What You Need to Know about the NYU Stern MBA Program

NYU Stern School of Business.
Photo by Ajay Suresh, link, under CC license

One of NYU Stern’s highlights is beyond doubt its downtown location in New York City — it even outshines Columbia in this regard. A major benefit of the NYC location for the Stern School of Business is its strong relationship with industries in the luxury retail sector. The Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Doing Business in Italy experiential learning programs, combined with the Luxury and Retail and Graduate Marketing Association clubs on campus, are reflective of Stern’s dominance in this area. 

In addition to its focus on luxury retail, NYU Stern also has a strong placement in the consulting and investment banking sectors, with over 37% of its graduating class going into consulting and over 22% into investment banking. If you’re considering this path, you will also benefit from being able to network and learn about the culture at the firm’s New York City offices.

Finally, NYU Stern has extensive part-time and executive MBA programs, which is a great network for full-time MBAs to tap into. Many finance professionals who work long hours choose the NYU Stern part-time and executive programs as the only ones that fit their schedule. NYU Stern’s executive MBA program also has a Washington DC location, which further broadens its network and reach in the Northeast.

NYU Stern MBA Class Profile

Class Size327
Acceptance Rate27%
GMAT Average732
GPA Average3.61
Average Age28
Avg. Years Work Experience5.2
Diversity Women43%
Diversity Intl.48%
Pre-MBA IndustriesFinancial Services: 26%
Consulting: 12%
Technology: 10%
Military, Government: 8%
Entertainment, Media: 6%
Nonprofit, Arts, Education: 6%
Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals: 6%
Consumer Products, Retail: 5%
Real Estate: 5%
Advertising, Public Relations: 3%
Manufacturing, Import / Export, Trade: 2%
Law: 2%
Engineering: 2%
Energy: 1%
Other: 6%
Undergraduate MajorsEngineering, Math & Science: 27%
Business: 27%
Social Science: 19%
Economics: 17%
Humanities, Arts, Other: 10%

The data above is from 2023 and represents the NYU Stern MBA class of 2025.
See the full report: NYU Stern MBA Class Profile

Student Experiences

NYU Stern MBA Employment Report & Careers

Salary Average$206,374.00
Offers Upon Graduation85%
Offers At 3 Mos.94%
Post-MBA IndustriesConsulting: 41.9%

Financial Services: 29.4%
Asset Management: 1.7%
Diversified Financial Services: 1.0%
Investment Banking: 23.3%
Private Equity: 1.0%
Venture Capital: 1.7%
Other: 0.6%

Technology/Telecommunications: 14.2%
Entertainment/Media/Sports: 3.4%
Consumer Packaged Goods: 3.0%
Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals/Biotech: 1.4%
Retail: 0.7%
Non-Profit/Education: 0.3%
Real Estate: 1.0%

Other
Energy/Power: 1.0%
Law: 2.4%
Manufacturing: 0.3%
Transportation & Logistics: 1.0%
Post-MBA LocationsUnited States: 95.3%
Mid-Atlantic: 3.8%
Midwest: 1.4%
Northeast: 77.6%
South: 1%
Southwest: 2.8%
West: 8.7%
Non U.S.: 4.7%
Post-MBA Companies

McKinsey & Company: 24
Deloitte: 18
Strategy&: 15
Boston Consulting Group (BCG): 13
EY-Parthenon: 12
Bain & Company: 12
Amazon: 10
J.P. Morgan: 8
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC): 7
Credit Suisse: 7
Citi: 6
Morgan Stanley: 6
Goldman Sachs & Co.: 6
Barclays Capital Group: 5
Guggenheim Partners: 4
Adobe: 4
Capital One: 4
Kearney: 4
Greenhill & Co.: 3
Houlihan Lokey: 3

Career Development Resources

NYU Stern Career

The data above is from 2023 and represents the career statistics for the NYU Stern MBA class of 2023.
See the full report: NYU Stern MBA 2023-2024 Employment Report

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NYU Stern MBA Academic Programs 

MBA Curriculum

NYU Stern’s two-year MBA curriculum offers students a large degree of flexibility in their course selection. Only two of the core courses you will take in the first year of the program are required, while the rest of the class selection is customizable to varying degrees. In the first year of the MBA, students complete seven classes as part of the core curriculum. Two of the seven courses, Financial Accounting and Reporting and Statistics and Data Analysis are required. The remaining five core courses are selected out of a group of seven classes. Students begin taking electives during the second year of the program. NYU Stern offers an array of over 200 electives, some of which cover topics such as Digital Strategy, Healthcare Markets, Investor Relations Strategy, Programming in Python, and Advertising.

