Top 50 MBA Programs - Women Percentage (2025) | F1GMAT MBA Admissions Consulting, Essay Editing and Interview Prep

Understanding the priorities of female MBA applicants provides valuable insights into how business schools can better cater to their needs. The latest GMAC Prospective Student Survey highlights key differences in preferences between male and female candidates, particularly in areas such as equity and inclusion, sustainability, program format preferences, industry interests, and curricular focus areas.

In this analysis of the top MBA programs for Women, preferences of women MBA applicants, and career trends in Venture Capital, Technology, Private Equity and Investment Banking, we cover:

Female prospective students demonstrate a stronger inclination towards social responsibility compared to their male counterparts. On analyzing social consciousness based on three factors - Equity and Inclusion, Sustainability and Health & Well-being, we found out:

• Equity and Inclusion: 81% of women consider equity and inclusion important or very important in their academic experience, compared to 61% of men. However, this does not significantly impact school selection, as men and women are equally likely to rule out schools that do not prioritize these values.

• Sustainability: 35% of women consider sustainability to be very important, compared to 27% of men. Interestingly, Millennials (72%) are slightly more concerned with sustainability than Gen Z candidates (66%). Despite these concerns, neither men nor women overwhelmingly cite sustainability as a dealbreaker when choosing a business school.

• Health and Well-being: Women (42%) are more likely than men (33%) to emphasize the importance of well-being in their academic journey. However, this also does not translate into a significant gender gap in school selection criteria.

Industry and Career Preferences

Career aspirations among MBA applicants are often shaped by broader industry trends, personal interests, and long-term professional goals. While men and women share common interests, there are noticeable differences in the industries they aim to enter post-MBA.

Female applicants demonstrate a higher inclination towards industries that are consumer-centric and socially impactful, such as consumer products, media and communication, and the nonprofit sector. These fields align with women’s strength in extraversion and social impact-driven goals. On the other hand, men show a statistically higher interest in financial services, investment banking, and technology, industries traditionally associated with high-income potential and quantitative skill sets.

The divergence in industry preferences is also reflected in curricular choices.

Women are more inclined toward leadership and change management courses, as well as international business studies, which align with their career interests in marketing, brand management, and social entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, men prioritize finance, economics, and AI-related coursework, reinforcing their interest in finance and tech-driven careers. These differences highlight the need for business schools to offer customized career support and curriculum pathways that cater to the unique aspirations of female candidates while also ensuring balanced representation in traditionally male-dominated industries.

Program Delivery Preferences

Flexibility in program delivery has become an increasingly important factor for many MBA applicants, but women applicants have shown a stronger preference for hybrid learning models compared to men. In 2023, 20% of female prospective students expressed a preference for hybrid MBA programs, compared to 15% of men. The preference for hybrid learning reflects broader work-life balance considerations, particularly for women who may be managing career transitions, caregiving responsibilities, or entrepreneurial ventures. Hybrid programs allow for greater flexibility in managing coursework while maintaining professional and personal commitments, making them an attractive option for women seeking a more adaptable approach to graduate management education.

For business schools looking to attract and retain more female students, expanding hybrid and blended learning options could be an effective strategy.

Curriculum Priorities: Marketing vs. Finance, AI, and STEM

Both men and women rank strategy and analytics as their top curricular preferences. However, key differences exist in other subject areas:

• Marketing and Social Impact: Women are more likely to prioritize marketing, brand/product management, and social impact-related courses.

• Finance and AI: Men show greater interest in finance, economics, and AI-related courses.

• STEM-Certified Programs: While interest in STEM-certified programs is rising across both genders, the increase among men (from 28% in 2019 to 42% in 2023) is sharper than among women (27% to 35%).

Declining Interest in Master of Accounting Degrees

One of the more striking trends observed in the survey is the declining interest in Master of Accounting degrees among female candidates, particularly in regions that historically had strong enrolments in this function.

In Greater China, the proportion of women considering a Master of Accounting degree has dropped from 40% in 2014 to just 26% in 2023, marking a significant shift in educational preferences. Similarly, in the United States, interest among female candidates fell from 22% in 2014 to just 9% in 2023. The decline may be attributed to several factors, including the evolving job market, a shift in interest toward more versatile business degrees, and the rising appeal of tech-driven finance careers. While accounting remains a fundamental business discipline, many prospective female candidates are now exploring degrees that are relatively immune to technology disruption.

