What are the top MBA scholarships for women?

If you’re considering an MBA, paying for tuition and living expenses can be a significant investment. GMAC’s Cost of MBA Report 2025 found that the estimated total cost of several top programs exceeded US$200,000, including tuition and living expenses. The right scholarship could reduce your costs while also giving you access to mentoring, leadership development, and valuable professional networks.

Women remain underrepresented in senior business leadership, even as MBA classrooms become more balanced. According to the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2026, women represented an average of 44 percent of students across the top 10 business schools. Yet despite women making up 41.2 percent of the global workforce, they hold just 28.1 percent of leadership positions worldwide, according to research highlighted by Forbes.

To help close that gap, many leading business schools and external organizations offer scholarships and fellowships that reduce financial barriers and support women (or those identifying as women) in pursuing leadership careers.

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MBA scholarships for women at top-ranked schools

MIT Sloan School of Management

MIT Sloan states that MBA financial aid includes fellowships and scholarships awarded through the admissions process. The current public funding page does not clearly identify a Sloan-funded MBA scholarship reserved exclusively for women. Applicants may nevertheless be considered for Forté Fellowships because MIT Sloan is a Forté partner school. As a Forté partner school, MIT Sloan automatically considers all eligible MBA applicants for Forté Fellowships, which recognize outstanding leadership potential.

Women make up 47 percent of MIT Sloan’s full-time MBA class of 2027, the second-highest proportion among the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2026 top 10 business schools.

The school also supports women through its MIT Sloan Women in Management (SWIM) club, which offers mentoring, networking, professional development, and social events designed to help women succeed academically, personally, and professionally.

INSEAD

INSEAD offers scholarships for women as part of its commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. The awards are designed to help talented women from around the world pursue an MBA regardless of their financial circumstances, while supporting a diverse student body across nationalities, professional backgrounds, and gender.

Several scholarships are awarded to each MBA class based on the strength of a candidate’s admissions application, with awards ranging from 18,000 euros to 25,000 euros (approximately US$20,450-28,400). To be considered, you’ll need to submit INSEAD’s Financial Aid Application by the published deadline.

The Wharton School

If you’re admitted to Wharton, you’ll automatically be considered for a merit-based Wharton Fellowship, with selection based on factors such as academic achievement, professional experience, leadership potential, and community involvement.

While the school does not currently advertise a women-specific scholarship for its full-time MBA, it has a long-standing commitment to advancing women in business through initiatives including the business club Wharton Women and leadership programming.

IESE Business School

Beginning with the MBA Class of 2028, the IESE–Laidlaw Women’s MBA Scholarship Program will provide 13 full-tuition scholarships for women who demonstrate strong academic achievement, leadership potential, and financial need. The first recipients are due to begin the MBA in September 2026.

Applicants should review IESE’s admissions and scholarship instructions for the required financial documentation and deadlines.

London Business School

London Business School lists MBA scholarships for women worth from £20,000 up to full fees. All successful women MBA applicants are eligible for consideration, and the school says the awards are intended to support high-merit candidates and increase women’s representation in the program.

LBS also works with the Laidlaw Women’s Leadership Fund, which supports outstanding women applying to London Business School’s MBA, Executive MBA, and Master in Management programs. Created through a partnership between London Business School and the Laidlaw Foundation, the scholarship aims to increase access to top-tier business education for women with strong academic achievement, leadership potential, and demonstrated financial need.

HEC Paris

HEC Paris offers a range of scholarships to support talented MBA candidates, and also works with the Laidlaw Foundation. One recipient is MBA Class of 2027’s Oghenekaro Faith Isiorho. She is unequivocal about the impact the award has had on her business school experience.

“The Laidlaw Women in Business Scholarship did more than make an HEC Paris MBA financially possible, it changed the scale at which I could imagine my career and contribution. By covering my tuition, it gave me the freedom to immerse myself fully in the MBA experience without the weight of tuition debt.”

But it isn’t just about the money, according to Oghenekaro: “Just as importantly, it represented a powerful vote of confidence in my competence, courage, and character. I entered HEC Paris knowing that my experience and perspective as a Black African woman had value in the room, rather than seeking permission to belong.”

The school also awards the Forté Scholarship for Women Candidates, which aims to expand leadership opportunities for women in business. Admitted women who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, leadership potential, and a commitment to advancing women through mentoring or community involvement are eligible for consideration.

If you’re admitted, you may be eligible for awards worth up to 26,000 euros (around US$29,500). All admitted candidates are automatically considered for HEC Paris Excellence and Diversity scholarships, while Forté applicants must submit the required essay.

Esade Business School

Esade Business School offers several scholarship programs designed especially for women as part of its commitment to increasing female leadership in business. The Award for Women Leaders recognizes outstanding women who have demonstrated leadership throughout their careers, while the Esade Women in Business Award supports candidates committed to advancing women in business through initiatives such as the Esade Women in Business Club and the Forté Foundation.

As a Forté Foundation partner school, Esade awards at least two Forté Fellowships each year to women with exceptional leadership potential. Additional opportunities include the Women of the World Award, which supports women from all backgrounds who bring diverse perspectives to the MBA, with special consideration given to candidates with demonstrated financial need, and the Esade Future Female Leaders Award, which provides a matched US$8,000 scholarship in partnership with Prodigy Finance for outstanding women applying to selected graduate business programs.

China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)

CEIBS combines merit- and diversity-based MBA scholarship opportunities with one of the world’s most gender-balanced MBA cohorts. According to the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2026, women make up 53 percent of the full-time MBA class, the highest proportion among the top 10 ranked business schools.

Awards are based on factors including academic achievement, professional experience, interview performance, leadership potential, and the contribution candidates are expected to make to the MBA community.

UC Berkeley Haas School of Business

UC Berkeley Haas School of Business supports women pursuing an MBA through its partnership with the Forté Foundation, which awards Forté Fellowships to students who demonstrate outstanding leadership potential and a commitment to advancing women in business. The fellowship provides both financial support and access to the Forté network of students, alumni, and business leaders, helping recipients build connections and develop leadership skills throughout their careers.

With women making up 43 percent of its full-time MBA class, according to the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2026, Berkeley Haas continues to foster a diverse and inclusive MBA community.

Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School takes a different approach to MBA funding than many leading business schools. Rather than awarding merit scholarships, all HBS scholarships are based solely on demonstrated financial need, helping ensure that admitted students can pursue an MBA regardless of their financial circumstances.

Although HBS does not offer a dedicated Forté Fellowship scholarship, it is a Forté Foundation member school, supporting women’s access to business education through mentoring, networking, and leadership development opportunities. In addition, the school hosts an annual Women in Business Conference, one of HBS’s largest student-run events. Held each February, the conference attracts around 1,000 attendees, giving students the opportunity to learn from and network with accomplished women leaders from across the business world.

Forté Fellowships

Forté Fellowships are awarded by participating business schools to women who demonstrate leadership potential and a commitment to advancing women in business. Awards vary by school and include access to Forté’s professional development, employer, and alumni networks. Among the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2026 top 10 schools, MIT Sloan, Berkeley Haas, HEC Paris, and Esade offer Forté Fellowships, while Harvard Business School is a Forté member school.

Laidlaw Foundation scholarships

The Laidlaw Foundation partners with leading universities and business schools to support talented women through scholarships, leadership development, mentoring, and a global scholars network. At London Business School, the Laidlaw Women’s Leadership Fund supports women applying to the MBA, Executive MBA, and Master in Management programs.

If you’re planning to apply for an MBA, researching scholarships early and understanding each school’s application process can improve your chances of securing financial support.