Stanford Business School is one of the most widely known business schools in California and across the globe. It has a long history of giving its students a world-class business education and empowering them with a unique set of skills that further enable them to flourish in the corporate world.
Are you considering pursuing an MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) and want to know what to expect? Well, you’re in the right place.
In this article, we’ll provide you with valuable insights into the Stanford GSB MBA program. We’ll start by delving into the class profile of the incoming Class of 2025, offering you a snapshot of the diverse and accomplished individuals who were talented enough to get into Stanford GSB. Next, we’ll explore the employment reports from the Class of 2023, shedding light on the promising career opportunities that await Stanford GSB graduates.
Additionally, we’ll break down the cost of attendance, ensuring you have a clear understanding of the financial aspects of pursuing your MBA at Stanford. And for those seeking financial aid, we’ll also discuss scholarships available to help make your dream of attending Stanford GSB a reality.
General information on Stanford GSB
Location: 655 Knight Way Stanford, CA 94305 USA
Dean: Jonathan Levin
Admissions Office:
MBA Admissions Office, McClelland Bldg, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA 94305-7298, USA
Phone: +1 (650) 723-2766
Fax: +1 (650) 725-7831
Email: mba_admissions@gsb.stanford.edu
Social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn
Stanford MBA – By the numbers
Let us dive into a few important statistics about Stanford’s recent MBA class of 2025
| Applications Received | 6190 |
| Class Size | 431 |
| Average GMAT Score | 738 |
| GMAT Range | 630-790 |
| Median GRE Score | 328 |
| GRE Range | 299-340 |
| Average TOEFL Score | 113 |
| TOEFL Range | 104-120 |
| Average GPA | 3.77 |
| Work Experience (Average) | 5 years |
| Tuition Cost for a Single Person (first year) | $79,860 |
| Percentage of students that received a job offer | 95% |
| Median Base Salary | $175,000 |
| Median Signing Bonus | $30,000 |
| Median Performance Bonus | $30,000 |
Now, let’s study in depth the 2024 class of Stanford Business School:
Stanford MBA class profile 2025
Enrolment
Of the 6,190 people who applied to the Stanford MBA Program in 2025, the school decided to go with 431 of them. This means that Stanford accepted 6.96% of its applications.
- Applications Received by Stanford – 6,190
- Total Enrolled – 431
- Enrolment rate – 6.96%
Diversity
Every business school cares highly about maintaining and encouraging diversity within its ranks. With their 2025 MBA class, Stanford has managed to achieve a highly diverse class. 46% of its MBA 2025 class is female and 36% of its students are international residents stemming from 55 different countries.
- % Women in the Stanford class of 2025 – 46%
- % International students in the Stanford class of 2025 – 36%
Test Scores and GPA
Stanford has some of the most brilliant minds in the world. Hence, understandably their GPA and test scores are significantly higher than many other schools. The average GPA of the Stanford MBA Class of 2025 is 3.77. The school does not differentiate between GMAT and GRE and has no minimum score for its applicants. 61% of its class submitted GMAT scores while the other 39% applied with GRE scores. The class’s average GMAT score is 738, its average GRE score is 328.
Average GPA – 3.77
GMAT Score
- Average GMAT – 738
- GMAT Range – 630-790
GRE Score
- Average GRE – 328
- GRE Range – 299-340
Undergraduate Major
Among the Stanford class of 2025, 41% have a background in STEM programs. 20% of the class has a background in Business/Commerce, and 21% in Economics.
The details are as below:
| Undergraduate Major | Percentage of Stanford MBA class of 2025 |
| Engineering | 26% |
| Economics | 21% |
| Social Sciences | 13% |
| Business/Commerce | 20% |
| Math/Sciences | 15% |
| Arts/Humanities | 5% |
Pre-MBA industry of Stanford MBA Class of 2025
The students of the Stanford MBA Class of 2025 have in total represented 295 organizations. With an average work experience of 5 years, 19% of the class has a background in Investment Management/Private Equity/ Venture Capital, while 17% of the class has a background in Consulting. 13% of the class also had a Technology background.
More details are in the table below:
| Pre-MBA industry | % Of Stanford MBA class of 2025 |
| Investment Management/Private Equity/ Venture Capital | 19% |
| Consulting | 17% |
| Technology | 13% |
| Non-profit/Government/Education | 10% |
| Consumer Products & Services | 9% |
| Arts/Media/Entertainment | 4% |
| Healthcare | 7% |
| Financial Services | 5% |
| Cleantech/Energy/Environmental | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Other | 1% |
MBA Application Deadlines
The application dates for the MBA Class of 2026 (incoming class of 2024) are
| Application Round | Deadline | Decisions |
| Round 1 | 12 Sep 2023 | 07 Dec 2023 |
| Round 2 | 04 Jan 2024 | 28 Mar 2024 |
| Round 3 | 09 Apr 2024 | 23 May 2024 |
Now that you are familiar with the educational and industry background of Stanford GSB MBA Class of 2025, you may have a better idea as to how you compare against them. For an admit into Stanford’s MBA program, it is important to try and match or exceed these numbers.