Gender Disparities in AI and STEM Representation

The gender gap in AI and STEM-related interests is evident in MBA candidates’ curriculum preferences:

•    AI in GME Curricula: 42% of men consider AI essential in their MBA program, compared to 37% of women.
•    STEM Backgrounds: Women remain underrepresented in business, economics, engineering, and science/mathematics majors—fields that traditionally show higher interest in AI and STEM-based courses.
•    The lower representation of women in STEM and AI is not necessarily due to lack of interest but structural barriers in education and labor markets, limiting early participation in these fields.

Women in Business

Over the past two decades, women have made significant strides in the business world. When research on gender parity in senior management roles began, only 19.4% of these positions were held by women. Today, that number has increased to 33.5%.

While this progress is noteworthy, it remains slow. If the current rate of change persists, it will take until 2053 for women to achieve parity in senior management roles. This timeline highlights the need for a concentrated effort to bring flexibility into work culture and curriculum.

Leadership Roles: Shifting Dynamics

While the overall percentage of women in senior management is increasing, certain leadership roles are experiencing setbacks. The percentage of female CEOs, for example, has dropped significantly from 28% last year to just 19% today. Several factors contribute to this decline, including public pressure, caregiving responsibilities, and the expectation that female CEOs must conform to traditionally male leadership styles. However, other business roles have seen notable improvements. Since 2012, the percentage of women in roles such as HR Director, CFO, and Sales Director has significantly increased. The data underscores that while progress is happening, it is uneven, and some leadership roles remain particularly challenging for women to break into and sustain.

Business Role	Percentage of women in business roles (2012)	Percentage of women in business roles (2024)
Chief Executive Officer	5%	19%
Chief Operating Officer	6%	23%
Chief Finance Officer	12%	39%
Chief Information Officer	2%	21%
Human Resources Director	11%	46%
Corporate Controller	1%	12%
Sales Director	4%	26%
Partner	2%	8%
Chairperson	0	9%

Women in Business - A Global Perspective

The percentage of women in senior management roles varies significantly across regions and countries. Legislative and cultural factors have played a crucial role in shaping these differences.

• Ireland: Since 2021, the percentage of senior management positions held by women has increased from 33% to 36%.

• Asia-Pacific: Performance in this region falls below the global benchmark, though there are outliers. The Philippines has consistently maintained a high percentage, starting at 39% in 2004, while Japan has improved from 8% to 19% over the same period.

• India: One of the most remarkable progress stories - India has seen an increase from 12% in 2004 to 34% in 2024. This shift is largely attributed to higher education levels among women and increased workforce participation.

• Spain: Another success story, Spain has risen from 14% in 2004 to 40% in 2024.

• Latin America: This region leads with 36% of senior management positions held by women, driven in part by government initiatives promoting workplace gender equality. However, disparities remain, with 12% of businesses having no female senior leaders at all.

• European Union: With the upcoming 2026 EU Directive on Gender Pay, efforts to standardize equal pay for equal work may help reduce disparities among member states.

Region/Country	Percentage of Women in Senior Management (2021)	Percentage of Women in Senior Management (2024)
Ireland	33%	36%
Asia-Pacific	Below global average	30%
Philippines	39% (2004)	Consistently high
Japan	8% (2004)	19%
India	12% (2004)	34%
Spain	14% (2004)	40%
Latin America	36%	36%
European Union	N/A	33%

Pathways to Parity: Strategies That Work

The path to achieving gender parity in business leadership is clear, but it requires deliberate action. Our research reveals three key strategies for accelerating progress:

Leadership Commitment to DE&I

When a senior leader of any gender champions diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) alongside a female leader, women’s representation in senior management increases. The best combination occurs when a Chief Information Officer (CIO) partners with a female senior leader, raising the percentage of women in senior management to 39%.

A Dedicated DE&I Strategy

Companies that have a DE&I strategy separate from their broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy have the highest percentage of senior management roles held by women (38%). Without a DE&I strategy, this number drops to 28%.

Rethinking Return-to-Office Mandates

A growing trend of businesses returning to office-based work threatens to undo progress. Businesses with male CEOs are more likely to enforce return-to-office policies, with 50% requiring primarily office-based work compared to 40% of female-led businesses. This shift could disproportionately impact women, who often benefit from hybrid or remote work models due to caregiving responsibilities.