See the full offering of courses: NYU Stern MBA Course Index

Majors

While NYU Stern does not require a major as part of the MBA, students can elect to specialize in up to three of 20 subject areas, including Real Estate, FinTech, Entertainment and Media, Tech Product Management, and Corporate Finance.

Experiential Learning Programs

At NYU Stern, students can gain hands-on experience through one of three channels. By participating in various courses and projects, such as the NYU Stern Consulting Corps, students can practically apply the business skills gained in the classroom. Students can also get involved in live investment funds or apply to a fellowship program to create their own summer internship experience.

Research Centers

NYU Stern hosts a total of 15 research centers and initiatives. In addition, students can take advantage of the 10 academic departments within the school of business.

MBA International Study Programs

NYU Stern offers the international study experience both through intensive one to two-week long courses in countries like Argentina and India, as well as semester-long exchanges. The academic and community clubs on campus also organize a spring break trip to various international locations.

Video Resources on NYU Stern Academics

NYU Stern MBA Application

The latest application requirements set by the NYU Stern MBA admissions office are described below.

Essays

Here are the prompts for NYU Stern’s most recent application:

Personal Essays

  • Personal Expression (a.k.a. “Pick Six”)
    Personal Expression (a.k.a. “Pick Six”) Introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. The Pick Six is a way to share more about the qualities you will bring to the Stern community, beyond your professional and academic achievements. Your uploaded PDF should contain all of the following elements:
  • A brief introduction or overview of your “Pick Six” (no more than 3 sentences).
  • Six images that help illustrate your interests, values, motivations, perspective and/or personality.
  • A one-sentence caption for each of the six images that helps explain why they were selected and are significant to you.

    Note: Your visuals may include photos, infographics, drawings, or any other images that best describe you. Your document must be uploaded as a single PDF. The essay cannot be sent in physical form or be linked to a website.

Career Goals Essay

  • What are your short-term career goals? (150 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

Behavioral Essay

  • In today’s global business environment, the only constant is change. Using NYU Stern’s brand call to action, we want to know how you view change. Change: _____ it. Fill in the blank with a word of your choice. Why does this word resonate with you? How will you embrace your own personal tagline while at Stern? Examples:
    • Change: Dare it.
    • Change: Dream it.
    • Change: Drive it.
    • Change: Empower it.
    • Change: Manifest it.
    • Change: [Any word of your choice.]
      (350 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

Optional Essay

  • Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s), plans to retake the GMAT, GRE, EA, IELTS or TOEFL, or any other relevant information. (250 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

Read more: MBA Essays: Tips for NYU Stern

Video Resources on NYU Stern Admissions

NYU Stern MBA Admissions Interviews

Interviews for NYU Stern can be conducted through video call or phone or in person at the NYC or Shanghai campuses. Your interview will be conducted by an admissions officer, who will have read your application before the interview. Final decisions are made within three weeks of the interview.

For more on this, see our NYU Stern MBA Interview Guide.

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What Makes NYU Stern Unique?

  • NYU places a high emphasis on EQ, the Emotional Quotient. They look for strong interpersonal skills in their applicants, which ensures that you will find students with a high EQ in the Stern community.
  • Stern’s support for entrepreneurship is vast and growing. With NYC at their disposal for experiential learning, MBA students interested in Entrepreneurship and Innovation will find plenty of resources at NYU Stern.
  • Stern’s MBA salaries are on the rise; the median MBA earnings are currently at an all time high of $155,000.
  • NYU Stern has excellent job placements into consulting and investment banking. 37% of Stern MBA graduates go into consulting and 22% into investment banking.

MBA admissions consulting can provide invaluable insights and strategies to enhance your application to the NYU Stern MBA program. Explore how our expert consultants can elevate your chances of acceptance.

*All data retrieved from the NYU Stern MBA Program webpages, unless otherwise stated.

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