Let us now dive into the post-graduation compensation of Stanford MBA students.
Stanford MBA Employment Statistics – Class of 2023
The Stanford class of 2023 received a median base salary of $182,500.
Below are the details:
- Median Base Salary – $182,500.
- 89% received an offer within 3 months of graduating
Employment by Industry
Finance remains the top draw for Stanford MBA graduates, with 38% of the 2023 class landing positions in the field. Technology also attracted a significant 24%, followed by Consulting with 15%.
| Industry | % Stanford class of 2023 hired |
| Finance | 38 |
| Investment Management | 2 |
| Private Equity | 18 |
| Venture Capital | 13 |
| Other | 5 |
| Technology | 24 |
| Consumer | 9 |
| Enterprise | 10 |
| EdTech | 1 |
| FinTech | 2 |
| Other | 3 |
| Consulting | 15 |
| Health Care | 4 |
| Consumer Products | 3 |
| Energy | 3 |
| Media/Entertainment | 2 |
| Real Estate | 2 |
| Automotive | 1 |
| NonProfit | 1 |
| Other | 5 |
Stanford MBA Median Salary by Industry
| Industry | Median Salary | Median Performance Bonus/Expected Bonus | Median Signing Bonus |
| Finance | $200,000 | $150,000 | $30,000 |
| Investment Management | $175,000 | $150,000 | NA |
| Private Equity | $215,000 | $160,000 | $27,500 |
| Venture Capital | $180,000 | $70,000 | $25,000 |
| Other | $220,000 | $285,000 | $50,000 |
| Technology | $177,500 | $22,793 | $25,000 |
| Consumer | $180,000 | $28,750 | $30,000 |
| Enterprise | $180,000 | $22,793 | $25,000 |
| EdTech | NA | NA | NA |
| FinTech | NA | NA | NA |
| Consulting | $192,000 | $41,875 | $30,000 |
| Health Care | $170,000 | $26,400 | $15,000 |
| Consumer Products | $175,000 | NA | NA |
| Energy | $177,500 | NA | NA |
| Media/Entertainment | NA | NA | NA |
| Real Estate | NA | NA | NA |
| Automotive | NA | NA | NA |
| NonProfit | NA | NA | NA |
| Other | $150,000 | NA | NA |
Employment by Function
Yet again, Finance led the way with 34%, General Management and Marketing/Sales also proved popular, drawing 23% and 22% respectively.
More details are below.
| Function | % Stanford class of 2023 hired |
| Finance | 34 |
| Investment / Portfolio Mgmt | 6 |
| Private Equity | 14 |
| Venture Capital | 11 |
| Other | 3 |
| General Management | 29 |
| Business Ops / Strategy / Planning | 17 |
| Chief of Staff | 7 |
| General Mgmt / Rotational / Leadership | 6 |
| Consulting | 16 |
| Management Consulting | 15 |
| Operations / Implementation | 1 |
| Marketing/Sales | 16 |
| Business Development | 5 |
| Marketing / Brand / Growth Manager | 2 |
| Product Management | 7 |
| Sales / Customer Success / Revenue | 2 |
| Other (total) | 4 |
Stanford MBA Median Salary by Function
| Function | Median Salary | Median Performance Bonus/Expected Bonus | Median Signing Bonus |
| Finance | $192,500 | $150,000 | $30,000 |
| Investment / Portfolio Mgmt | $200,000 | $212,500 | $50,000 |
| Private Equity | $215,000 | $225,000 | $25,000 |
| Venture Capital | $175,000 | $80,000 | $25,000 |
| Other | $165,000 | $38,750 | NA |
| General Management | $175,000 | $40,000 | $25,000 |
| Business Ops / Strategy / Planning | $165,000 | $20,750 | $25,000 |
| Chief of Staff | $180,000 | $40,000 | NA |
| General Mgmt / Rotational / Leadership | $215,000 | $50,000 | NA |
| Consulting | $192,000 | $43,750 | $30,000 |
| Management Consulting | $192,000 | $41,875 | $30,000 |
| Operations / Implementation | NA | NA | NA |
| Marketing/Sales | $180,000 | $27,250 | $15,000 |
| Business Development | $171,000 | $27,000 | NA |
| Marketing / Brand / Growth Manager | NA | NA | NA |
| Product Management | $200,000 | $22,350 | $17,500 |
| Sales / Customer Success / Revenue | NA | NA | NA |
| Other (total) | $154,000 | NA | NA |
Employment by Location
A majority (93%) of Stanford’s 2023 MBA graduates chose to work in North America. The West proved most popular, attracting 50% of the class, while the Northeast accounted for 31%.