Roles	Percentage of roles that lead and have responsibility for DE&I
Chief Executive Officer /Managing Director	38%
Human Resources Director	28.3%
Chief Operating Officer	21%
Chief Diversity Officer	15.2%
Chief Finance Officer	12.8%
Chief Information Officer	9.61%
Chief Marketing Officer	6.6%

Moving Forward: The Call for Action

Despite progress, the journey toward gender parity in business leadership remains slow. Without proactive measures, not only will progress stagnate, but there is also a real risk of regression. Businesses have an opportunity to take actionable steps to ensure that women continue to rise in leadership roles. By fostering inclusive leadership, implementing focused DE&I strategies, and creating work environments that accommodate diverse needs, companies can accelerate progress and create a future where gender parity in leadership is not just an aspiration but a reality.

Women in Finance (IB/PE)

The financial sector has long been characterized by a gender imbalance, particularly in its upper echelons. Despite women comprising a significant portion of the workforce in finance and banking, their representation diminishes markedly at senior levels. In investment banking (IB) and private equity (PE), the factor most contributing to gender disparity is the career break women experience with child care.

Current Reality of Women in Finance

At the entry-level, women constitute approximately 52% of the finance and banking industry. However, this representation declines with each ascending rung of the corporate ladder. In the C-suite role, women account for only 27% of executives, with women of color represented at just 4%. As of 2024, women held a mere 10.4% of CEO positions among Fortune 500 companies, 9% within Russell 3000 companies, and 7.8% in S&P 500 firms.

Category	Women's Representation
Entry-level finance roles	52%
C-suite executives (white women)	23%
C-suite executives (women of color)	4%
Fortune 500 CEO positions	10.4%
Russell 3000 CEO positions	9%
S&P 500 CEO positions	7.8%

Representation in Investment Banking and Private Equity

The underrepresentation of women is particularly pronounced in sectors like investment banking and private equity. As of 2022, only about 15% of VCs who write cheques were women, and companies founded by women accounted for a mere 2% of all venture capital investments.

In private equity, women held just 21% of managing director–level operating positions by the end of 2022. Despite these figures, there has been a concerted effort to improve diversity, with women holding 48% of all entry-level roles in private equity and 35% of junior-level investment jobs - a 10% increase since 2016.

Investment Banking

Women remain significantly underrepresented in investment banking, particularly in leadership roles. While efforts to improve gender diversity have gained traction, the numbers reveal a persistent gap, especially at senior levels.

Globally, a study across 29 markets found that women held 0% of Head of Investment Banking positions, only 9% of Chief Investment Officer roles, and 9% of Head of Research positions. In the U.S., gender diversity in senior management varies by bank.

Wells Fargo leads with 41.9% female executives, followed by Citigroup (41.74%) and Bank of America (39%). However, representation declines as one moves up the investment banking hierarchy. Women account for 30% of analysts, but this figure drops progressively to 6% at the managing director level.

These figures highlight the barriers women face in advancing within investment banking. While entry-level representation has improved, the industry still struggles with retaining and promoting women into senior roles. Addressing this gap requires sustained efforts in mentorship, sponsorship, and workplace policies that support long-term career growth for women in finance.

Private Equity

A comprehensive study by Columbia Business School analyzed 661 U.S. private equity firms and revealed that as of 2023, women constitute approximately 22% of all investment professionals. However, their presence diminishes at higher ranks, with women holding only 6% of senior-level positions. Notably, 349 of these firms had no women in senior roles, and 31% had entirely male investment teams.

In Europe, the 2024 Level 20 report indicated that female representation in private equity rose from 20% in 2022 to 24%. Senior investment roles occupied by women increased from 10% to 14% during the same period. However, disparities persist globally with seniority levels and firm sizes.

To address these issues, initiatives like mentorship programs, diversity-focused recruitment, and the establishment of funds targeting women-led ventures have emerged. For instance, Nell Daly launched a £50 million investment fund in London, aiming to support female entrepreneurs in the UK.

Impact of Business School Enrollments

Business school enrollments offer insight into future gender parity trends in finance. In 2023 and 2024, women accounted for 42% of all full-time MBA students, up from 31.8% in 2011 – a milestone that could address gender parity at senior levels.

