MBA Program Acceptance Rates and Yield in the United States

Last Updated on April 19, 2024 by Robert C. Hoopes

Acceptance Rates on the Rise at Top MBA Programs in 2023

In a surprising trend, acceptance rates at the top full-time MBA programs in the United States have been increasing for the second consecutive year in 2023. According to Poets&Quants’ annual ranking, seven of the top 10 B-schools and 18 of the top 25 schools experienced a rise in acceptance rates.

This increase in acceptance rates can be attributed to a decline in MBA applications at many schools over the past three years. This has led to a decrease in yield, which is the percentage of admitted students who actually enroll in the program. To combat this trend, many top B-schools have been more generous in their admissions, leading to an increase in enrollment numbers. In fact, about half of the top 50 B-schools also increased their MBA class sizes in 2023.

Interestingly, the higher acceptance rates were not limited to just elite schools. Only nine B-schools in the top 100 reported acceptance rates below 20% in 2023. The top 25 B-schools saw shifts in acceptance rates, with some schools becoming more accessible to applicants, while others maintained their selectivity.

Stanford Graduate School of Business continued to have the lowest acceptance rate at 8.4%, while other top schools such as Dartmouth Tuck and Georgetown McDonough reported the highest rates in their respective categories.

Overall, the increase in acceptance rates reflects a shifting landscape in the MBA admissions process. As schools seek to maintain healthy enrollment numbers, they have been more open to accepting a higher percentage of applicants. This trend is good news for prospective MBA students looking to pursue their career goals at a top business school.