| Location | % Stanford class of 2023 hired |
| Africa | 1 |
| Asia, Australia, and Oceania | 2 |
| Europe | 1 |
| Latin America and Caribbean | 1 |
| South America | 2 |
| North America | 93 |
| Mid-Atlantic | 2 |
| Midwest | 3 |
| Northeast | 31 |
| South | 3 |
| Southwest | 3 |
| West | 50 |
| Canada | <1 |
Salaries by location
| United States | $190,000 |
| Rest of the World | $125,000 |
Entrepreneurship for MBA Graduates
Entrepreneurial zeal continues to burn bright for Stanford GSB graduates, with a notable 25% of the Class of 2023 starting or running their own ventures. While the tech sector continued to attract many (49%), the most notable surge this year came from students launching their own search funds.
| Industry | % of Entrepreneurs in Stanford Class of 2023 |
| Technology | 49 |
| Health Care | 12 |
| Finance | 9 |
| Energy | 4 |
| Media/Entertainment | 3 |
| Real Estate | 3 |
| Agriculture | 2 |
| Consumer Products | 2 |
| Other | 15 |
Stanford MBA – Cost of Attendance
Cost of Attendance Breakdown: First-Year MBA 2024–2025
| Cost | Single Student | Married Student |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $79,860 | $79,860 |
| Living Expenses | $18,453 | $34,200 |
| Housing | $20,271 | $30,216 |
| Medical Insurance | $7,128 | $7,128 |
| Health Fee | $753 | $753 |
| Total | $126,465 | $152,157 |
Stanford MBA Scholarships
At Stanford, all MBA students, regardless of where they come from and which country they are citizens of, are eligible for financial assistance.
Stanford GSB can help you fund your MBA through a combination of student loans and generous fellowship awards. Fellowships are offered to those with demonstrated need.
Need-Based Aid
The Stanford MBA Program admission is ‘need-blind’. This means that they do not consider your personal resources for financing your education in their admission decisions.
All the students admitted will solely be based on skills such as significant leadership potential, intellectual vitality, and other personal qualities which will in turn enhance the MBA class. The admission decisions will not take into consideration the way a student plans to finance their MBA Degree — those decisions are made once the student submits a financial aid application.
Stanford GSB Need-Based Fellowships
Fellowships are gifts from our community that do not have to be repaid. Stanford GSB fellowships are awarded based solely on your demonstrated financial need. Approximately half of Stanford MBA students receive fellowship funds. The average Stanford GSB fellowship is approximately $42,000 per year or $84,000 in total awards.
How does Stanford perceive ‘Need’?
Need is calculated on a specific basis by the school, as below:
Cost of attendance of the Stanford MBA Program – Assets and income – Contributions from parents, friends, and/or employers – External fellowships and scholarships = Financial aid need
Stanford GSB BOLD Fellows Fund
The mission of the Building Opportunities for Leadership Diversity (BOLD) Fellows Fund is to further Stanford University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion by augmenting Stanford GSB’s financial aid for MBA students with financial hardship and a commitment to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
Knight-Hennessy Scholars cultivates and supports a highly engaged, multidisciplinary, and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University, and delivers a diverse collection of educational experiences, preparing graduates to address complex challenges facing the world
Each year, Knight-Hennessy Scholars selects up to 100 students who are newly enrolling in a graduate degree program in any of Stanford’s seven schools. Knight-Hennessy Scholars participate in an experiential leadership development program and receive funding for up to three years of graduate study at Stanford.
Candidates from any country may apply. Candidates must submit two applications to be considered; one to Knight-Hennessy Scholars and one to the graduate degree program by its deadline. The Knight-Hennessy Scholars application to join the 2022 cohort closes on 12 October 2022 at 1:00 p.m. PDT.
Final Thoughts
Getting an MBA from Stanford GSB is a dream for most MBA applicants. Stanford GSB is one of the leading business schools in the world, so getting into it can be hard. Even though there is no foolproof method to ensure admission to Stanford GSB, you can improve your chances significantly by working diligently on your application. We can help you get into Stanford GSB. Our consultants include Stanford GSB alumni who will give you the most accurate advice and guidance you’ll need to get into GSB. So, get started now.