Gender Pay Gap in Finance

The finance sector exhibits a significant gender pay gap. According to Payscale's 2024 Gender Pay Gap Report, women in finance and insurance earned 77 cents for every dollar earned by men—a 23% gap, the largest among 15 industries surveyed. Interestingly, women over 50 in finance earned more than their male counterparts, with average salaries of $443,800 compared to $206,366 for men. This disparity is attributed to women being more prevalent in roles with greater longevity, such as compliance, operations, and risk, where salaries increase with tenure.

Notable Female Leaders in Finance

Despite these challenges, several women have risen to prominent positions in finance, serving as catalysts for change and inspiring others:

• Lori Beer: As Global Chief Information Officer at JPMorgan Chase & Co., Beer oversees a $14 billion budget and leads over 55,000 technicians. Her leadership has earned her recognition among Barron's Most Important Women in US Finance.

• Mary Callahan Erdoes: CEO of Asset and Wealth Management at JPMorgan Chase & Co., Erdoes has steered her division through challenging times, attracting clients seeking stability.

• Gina Nichols: Chief Information Security Officer at Nymbus, Nichols brings over 22 years of technical experience to her role, contributing to the modernization of financial services.

• Thasunda Brown Duckett: As President and CEO of TIAA, Duckett leads a company with $1.3 trillion in assets under management, focusing on promoting retirement savings and financial security.

Challenges and Future Outlook in Finance

The underrepresentation of women in senior finance roles can be attributed to a lack of role models and mentorship, insufficient managerial support, and concerns about work-life balance. Additionally, the polarizing climate around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) threatens to jeopardize the gains made by women in recent years. For instance, Lloyds Banking Group recently reduced the scope of its diversity target used for determining bonuses, shifting focus from broader inclusivity initiatives to diversity in executive roles only.

Projections indicate that by 2030, the proportion of women in leadership roles within financial services firms is expected to grow to 28%, up from 24% today. While this suggests progress, it also underscores the need for sustained efforts to address the structural barriers hindering women's advancement in finance.

Women in Venture Capital

Women have made significant strides in the venture capital (VC) ecosystem, both as founders and investors. However, their participation remains uneven, with persistent disparities in funding, representation, and opportunities. While female-founded startups raised a record $38.8 billion in 2024, their overall share of VC funding declined. Similarly, women continue to be underrepresented in decision-making roles at VC firms.

We explore the state of women in venture capital, examining their progress, the challenges they face, and the potential pathways for greater inclusion.

Female Founders: Funding Trends and Challenges

Female founders saw an increase in total funding in 2024, but this progress was tempered by a decline in the number of deals. The data highlights a shift toward larger financings for select companies, while early-stage startups, particularly those led by women, struggled to secure investments.

Female Founders	2024	YoY Change
Total Funding for Female Founders	$38.8 billion	27%
Deal Count Decline	13.1% decrease	-13.1%
Female-Founded Unicorns	13 new unicorns	Up from 2023
Female Share of VC Exits	24.3%	Record high

Despite positive trends in funding growth and exits, female-founded companies received a smaller share of total VC investments. The contraction in deal volume suggests that while successful female-led startups are attracting larger investments, the broader landscape remains challenging.

Representation in VC Leadership

The presence of women in VC firms, particularly in decision-making roles, remains limited. Women accounted for only 17.3% of decision-makers at VC firms managing at least $50 million in assets under management (AUM), a figure that has remained largely stagnant. Smaller firms (AUM under $50 million) had a slightly higher representation at 19.5%, but the increase was marginal from the previous year.

Progression in VC careers takes time, and the challenges in fundraising over the past two years have made it harder for new firms, particularly those with female leadership, to establish themselves. The lack of female representation in senior VC roles directly impacts funding opportunities for female founders, as research shows that female investors are more likely to fund women-led startups.

The Role of Female Angel Investors

Angel investors play a critical role in early-stage funding, but the number of female angel investors in the US market has declined to its lowest level in over a decade. Institutional VC firms or family offices appear to be the preferred investment route, reflecting the heightened risk aversion in the market. Despite this decline, female angel investors continued to support female founders, with 35% of female-founder deals involving a female angel investor—a small but positive trend reversal.

The Rise of Female-Founded Unicorns

Female-founded unicorns performed exceptionally well in 2024, with their collective valuation surpassing $300 billion, marking a 15.3% year-over-year increase. Notably, the time taken for female-founded companies to reach unicorn status fell from nearly seven years to just under five years, outpacing the overall US market.

