Meet Duke Fuqua’s MBA Class Of 2026

A CLASS PROFILE

The Class of 2026 features 427 students, up from the previous year’s 385 students. The program also received 3,808 applications during the 2023-2024 cycle, with the school reporting a 19.5% acceptance rate. In terms of GMATs, the class ran from 660-760 in the middle 80% range. In the same range, GREs hit 305-330, while GPAs came in from 3.1-3.89.

51 countries are represented in the Class of 2026, wit 41% of the class hailing from overseas. Another 40% of the class are underrepresented minorities, up 13 points from the previous year. The class also achieved gender parity with women accounting for 51% of students (up 6 points from the Class of 2025). Another 18% of the class are first-generation students, with 11% bringing military service. 37% of the class also bring partners  to Durham.

Academically, the class has attended 261 undergraduate institutions, with 16% holding advanced degrees. The largest segment of the class – 38% – majored in Engineering and Natural Sciences. Another 29% hold degrees in business-related fields. Liberal Arts and Economics encompass 19% and 11% shares respectively. Professionally, the class has worked for 318 employers. It also skews slightly older than other programs, with the average age and work experience being 29 and 6 years respectively. 19% of the class last worked in Financial Services, followed by Consulting (18%), Technology (14%), and Healthcare (11%). The class also includes students from the Government, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, and Retail sectors.

STRONG ACADEMICS

Last year, Duke Fuqua’s MBA program moved up to 10th in P&Q’s annual ranking of American MBA programs, not counting finishing 11th in the 2025 Financial Times Global MBA Ranking. In student surveys conducted by The Princeton Review last year, Fuqua’s scores ranked among the best for Family Friendliness and Campus Environment, along with its Finance, Management, and Consulting programming. By the same token, in U.S. News’ 2024 survey of business school deans and MBA directors, Fuqua also posted some of the industry’s highest scores for its Management, Marketing, Business Analytics, and Nonprofit curriculum.

Not surprisingly, the Class of 2026 is quick to cite academics for one reason for moving to Durham. Tiago Bonchristiano, who is pursuing a post-MBA career in Finance, has been impressed by opportunities like Leveraged Buyout Workshops and the Private Equity Buyout Lab. Like many MBA students, Bonchristiano is also curious about entrepreneurship.

“Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship has a very inclusive approach. Here, one can seek entrepreneurship through many paths: building your own company, acquiring an existing business, and bringing new ideas into a corporate environment. Not to mention, Duke I&E is located literally inside the Fuqua building!”

Siraj AL-Ramahi points to the faculty as the big differentiator since he arrived on campus. “The quality of the instructors who teach the courses is astonishing. The faculty at Fuqua are the perfect mix of theoretical and practical knowledge. Being mentored by experts in the markets and gaining their insights on what awaits me after an MBA is exactly what I was looking for.”

RENOWNED CENTERS IN LEADERSHIP, ENERGY, AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The program’s structure has also earned praise from the class. Each Wednesday, the class takes a break from class, which frees them up to tackle career-related business when people are actually in the office. The school now offers a set of ‘short course’ electives that enable students to access more subjects in smaller doses to make students more well-rounded. In addition, Fuqua’s quarter system further enables students to get more from their limited time in business school.

“The quarter system compresses the learning experience: requiring critical thinking skills to be quickly developed and refined,” explains Eliza Harrison. “The programs’ sequence also encourages students to quickly move into their prospective fields of specialization or interest–creating opportunities to build enduring relationships, study relevant subject matter in-depth, and lay the framework for their next professional chapter.”

The program is also known for COLE – the Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics – a leadership lab conducted in partnership with former basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. Another unique offering is EDGE, the Center for Energy, Development, and Global Environment, to provide thought leadership on the future of sustainable energy usage. In addition, the school boasts CASE, the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship, which features social impact programming like coursework, speakers, and networking events.

“With long-term social impact-guided career goals, I was seeking a program with robust offerings to learn how to bridge core business knowledge and impact-minded organizational goals,” explains Carlos Ochoa. “CASE offerings resound the belief in using business for good.”

Away from her Duke Fuqua MBA class Eliza Harrison lists the BOLD Club – Building Outdoor Leaders at Duke – as her favorite activity. “[It offers] weekly workouts, training, and expeditions throughout North Carolina. As a certified Wilderness First Responder, skilled whitewater raft guide and kayaker, backpacker, and amateur outrigger canoeist, I am excited to engage with like-minded individuals in navigating the uncertainties and unexpected challenges of the group’s outdoor recreational pursuits.”

