Stanford MBA Class Profile

Stanford's MBA class of 2025 aren’t just a talented bunch, they’re also a symbol of the school’s increasing commitment to diversity

The Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) MBA is consistently ranked among the best MBA programs in the world and is a powerhouse of MBA talent in the US.

Whether it's providing a platform to dive into the brain pool of Silicon Valley, an immersion in the latest technology trends, or driving forward the need for socially conscious business leaders in the modern economy, Stanford is a melting pot of expertise.

Every year Stanford grads land jobs with some of the world's largest companies. The incoming 431 members of the Stanford MBA class of 2025 look to emulate those before them. The Stanford MBA received 6,190 applications for the class of 2025, with an admission rate of 7%.

If you’re considering applying to Stanford, you need to understand what kind of students fill the MBA class, and how you can leverage your own experience and background in your application.

The incoming class come from a wealth of organizations across investment management, consulting, technology, government, consumer products, and healthcare. International students make up 36% of the class.

In this BusinessBecause Breakdown, we explore the Stanford MBA class profile, covering GMAT scores, diversity statistics, and students' previous experiences.

Stanford MBA Class of 2025 | Overview

The entering students of the Stanford MBA class of 2025 are plucked from a few distinct undergraduate majors: 26% of the class studied engineering; 21% majored in economics; 20% in business; and 15% were math or sciences majors.

The class’s average GMAT score is at 737 in 2025, matching the record set by the class of 2023.

Stanford has also focused its attention on diversity in recent years, breaking the class demographic down on a more granular level.

With 36% of students classed as international, there are 55 countries represented.

Women account for 46% of the class, up 2% compared to last year, and US students of color make up 50% of the MBA classroom.

Stanford continues to compile in-depth data on the identities of MBA students in the class.

Among the U.S. citizens and permanent residents in the MBA class of 2025, 47% identify as White; 24% as Asian; 12% as Hispanic or Latino; and 8% as Black or African American.

GMAT Scores

The GMAT scores of an MBA class are a benchmark for the academic excellence you’ll have to showcase if your MBA application is to be successful.

Stanford’s MBA class of 2025 has set the bar high. The average GMAT score of the class is 738. If you plan on applying to Stanford, it’s probably time to dust off those GMAT test prep books and get practicing.

Undergraduate Majors

The academic backgrounds of an MBA class are a good indicator of the types of people you’ll be sharing a classroom with, along with industry backgrounds.

The Stanford MBA class of 2025 comes largely from distinct academic backgrounds. In total, 26% of the class majored in engineering, 15% in math or sciences—a 6% increase on the previous MBA class—13% in social sciences; 5% in humanities; and 20% in business.

So, you’ll likely be sharing a classroom with students who are looking to couple business expertise with a knowledge of wider society—a good sign for Stanford achieving its goal of creating business leaders who make the world a better place.

Humanities and social science students are expected to bring to the classroom empathy and the ability to see things from multiple viewpoints, which makes for good classroom debate. There is also a strong contingent of engineering and mathematics majors, signaling a classroom built for the needs of the digital economy.

In total, 11% of the class are the first in their families to graduate from a four-year college or university degree; 17% are advanced degree holders—up 4% since last year.

Work Experience

So, you’ve landed a spot on an MBA. What professional experience should you expect your classmates to have?

At Stanford, the average work experience of the class of 2025 is 5 years, and students come from all over, with 295 organizations represented.

Investment management/private equity/venture capital (19%), consulting (17%), and technology (13%) are the three most represented industries. Professionals also come from government, education, and non-profit; from consumer products and services; healthcare; financial services; and the military.

Students in the class of 2025 also came from the arts, media, and entertainment industries; from clean technology, energy, and environmental work; and from manufacturing.

The Stanford MBA class of 2024 boasts a strong average GMAT score and students also come primarily from college majors in engineering, mathematics, social science, and the humanities.

There are strong diversity stats across the board, and the classroom boasts multiple industry perspectives.

That means the Stanford MBA is for you if you’re more of a ‘non-traditional’ candidate looking to be surrounded by a cohort that complements tech-savvy grads with those who can speak to the issues facing wider society. If you want to become a business leader with a conscience who is also technically skilled, this is the MBA for you.

If you’re after a more traditional MBA that looks at business through a more classic lens, then perhaps Stanford should be further down your list of target schools. That’s not to say you should count it out completely though—there are still 15% of students with majors in business, and the industry diversity speaks to the wide array of talent Stanford’s admissions team is after.

But looking at the recruitment stats, the Stanford MBA is becoming a melting pot of socially driven tech-savvy students driven by a social purpose.

Next Read:

Stanford MBA Application: Everything You Need To Know

*The data in this article is based on the Stanford MBA Class Profile / this article was updated in October 2023 to reflect the new Stanford MBA class of 2025.