A significant factor in this trend is the rise of AI-driven businesses, where female founders have capitalized on investor interest. Additionally, at least seven of the top 15 female-founded unicorns were led by repeat founders, highlighting the importance of experience in securing funding and scaling businesses.

Investment Trends: Where Women Are Putting Their Capital

Women in VC are increasingly investing in technology-driven sectors, with FinTech, AI/ML, SaaS, and Healthcare emerging as top priorities.

Sector	Percentage of Women Investors
FinTech	22%
AI/ML	19%
SaaS	18%
Consumer	18%
Healthcare	17%
Enterprise	15%

This investment trend indicates that women investors are focusing on high-growth, innovative industries, which could drive long-term changes in the startup landscape.

Gender Bias in VC Funding: The Second-Time Founder Disadvantage

Research by Yale SOM’s Heather Tookes sheds light on gender bias in VC funding, particularly for second-time founders. Women represent only 16% of first-time VC-backed entrepreneurs, and their representation decreases to 9% for second-time founders and 4% for third-time founders.

Tookes' research, which compares male and female co-founders of the same startup, finds no evidence that female-led companies perform worse in terms of exits. However, women founders are 30% less likely to raise VC funding for their next business after a failure and 18% less likely after a success, indicating a persistent bias in investor sentiments.

Women-owned Businesses

Women-owned businesses are a vital and growing force in the U.S. economy. In 2024, the number of women-owned employer firms generating over $1 million in annual revenue is projected to reach 272,567. These enterprises collectively contribute $2.2 trillion to the economy and provide 9.4 million jobs. Despite their immense economic contributions, women entrepreneurs continue to face structural challenges, including access to capital, gender bias, and scaling difficulties.

This section explores the role of high-revenue women-owned businesses, their impact, the persistent gender disparities, and the necessary steps for fostering their continued growth.

The Impact of $1M+ Women-Owned Businesses

Women-owned businesses generating over $1 million annually are crucial for the economy. They account for 78.6% of all revenue from women-owned employer firms and 73.2% of all jobs created by these firms in 2024. The presence of these businesses highlights both the success of women entrepreneurs and the hurdles they overcame to sustain and expand their ventures.

Category	Women-Owned Employers ($1M+)	Men-Owned Employers ($1M+)
Share of total employer revenue	78.6%	91.2%
Share of total jobs created	73.2%	88.9%

Overcoming Barriers: How Women Entrepreneurs Beat the Odds

Scaling a business beyond the $1 million mark is a significant challenge. Only 1.9% of all women-owned businesses reach this milestone, compared to 5.4% of all men-owned businesses. Men-owned businesses outnumber women in this category by more than five times and generate nearly seven times the total revenue.

The Gender Gap in High-Earning Employers

Only 13.7% of employer firms earning over $1 million annually are women-owned, while men-owned businesses make up 54.9%. This disparity stems from:

•    Unequal access to capital: Women receive lower funding amounts and face higher loan rejection rates.
•    Industry concentration: Many women-owned businesses operate in lower-revenue sectors.
•    Limited mentorship and networks: Fewer high-level business connections hinder scaling opportunities.

These systemic issues significantly slow down the revenue growth of women-led firms, making it harder to compete with male-owned businesses.

Growth Trends and Challenges in 2024

Despite challenges, women-owned $1M+ employer firms have demonstrated higher growth rates than men-owned businesses over the past five years. However, in 2024, this momentum slowed significantly. Women entrepreneurs faced additional obstacles due to economic instability, rising interest rates, and inflation. These factors disproportionately affected women-owned businesses, slowing revenue growth and creating additional barriers to scaling.

Growth Metric (2019-2024)	Women-Owned Firms ($1M+)	Men-Owned Firms ($1M+)
Business Growth Rate	9.9%	1.3%
Employment Growth Rate	Higher than men’s	Lower than women’s
Revenue Growth Rate	Slowed significantly in 2024	Increased in 2024

Unique Barriers for Women of Color in Business Ownership

While all women face hurdles, women of color experience even greater barriers to scaling their business, from systemic wealth gaps and lack of access to capital.

• Black/African American women (13% of all women) own only 4.4% of $1M+ businesses.
• Hispanic/Latino women (19% of all women) own just 7.8% of $1M+ businesses.

Self-funding is often essential for business growth, but wealth disparities make this significantly harder for women of color.

Addressing these inequities requires targeted financial support and expanded access to mentorship and business networks.

