Wharton MBA Class Of 2026: 2 Streaks, One Positive & One Negative, End | Education

Wharton Dean Erika James welcomed an MBA class to campus that for the primary time in 4 years was not predominantly ladies. Wharton picture

The streak is over. For the primary time in 4 years, The Wharton School on the University of Pennsylvania welcomed a brand new MBA class that wasn’t 50% or extra ladies.

It was a exceptional run — the primary of its form for any enterprise faculty, however much more noteworthy as a result of it occurred at an M7 faculty ranked first on the planet by The Financial Times. It started in fall 2021 when Wharton smashed the glass ceiling that had flustered so many elite faculties for thus a few years, enrolling 52% ladies within the Class of 2023, and continued when Wharton achieved gender parity twice extra, with ladies comprising 50% of its MBA lessons of 2024 and 2025.

It started to look just like the Philadelphia Ivy would hit the once-elusive purpose of parity yearly. But all issues should move, and this fall Wharton enrolled 47% ladies — nonetheless among the many leaders of all high U.S. enterprise faculties, and due to this fact all B-schools on the planet.

WHARTON MBA CLASSES BY THE NUMBERS: 2015-2026

Source: Wharton

BREAKING ANOTHER STREAK: MBA APPS IN DECLINE

Gender parity wasn’t the one that streak ended with the enrollment of Wharton’s MBA Class of 2026. The faculty additionally put within the rearview a two-year decline in MBA purposes. And it did so resoundingly.

The B-school’s 2023-2024 app complete of seven,322 missed being a faculty file by 16 apps (see desk above), however it does characterize an 18% bounce-back from the earlier cycle. Wharton’s 2022-2023 software complete of 6,194 was down 15.6%, or 1,144 apps in two years, a precipitous decline from a faculty file of seven,338 for the category that enrolled in fall 2021.

Wharton’s profitable app cycle mirrors the expertise of its friends: Other high B-schools within the U.S. and Europe additionally reported a giant leap in MBA purposes in 2023-2024, sufficiently big in most reported instances to erase years of declines. At Harvard Business School, MBA apps had been up 21%; Yale School of Management was up 21.5%, and Dartmouth Tuck School of Business was up an unimaginable 36%. Duke Fuqua was up practically 16% to an all-time app file. The Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis doubled its apps, and Michigan Ross School of Business, one of many main public B-schools within the nation, was up greater than 35%. And the phenomenon shouldn't be restricted to the U.S.: In Spain, IESE Business School reported file apps, permitting the college to enroll its biggest-ever class and highest-ever share of ladies.

MINORITIES AT WHARTON BY FEDERAL GUIDELINES REPORTING: CLASSES OF 2023-2026

Source: Wharton

FEWER COUNTRIES REPRESENTED; GMAT JUMPS 4 POINTS

How did Wharton seat its new MBA class with so many apps to select from? First, it shrank it — the category is 866 college students, down eight seats from its predecessors. There are fewer ladies, and the worldwide cohort stays flat at 31%; nevertheless, international college students had declined from 35% two years in the past, and the variety of nations represented within the class fell once more, to 65 from 70 from 77. Minorities are additionally down, with each Black and Asian college students declining, however Hispanic college students ticked towards to eight% from 7% (see desk above). The class can be 6% army/veterans, 10% LGBTQ (down from 11%), and 11% first gen (identical as final yr).

The class Graduate Management Admission Test common jumped 4 factors, to 732, just below the college file of 733 set in 2021 and 2022.

The common work expertise of scholars within the Wharton MBA Class of 2026 is as soon as once more 5 years, identical as final yr and the yr earlier than and the yr earlier than. The largest portion of the category (28%, up from 27% final yr) hails from the consulting trade, whereas 15% come from non-public fairness/enterprise capital (up 1 level), 10% from tech (down from 12%), 11% from nonprofit (up from 10%), 9% from funding banking (identical as final yr however nonetheless down from 14% in 2021), 5% from finance (down from 7%), and 4% from well being care (down from 5%).

Thirty-two % of the brand new class majored in enterprise in undergrad, up from 27% final yr; 36% majored within the humanities (down from 40%), and 32% majored in STEM (down from 33%).

There proceed to be a lot of methods to hitch the Wharton MBA program. In the college’s 2026 class, 12 college students are a part of the dual-degree Carey JD/MBA Program (down from 16 within the Class of 2025), 76 are within the Lauder MBA/MA Joint Degree in International Studies (up from 70), and 89 are within the MBA in Health Care Management (up from 73). Sixty-two of this yr’s college students got here to this system from Wharton’s Moelis Advance Access Program (up from 57 final yr), which provides each undergraduate and full-time grasp’s college students of their ultimate yr of research a pathway to the Wharton MBA after pursuing two to 4 years of high quality work expertise.

‘KNOW YOUR UNIQUE VALUE ADD’

MBA college students in Wharton’s new class had been requested: What recommendation do you might have for somebody who's contemplating the Wharton MBA Program? Here is what they said:

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Wharton Class of 2206 MBA Veronica Rivera: “The application process may seem long and daunting, but if you believe in yourself and your ‘story’, it will make the journey worthwhile”

“Get to really know yourself as you consider the Wharton MBA. Take some time for some introspection to figure out who you are, what makes you stand out, and your ‘why’. The application process may seem long and daunting, but if you believe in yourself and your ‘story’, it will make the journey worthwhile,” says Veronica Rivera

“Talk to as many students as possible and try to visit campus. During my research, every person I spoke to had a unique Wharton experience from their social life to professional goals. These conversations really helped me add a layer of intentionality and genuineness to my application that I believed helped me standout,” says Samuel McDaniel.

“As someone who’s lived in many other cities as well as Philadelphia, Philly is kind of a perfect town for MBA students. It’s very walkable and bike-friendly, and the restaurant scene is strong but still doesn’t break the bank. Also, it’s very much worth mentioning that both New York and D.C. are a quick Amtrak train ride away (from a seasoned Amtrak rider: if you book a little in advance, tickets can be as low as 25 bucks!)” says Henri Mattila.

“If you come from a non-traditional background, it is important to know that Wharton will appreciate your unique experiences and has a lot to offer you! If you are passionate about making a social impact, Wharton is the perfect place to thrive. They will provide you with the necessary knowledge and resources to leverage your unique talents and achieve your goal of becoming a positive force for change. It is a place where you can develop the skills and make meaningful connections that will enable you to make a real difference in the world,” says Wesley Suggs.

“Talk to students who are doing the things that you want to do, visit campus to get a feel for the student body, and see if you can picture yourself there,” says Astha Berry.

“Consider how you want to learn and grow during business school, both personally and professionally, and figure out how Wharton will help you to achieve that growth,” says Matthew Keepman.

“Whatever business school you end up attending, know your story and be confident in your abilities. Many people will have impressive backgrounds but you bring unique skills and experiences as well. Know your unique value add, and be able to articulate it. If you’re a veteran there is a lot you don’t know about different industries and sectors but it also means there is space for exploration for the first time in your professional life. Take advantage of that. Talk to as many people as you can, so you can be armed with the information you need to be in the driver’s seat of your professional life,” says Daniele Anderson.

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