. That’s fewer than one in 10 successful applications.

Of those who enrolled in the class of 2027, 45% of students were female, and 38% were international students.

2. Harvard Business School 

Acceptance rate: 11.2%

US News ranking: =6

The Harvard MBA acceptance rate, although a jump from Stanford's, is still incredibly competitive at 11.2%. In the most recent Harvard MBA class profile, the median GMAT score for enrolled students was in the 96th percentile, which puts students in the top 4% of GMAT examinees.

If you’re wondering how to get into Harvard, the first step is clearing these basic admissions criteria, then differentiating yourself from other applicants with your MBA essay and interviews.

3. MIT Sloan School of Business 

Acceptance rate: 14.1%

US News ranking: 5

The MIT MBA acceptance rate is slightly higher at 14.1%. MIT is well-known for its STEM teaching, so it’s no surprise that much of its class hails from a similar background. In the class of 2027, over a quarter of the class majored in engineering, 23% in business, and 17% in economics.

4. Duke University Fuqua School of Business

Acceptance rate: 19.5%

US News ranking: =13

The Duke MBA acceptance rate is also at the low end of the list, with just under one in five applicants finding success. Duke is also the only school with one of the lowest acceptance rates to sit outside of the top 10 MBA programs as ranked by US News, coming joint 13th in the list.

The Duke MBA class is very diverse, with 55% international citizens, 39% underrepresented students of colour, and 11% LGBTQ+.

5. University of Pennsylvania Wharton School

Acceptance rate = 20.5%

US News ranking: 1

Ranked the number one MBA program by US News, Wharton is also one of the most competitive schools to get into, with an acceptance rate of just over 20%. For those who make it into Wharton, the rewards are worth it, as over 90% of graduates are employed within three months of graduation, with starting salaries and bonuses averaging at around $200,000.

Which business schools have the highest acceptance rates?

Not every MBA program has acceptance rates as steep as the ones above. Here, we’ve broken down the higher end of the MBA acceptance rates in the US News top 20.

However, a high acceptance rate is still no guarantee of entry. You need to look closely at a school’s average GMAT scores and other admissions criteria to make your case for acceptance.

1. Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management

Acceptance rate: 38.4%

US News ranking: =18

The Vanderbilt MBA is the highest of the top 20-ranked programs by US News, accepting over 38% of applicants. Even though the school is less competitive than the likes of Harvard and Wharton, career prospects are still strong: over 85% of students are employed by the time they graduate, a figure which rises to around 94% within three months of graduating.

2. UT Austin McCombs School of Business

Acceptance rate: 37.9%

US News ranking: 16

UT Austin also has a similarly high acceptance rate, with 37.9% of applicants securing their spot in the school's MBA program. With graduates earning an impressive starting salary of over $180,000, UT Austin's focus on career placement helped almost 88% of students find a job within three months of graduating.

Over three quarters (78%) of the Class of 2024 secured their roles through the school's help, with 57% of accepted offers originating from internships facilitated by UT Austin.

3. Emory University Goizueta Business School 

Acceptance rate = 36.8%

US News ranking: 17

Emory University, ranked 17th by US News, has an acceptance rate of almost 37%.

The school reported that the class of 2024 received an 175% salary increase upon graduation. According to US News, almost 90% of graduates are employed within three months of finishing their studies, earning an average starting salary of over $180,000.

4. University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Acceptance rate = 33.9%

US News ranking: =11

The Virginia Darden MBA acceptance rate is slightly lower, at almost 34%. Around 92% of graduates of the 21-month program are employed within three months of finishing the MBA

Despite having a higher acceptance rate and therefore being less competitive than many other schools on the US News list, graduates from Virginia Darden can expect an impressive average starting salary of almost $200,000.

5. Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business

Acceptance rate: 31.2%

US News ranking: =6

Finally, the Dartmouth Tuck acceptance rate stands at just over 30%. Dartmouth Tuck's most recent MBA class had an average GMAT score in the 94th percentile, with its cohort consisting of 44% women, 30% US students of color, and 22% foreign nationals. 

Around 83% of Dartmouth Tuck MBA students are employed by graduation, with this figure rising to over 90% within three months. Starting salaries are also high, at almost $200,300.