- May 25, 2022
- 7 min read
Top MBA Scholarships For Women
Several women-only MBA scholarships have emerged in recent years as business schools aim to achieve gender diversity in their cohorts
There's a range of MBA scholarships for women, aiming to promote gender diversity at business school ©INSEAD FB
Gender diversity is growing across the globe’s business schools, but there’s still a long way to go. Among the world’s top 20 MBAs ranked by the Financial Times, just six feature a cohort of more than 40% female students.
In an effort to promote a more diverse business school cohort, many schools and independent organizations offer MBA scholarships for women only. These range from a few thousand dollars to help with tuition costs to full payment of your fees.
Here are some of the top MBA scholarships for women currently on offer.
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School scholarships for MBA students
Many business schools offer their own MBA scholarships for women, helping women gain access to their MBA degrees, here are some of the schemes available at top schools.
MBA Scholarships at INSEAD
The world’s top MBA program in 2021 offers a number of top MBA scholarships for women.
The Judith Connelly Delouvrier Endowed Scholarship—dedicated to one of the victims of a Trans World Airlines flight crash in 1996—is available to all successful female applicants to the INSEAD MBA. The scholarship offers funding between approximately $22,000 and $28,000, more than any other INSEAD female-only scholarship.
INSEAD also offers a scholarship to women applicants worth $13,000 via Groupe Galeries Lafayette, a luxury retailer specializing in city center fashion retailing. The scholarship is awarded to successful applicants who identify with the group’s goals.
The INSEAD Alumni Fund (IAF) ‘68 is another of INSEAD’s MBA scholarships for women. It’s a merit-based fund worth between approximately $11,000 and $22,000, available to women MBA students in financial need.
MBA Scholarships and Funding at UCLA Anderson School of Management
UCLA Anderson School of Management offers two women-only scholarship programs which are available for students on the MBA program.
The International Peace Scholarship is awarded by the Philanthropic and Educational Organization (PEO). It’s available for female international students looking to study at UCLA, offering one year of financial aid worth $10,000.
There are also career grants available for female applicants, awarded by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), which aim to empower women to be independent leaders in the business world. Separate scholarships are given for both international and domestic students, worth $30,000 each.
MBA Scholarships at CEIBS
CEIBS offers the highest-ranking MBA in China, and female students on this prestigious program are automatically enrolled in two women-only scholarships when they submit their application.
The Women Leadership Scholarship and the Women Fellowship are merit-based, and available for the first year of study.
Recipients of both awards are assessed on their academic, personal, and professional achievements, along with their performance during the interview stage of the admissions process. A key deciding factor is the potential contribution each winner can have on the MBA program.
Scholarships for MBAs at SDA Bocconi School of Management
Italy’s top-ranked MBA, SDA Bocconi, offers a series of partial tuition waivers for women applicants, ranging from 50% to 70%.
The school has two merit-based 50% scholarships, which reduce your fees by around $31,000. One of the schemes is delivered in partnership with The 30% Club, a global campaign led by CEOs and business leaders aiming to improve gender diversity in the boardroom.
The 70% tuition waiver amounts to around $44,460 and is offered to outstanding female candidates who apply with a GMAT score above 680.
MBA Scholarships and Funding at Yale School of Management
Like UCLA, Yale School of Management partners with the AAUW to offer financial assistance to its women students. Fellowships are available for students in their final year, ranging from $5,000 to $12,000 in financial aid.
International female applicants to the Yale MBA can also apply for the AAUW International Fellowship Program, which supports women who have shown commitment to improving women’s livelihood through community or professional work.
Scholarships and Funding for MBAs at London Business School
There are a number of different MBA scholarships for women on the top-ranked LBS MBA. All women who successfully apply to the MBA program are automatically enrolled for a scholarship.
The maximum amount of funding available is half of your tuition fees. This is also offered in partnership with The 30% Club; the scholarship is awarded to women who show potential to make an impact in business and society.
Women can also apply for $35,000 or $28,000 in funding via the A Higher Education Advancing Diversity (AHEAD) and Carlsson Family scholarships. These are merit-based scholarships, with the AHEAD scholarship aimed at women from developing economies.
For students enrolling from Australia and New Zealand, there’s also the possibility of securing $11,700 in funding via the Kearney Australia New Zealand Women’s Scholarship Program.
MBA Scholarships at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) offers partial funding for women on the school’s MBA program via the Women International Awards. The scholarships is only available for international students, but all those who apply are automatically enrolled.
MBA Scholarships at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
One of the prestigious M7 business schools, Chicago Booth offers full-tuition funding for women from underrepresented communities who demonstrate a commitment to improving women in business. Applicants must also show exceptional leadership abilities.
The scholarship began in 2017, after a donation of $75 million from highly successful Booth alumni Amy and Richard Wallman.
Read on for more independent MBA scholarships for women
For insider tips on maximizing your MBA scholarship chances, download our BusinessBecause MBA Scholarships Guide 2022 | 5 Ways To Boost Your MBA Scholarship Potential
Independent MBA scholarships for women
Independent scholarships offered by external organizations often apply to more than one business school, which is useful if the school you’re applying to doesn’t offer its own.
These are some of the top MBA scholarships for women offered by independent organizations.
Since 2001, the Forté Foundation has increased women enrollment at its partner schools—including the likes of Harvard Business School, HEC Paris, and London Business School—by 11%.
The foundation has awarded more than $275 million to female business school applicants through its Forté Fellowship program. Female applicants to one of its 54 partner schools are automatically enrolled, and those who display leadership qualities are often selected.
Along with financial assistance, the fellowship also provides support and networking opportunities to successful applicants.
Laidlaw Foundation scholarships are available to students at Columbia Business School, LBS, and Oxford Saïd Business School, and have helped more than 300 women land places on these top MBA programs.
Laidlaw scholars at the three participating schools can secure either full or half scholarships for their degrees. The scheme is aimed at women who show exceptional leadership qualities and strong potential to further the cause of women in business.
The scheme began at Columbia but expanded to LBS in 2019 and Oxford Saïd in 2020. At LBS, the partnership with Laidlaw is part of a wider movement to achieve 51% female representation across the school.
While it’s true that the world’s top MBAs aren’t yet gender equal, these schemes are a step towards giving women as much chance of attending business school as men. But, with just 10 of the top 100 FT-ranked MBAs featuring a cohort of at least 50% women, there’s still a long way to go.
All images used in this article are sourced from business school Facebook pages.
This article was written in November 2021 and updated in May 2022.
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.