I will teach you how to bring your life stories to essays faster with F1GMAT's essay guides. Download below or subscribe to F1GMAT's Service and work with me - Atul Jose, Author/Editor/Founding Consultant, F1GMAT(16 Years of helping applicants gain admissions to M7 and Top 30 schools) In this in-depth class profile comparison of Haas, Ross, and Duke Fuqua MBA – three popular programs for international applicants, we cover:
• Class Size
• Work Experience
• GMAT and GPA
• Gender Representation
• International Students
• Undergraduate Majors
• Pre-MBA Industry
Class Size
Duke Fuqua boasts the largest class size with 427 students, reflecting its capacity to accommodate a wide range of candidates.
Ross follows with 396 students, offering a similarly expansive cohort.
Haas, with 295 students, maintains a smaller, more intimate class size, aligning with its boutique approach to business education.
While all three programs provide global perspectives, Fuqua’s larger cohort size might create a more extensive network, whereas Haas offers a closer-knit community with a strong presence at Berkeley and Silicon Valley.
Work Experience
All three programs feature experienced cohorts, with Ross and Fuqua reporting an average of six years of work experience and Haas slightly trailing behind at 5.66 years. The uptick in the average age is a strategy to compete with M7 schools that typically take candidates with 5 years of experience.
GMAT and GPA
Haas leads in academic metrics with a median GMAT score of 730 and a median GPA of 3.65, reflecting its reputation for academic excellence.
Ross follows with a GMAT median of 728 and a lower GPA of 3.42, indicating a more holistic approach to admissions.
Fuqua has the lowest GMAT median of 710 and a GPA of 3.53 that falls in between the two peer schools.
Gender Representation: Fuqua’s Strength in Inclusivity
Duke Fuqua sets the benchmark for gender diversity, with 51% women in its class - a majority that underscores the school’s commitment to inclusivity.
Haas follows – 9% behind Fuqua while Ross at 40% had a tough balancing act between retaining a higher male international class with the right balance of US minorities.
International Students
Ross leads in international student representation, with 44% of its class hailing from outside the United States. Fuqua closely follows with 41%, emphasizing its reach, predominantly in China and India.
Haas, at 38%, provides a much lower representation of international students. These numbers highlight all three schools’ commitment to cultivating a global perspective, though Ross’s edge may attract candidates seeking the most geographically diverse peer group.
Overall, Ross and Fuqua cater to larger, more experienced cohorts, with Ross excelling in international diversity and Fuqua leading in gender representation.
Haas distinguishes itself with a smaller, academically elite cohort that fosters close connections.
Undergraduate Majors
Business and Economics: Fuqua Leads in Business Orientation
Duke Fuqua slightly edges out other programs with 40% of its students coming from Business and Economics backgrounds, demonstrating its strong appeal to candidates with prior business-oriented academic foundations.
Ross follows closely at 39%, emphasizing its balanced focus on business and related fields.
Haas, with 35%, takes a more diversified approach, potentially appealing to candidates with engineering degrees and technology backgrounds.
Humanities and Social Sciences: Similar Representation Across Programs
Haas and Fuqua share an equal representation of Humanities and Social Sciences graduates at 19%, suggesting comparable interest in candidates with creative and analytical skills.
Ross is ahead at 23%, signaling its openness to candidates with diverse perspectives from liberal arts and social science backgrounds. The representation explains Ross’ success in positioning itself as a consulting school with applicants leveraging peer to peer consulting experience.
STEM Representation: Haas Leads the Pack
Haas excels in attracting STEM graduates, with 41% of its class coming from technical and quantitative disciplines, reflecting its strong alignment with the technology industry.
Ross and Fuqua follow closely at 38%, maintaining significant representation from STEM fields.
Overall, Fuqua’s emphasis on Business and Economics makes it an excellent choice for applicants with a strong business foundation.
Ross offers balanced diversity across all categories, making it attractive to candidates seeking interdisciplinary exposure. Haas shines in its STEM focus, making it ideal for those aiming for careers in tech-driven industries.
Pre-MBA Industry
Consulting: Haas Takes the Lead
Haas leads the charge in attracting students from Consulting backgrounds, with 23% of its class hailing from this industry.
Fuqua and Ross follow closely with 18% and 17%, respectively, reflecting the school’s strong record of placing candidates in the Consulting industry as career switchers.
Technology: Haas Shines Again
Haas excels in recruiting candidates from the Technology sector, with 21% of its class representing this field. Ross and Fuqua both stand at 14%.
Haas’ incoming class from Technology adds to the 30% and above technology industry offers the school typically facilitates
Financial Services: Ross Stands Out
Ross leads in attracting candidates from Financial services, with 21% of its cohort having pre-MBA experience in the industry, presumably international male applicants.
Interestingly, fewer percentage enter the industry post-MBA. The growth in offers (17% this year from the 15% previous years ) is a trend across peer schools
Fuqua follows closely at 19%, emphasizing its strong Finance network.
Haas, at 17%, also maintains a good presence, to mitigate the risk of slowdown in the technology and consulting industry.
Related:
• Find the Consulting, Technology and Financial Services placement trends (Berkeley Haas)(3 Years)
• Find the Consulting, Technology and Financial Services placement trends (Ross)(3 Years)
• Find the Consulting, Technology and Financial Services placement trends (Duke Fuqua)(3 Years)
Healthcare: Fuqua’s Strength
Healthcare professionals are more prominent at Fuqua, comprising 11% of its class, signaling the school’s healthcare management programs.
Ross and Haas have smaller yet meaningful representation at 8% and 6%, respectively.
Government and Non-Profit: Haas Dominates
Haas leads significantly in drawing candidates from government and non-profit sectors, with 11% of its class. This reflects Haas's focus on social impact and leadership in mission-driven roles. Fuqua and Ross trail at 7% and 4%, respectively, suggesting a more traditional business emphasis.
Manufacturing: Ross; Military and Energy – Ross and Haas at 5%; Fuqua – Healthcare, Retail and Financial Services
Ross has a strong showing in Manufacturing, with 14% of its cohort coming from the sector, indicating its appeal to candidates with operational and industrial expertise. In contrast, Fuqua and Haas focus more on retail and e-commerce, with 8% and 3%, respectively.
Energy and military sectors see similar representation at Ross and Haas, at 5% each, while Fuqua lacks data in these categories. The change in Duke Fuqua is a notable shift as traditionally, the percentage of military applicants tends to be in double digits.
Overall, Haas emerges as a leader in representing Consulting, Technology, and Government/non-profit sectors, maintaining a balance in class composition
Ross dominates Financial Services and Manufacturing, balancing broader market demands and local demand from Manufacturing applicants.
Fuqua's strengths lie in attracting Healthcare and Financial Services applicants.
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