Decline in the Percentage of Women Founders

In 2024, the percentage of new women founders on Carta, a platform for fundraising declined slightly, falling from 14.5% to 14.3%. The highest recorded percentage of women founders was in 2020 at 15.9%, after steady growth from 2016 to 2020.

Year	Women	Men
2016	13.8%	86.2%
2017	13.8%	86.2%
2018	14.9%	85.1%
2019	14.9%	85.1%
2020	15.9%	84.1%
2021	15%	85%
2022	15.5%	84.5%
2023	14.5%	85.5%
2024	14.3%	85.7%

Gender Diversity Across Age Groups

Gender diversity among founders varies by age. While women represent 18.4% of founders in their 30s, the percentage drops among younger entrepreneurs.

Only 14.9% of founders in their 20s are women, indicating a decline in gender diversity among the youngest startup generation.

For older founders, the proportion remains lower, with women making up 15.5% in their 40s, 14.6% in their 50s, and just 12.7% among founders over 60.

Industry Representation of Women Founders

Women founders continue to be most prevalent in the education, consumer, health tech, and pharma/biotech sectors. In 2024, 22.4% of all education-sector startup founders were women, the highest of any major industry.

While women remain underrepresented in SaaS, fintech, energy, and hardware, 2024 saw an increase in female founders in all four industries. The fintech sector experienced the most notable growth, with women comprising 15% of founders, up from 11.3% in 2023.

Composition of Founder Teams

The percentage of all-female founding teams declined for the second consecutive year, dropping to 7.2% in 2024. Mixed-gender founding teams also decreased for the fourth straight year, down to 16.2%. Conversely, all-male founding teams increased to 76.6%, the highest recorded percentage in recent years. This suggests that startups are now more likely to have zero women on their founding teams than at any other time in the past decade.

When examining founder equity distribution, mixed-gender two-person teams divide equity evenly at 50% each. However, among larger teams, men tend to receive a greater share. For three-founder startups, male founders receive a median of 33.3% equity, compared to 30.4% for women. The largest disparity occurs in four-founder teams, where men receive 23.5% equity compared to 18.9% for women.

Funding Challenges for Women Founders

Women-only founding teams secured just 4.1% of all pre-seed capital raised on Carta in 2024, the lowest percentage in five years. This marks a sharp decline from 6.1% in 2023, mirroring the overall decline in women-led startups. Over the past five years, women-only teams have raised an average of 6.3% of pre-seed funding, with mixed-gender teams raising 20.1% and men-only teams receiving 73.6%.

Despite this early-stage funding gap, women-only founding teams made gains in later-stage fundraising. They accounted for 5.3% of all capital raised in priced rounds in 2024, up from 3.1% in 2023. The share of venture capital funding allocated to all-male teams has gradually declined since 2020, dropping to 76.6% in 2024 compared to a five-year average of 78.4%.

Top 5 MBA (By Women percentage) – Initiatives to Improve Women's Representation

The percentage of women in MBA programs remains strong across top business schools. Kellogg leads with an even distribution at 50%, up from 48% last year. MIT Sloan also saw growth, reaching 49% from 46%. NYU Stern increased from 43% to 47%, while Oxford Saïd and Wharton saw slight declines but still maintained near parity at 48% and 47%, respectively.

Business School	% Women in Class (Class of 2026)	% Women in Class (Class of 2025)
Kellogg School of Manegement	50%	48%
MIT Sloan School of Management	49%	46%
Oxford Said Business School	48%	51%
NYU Stern School of Business	47%	43%
Wharton Business School	47%	50%

Top Initiatives to Improve Women Representation in MBA

Top MBA programs have introduced scholarships and initiatives to empower women in business and leadership in addition to offering financial support and create platforms for mentorship, networking, and professional development.

Scholarships for Women

Leading business schools offer a range of scholarships to support female students.

Many schools, including Kellogg, MIT Sloan, Oxford Said, NYU Stern, and Wharton, participate in the Forté Foundation Fellowship, which provides funding and leadership opportunities for women in MBA programs. In addition, MIT Sloan offers the Stone Masters Fellowship for Women, while Oxford Said provides multiple merit-based scholarships such as the Laidlaw Foundation, Jane Sun, and 30% Club. NYU Stern offers specialized scholarships, including the NYU Stern Advancing Women in Business Scholarship and the Elizabeth Elting Advancing Women’s Leadership Fellowship. Wharton provides support through Forté Fellowships and the Wharton Fellowship Program.

