The Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) is a leading business school with special strengths in private equity and venture capital, entrepreneurship and social impact. Although it compares unfavorably to Harvard Business School (HBS) in certain metrics–as of 2019, its endowment is reported by Poets&Quants to be nearly $2 Billion lower, and HBS, thanks in part to its larger enrollment, consistently produces more CEOs, cabinet members, and other alumni in powerful positions–Stanford GSB is actually the most selective business school.
This low acceptance rate means that even if you are a great applicant, you are not guaranteed a place. Dean Emeritus Robert Joss famously remarked that he could “double the size of the incoming MBA class without even touching the quality,” and the corollary of this statement is that a large number of very well qualified applicants will be rejected each year.
As any MBA program does, Stanford wants to be appreciated for more than it’s historical reputation (for entrepreneurship, in this case). Stanford applicants would be well-advised to understand the school’s culture of emotional sharing (or over-sharing), giving feedback to each other, and pursuing a humanistic approach to business that relies on understanding the relationships between people. This may be good news for you if you’re a humanities major– Stanford admits far more people from this group than peer schools.
This profile lays out the basic facts about Stanford GSB and the resources you’ll need to further research the program.
For fast facts on getting into the Stanford MBA program see, Your Chances at Stanford GSB: Acceptance Rate & Other Factors.
| Acceptance Rate | 7% |
| Class Size | 436 |
| GPA Average | 3.80 |
| Average Age | Does not disclose |
| Avg. Years Work Experience | 4.7 years |
| Diversity Intl. | 35% |
| Pre-MBA Industries | Investment Management, PE & VC: 20% Consulting: 17% Technology: 14% Government, Education & Nonprofit: 8% Arts, Media & Entertainment: 7% Consumer Products & Services: 7% Health Care: 7% Financial Services: 5% Clean Tech, Energy & Environmental: 4% Military: 4% Manufacturing: 2% Other: 5% |
| Undergraduate Majors | Humanities, Social Sciences: 44% Engineering, Math & Natural Sciences: 37% Business: 18% |
The data above is from 2020 and represents the Stanford MBA class of 2022.* (Note: Acceptance rate is an estimate.)
See the full report: Stanford GSB Class Profile
| Salary Average | $190,095.00 |
| Offers Upon Graduation | 72% |
| Offers At 3 Mos. | 91% |
| Post-MBA Industries | Finance: 34% Private Equity: 15% Venture Capital: 9% Investment Management: 7% Investment Banking: 1% Other: 2% Technology: 28% Enterprise: 13% Consumer: 11% Other: 4% Consulting: 15% Consumer Products: 4% Healthcare: 4% Media/Entertainment: 3% Real Estate: 3% Energy: 1% Hospitality/Travel: 1% NonProfit: 1% Retail: 1% Transportation & Logistics: 1% Government: 0% Other: 4% |
| Post-MBA Locations | United States: 90% Mid-Atlantic: 1% Midwest: 2% Northeast: 20% South: 3% Southwest: 4% West: 60% Non-US: 10% |
| Post-MBA Companies | Does not disclose |
| Career Development Resources |
The data above is from 2021 and represents the career statistics for the Stanford MBA class of 2020.* (Note: Salary Average is a total of Salary + Signing Bonus.)
See the full report: Stanford Graduate School of Business MBA Employment Report
The Stanford MBA program curriculum is segmented into 6 quarters: the autumn, winter, and spring quarters of year one, and the autumn, winter, and spring quarters of year two. The GSB required curriculum spans over the first year of the program, where students take fixed core classes in the autumn quarter, and select from a limited variety of classes during the winter and spring quarters. Students must also complete one Global Experience requirement. GSB’s elective curriculum allows students to choose from at least 100 courses in their second year. These courses vary by year. Some of the current courses offered at Stanford are Strategic Philanthropy and Impact Investing, Media Entrepreneurship, Investing for Good, Strategic Pivoting for your Next Chapter, and Making Social Ventures Happen by Attracting Financial and Human Capital.
Explore the full list of course offerings: Stanford GSB course bulletin
The Stanford MBA leads to a comprehensive general management degree. Although GSB does not offer majors, students choose their electives from nine different academic areas:
GSB offers a range of opportunities through their Social Entrepreneurship Program and the Stanford GSB Impact Fund.
GSB has seven research initiatives and two research centers:
GSB requires students to complete at least one global experience in their first year. Students can choose from four experiences.
GSB also allows students to create their own independent study or global internship.
Coming from private equity, Alex knew he wanted to continue to build his career. A top-tier MBA was almost a prerequisite for his advancement: the degree would sharpen his leadership acumen, lay a knowledge foundation for him to build his own fund in the future, and help him establish a network that would support him throughout his entire career.
Hear how he navigated the MBA application process and ultimately won a spot in the Stanford GSB MBA Class of 2022.
The latest application requirements set by the Stanford Graduate School of Business MBA admissions office are described in the links below.
For years, Stanford GSB has asked applicants the same two essay questions:
Although these essays appear quite different, a great application often connects Essay A with Essay B. Pursuing a career that relates to the most important things in your life is a big plus at Stanford.
We discuss how to write a great Essay A at What Matters Most to You, and Why?.
The 2020-2021 Stanford GSB recommender questions are as follows:
The majority of admissions interviews are conducted by Stanford GSB alumni. Interviewers are trained to focus especially on behavioral questions, asking numerous follow-up questions to understand exactly what you did in each situation and why. Interview reports from our clients indicate that the variability from interviewer to interviewer in terms of length, style and content is high.
Read more: The MBA Interview for Stanford Graduate School of Business
Touchy Feely: This incredibly popular course about interpersonal dynamics is the single most famous aspect of the Stanford GSB. Be warned–it is difficult to say anything fresh about this topic in your essays!
Stanford University’s Six Other Schools: Stanford’s campus is designed with the GSB at the center, with the other graduate schools radiating outward from it. Many GSB students take courses at these schools, or design programs at the d.school.
TALK: This is a forum for Stanford students to speak publicly to their classmates about highly intimate personal stories. You won’t find a homepage for this club with recordings of previous sessions–but some Googling for “Stanford GSB TALK” will bring back more information about this tradition.
*All data retrieved from the Stanford GSB MBA Program webpages, unless otherwise stated.