Initiatives for Women

These business schools foster an inclusive and supportive environment through various initiatives. Women’s Business Associations, such as Kellogg’s WBA and Wharton Women in Business (WWIB), help students build networks and develop leadership skills. MIT Sloan’s Women in Management (SWIM) and Oxford’s Women in Leadership Alliance provide mentorship and professional growth opportunities. NYU Stern’s SWIB Alumnae Mentorship Program connects students with experienced women in business. Additionally, leadership programs like Kellogg’s Women’s Leadership Program and Wharton’s Women’s Executive Leadership Program equip female students with the skills to succeed in high-impact roles.

These scholarships and initiatives reflect a strong commitment to increasing female representation in business and ensuring that women have the resources, mentorship, and support to thrive in their careers.

Business School	Scholarships for Women	Initiatives for Women
Kellogg School of Manegement	Forté Foundation Partnership	Women’s Business Association, Student-led Women’s Business Associations (WBA), Women’s Preview Day, Coffee Chats, Women’s Leadership Program and Seminar, Kellogg Center for Executive Women
MIT Sloan School of Management	Forté Foundation, Stone Masters Fellowship for Women	MIT Sloan Women in Management (SWIM), WISDM: Women in Innovation and STEM Database at MIT, Association of MIT Alumnae (AMITA), Women@MIT, MIT Society of Women Engineers (SWE), MIT Women’s League, MIT Women’s unConference.
Oxford Said Business School	Laidlaw Foundation, Jane Sun, Intesa Sanpaolo, Forté, 30% Club, This is what happens when women read	Oxford Women in Leadership Alliance, EmpowerHer Award, Oxford Women's Leadership Development
NYU Stern School of Business	Forté Foundation, The NYU Stern Advancing Women in Business Scholarship, Elizabeth Elting Advancing Women's Leadership Fellowship, Graduate Program Legacy Scholarships, Margaret McNamara Education Grants (MMEG), Stephen Bufton Memorial Education Fund (SBMEF) National Scholarships	Stern Women in Business (SWIB), SWIB Alumnae Mentorship Program ,
Wharton Business School	Forte Fellowships	Wharton Fellowship Program, Wharton Women in Business (WWIB), Women's Executive Leadership Programs

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Top 50 MBA - Women Percentage (2026 vs. 2025 vs 2024)

Top 50 MBAs	Women % (Class of 2026)	Women % (Class of 2025)	Women % (Class of 2024)
Harvard	45%	45%	46%
Stanford	44%	46%	44%
Wharton	47%	50%	52%
Booth	42%	42%	42%
Columbia	44%	44%	44%
Kellogg	50%	48%	48%
MIT Sloan	49%	46%	37%
Duke Fuqua	51%	45%	48%
London Business School	45%	37%	37%
INSEAD	38%	38%	38%
Tuck	44%	44%	46%
Yale	39%	40%	43%
Darden	38%	37%	40%
Haas	42%	41%	46%
Ross	40%	43%	42%
NYU Stern	47%	43%	45%
UCLA Anderson	43%	37%	35%
Cornell	41%	43%	39%
McCombs	33%	35%	35%
IESE	40%	35%	38%
IE	37%	33%	33%
Oxford	48%	51%	48%
Cambridge	47%	42%	47%
HEC Paris	38%	35%	35%
SDA Bocconi	43%	30%	35%
Tepper	31%	36%	31%
McDonough	30%	31%	34%
UNC	31%	33%
Rice Jones	39%	39%	39%
Vanderbilt Owen	29%	33%	37%
NUS MBA	37%	37%	37%
Kelley MBA	28%	38%	26%
Foster MBA	32%	47%	47%
USC Marshall	35%	35%	46%
Mendoza College	31%	30%	NA
BU Questrom School of Business	44%	36%	36%
IIMA	NA	42%	NA
ISB PGP	47%	39%	37%
IIMB	40%	33%	NA
Washington University Olin Business School	44%	37%	NA
ESADE	34%	32%	NA
IMD	NA	36%	35%
Rochester – Simon School of Business	46%	43%	43%
Georgia Tech Scheler School of Business	41%	37%	39%
HKUST	41%	40%	39%
Paul Merage School of Business	37%	35%	37%
Ivey Business School	37%	35%	32%
Rotman School of Management	49%	49%	NA
WHU	40%	37%	NA