Her classmate, Kathleen Barrow, points to the Mentored Study program as a highlight of the MBA Program. “[It] pairs interested students with a mentor and a project at a real company. As I mentioned, I’m interested in health care innovation, so I’m looking forward to partnering with a health care startup to apply what I’m learning at Fuqua in real time while also learning from those already doing this work.”

Among alumni, you’ll find Durham itself as one of the unexpected advantages of earning an MBA at Fuqua. For one, it is part of the Research Triangle, just 15 minutes from RTC – the nation’s largest research center sporting over 300 companies ranging from IBM to GlaxoSmithKline. The area is further known for picturesque hiking trails and a robust food and arts scene, which means there is always plenty to do. Not only does Team Fuqua love to cluster together in the Fox Center, but they tend to live near each other in apartments around 9th Street.

“You get the benefit of having a very intimate, close, tight-knit experience being in a town like Durham, explains ’24 alum Stephen Chinedu Ezekoye, but you also get the benefit of the incredible social scene that the entire Raleigh/Durham area has to offer.”

And then there’s Fuqua Friday, which Chinedu Ezekoye describes as an evening when students and staff meet up to eat and drink. Many bring their family along too. Call it a way to bring closure to the week and reinforce those Team Fuqua bonds.

“We work collaboratively with clubs to also have themed Fuqua Fridays to celebrate special occasions, such as Diwali and Black History Month,” explains Arya Diwase, a 2024 alum and P&Q Best & Brightest MBA. “The end-of-term Fuqua Fridays are usually followed by a screening of FuquaVision skits, a collection of student-made parodies, to close the term on a lighter note. The participation of students, faculty and even staff in these events strengthens our school community and brings everyone together in a very meaningful manner.”

AN INTERVIEW WITH RUSS MORGAN

What is the latest news on Fuqua – and how does the program sharpen students’ soft skills and global business mindset. Here is our sit-down with Russ Morgan, senior associate dean of full-time programs on the Duke Fuqua MBA experience.

P&Q: What have been the two most important developments in your MBA program over the past year? What type of impact will they have on current and future MBAs?

Morgan: “We are always looking for improvements that will prepare MBAs to navigate the most pressing business challenges and current industry trends, including the growing influence of technology and analytics. We know that capturing the influence of technology like artificial intelligence in a single course would be impractical and insufficient. Therefore, our faculty is committed to integrating these topics into courses in every academic area.

Incoming students will benefit from an updated slate of core courses. Software Tools for Analytics and Foundations of Analytics are revamped courses that lean more heavily into analytics. We are also excited to debut a new core course, Leading Business in a Complex World. This course is designed to set the tone for the challenges business leaders face today, while also sparking excitement about present opportunities.

Last year, we rolled out a set of short courses created by faculty with expertise in emerging topics. These courses meet for half the time of a regular course and allow faculty to quickly develop courses in response to topics and trends that are unfolding in real-time. A few examples of these short courses include climate and sustainability accounting, sustainable operations, finance analytics, and the future of work.”

P&Q: Every January, P&Q publishes a “10 Business Schools to Watch” feature that highlights how schools are raising the bar and enhancing the student experience through innovation or expansion in programming or resources. What is one innovation that sets your school apart from your peer programs and makes you a business school to watch? Why is it so groundbreaking?

Morgan: “Simply put, diverse teams accomplish more. Fuqua has long been committed to increasing inclusion and access, and this year presents several milestones that we are thrilled to share.

First, I am looking forward to working alongside Mary Frances Luce as she steps into her new role as interim dean. Not only is she the first Fuqua alumnus to be named dean, but she is also the first woman to hold the position. Mary Frances and I have worked closely together for years as colleagues in the marketing area. Her stint as associate dean and senior associate dean for faculty allowed me to experience her leadership up close. I am confident Fuqua will continue to be a hub for innovation under her direction.

This year also marks Fuqua’s first as a member of The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. This partnership will expand our ability to reach and attract applicants who share our values. While this is just one aspect of ongoing diversity efforts, we are very excited to develop this new relationship.

I would also like to briefly highlight the amazing work happening to support the well-being of our diverse student body. Programs spearheaded by Stephanie Robertson, assistant dean for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and her team provide a platform for our community to engage, understand, and celebrate each other’s authentic identities. One notable initiative is the Mental Health First Aid program, which has equipped more than 150 students, faculty, and staff with essential training to recognize and support their peers facing mental health challenges.”

P&Q: What types of programs do you offer to sharpen your students’ soft skills? What areas do you emphasize and how do you instill these skills in your students?

Morgan: “Some of our existing courses are even more important today than when they were first created. While artificial intelligence rightfully gets a significant amount of attention, leadership and communication skills are critical in a world that increasingly leans into analytical analyses.

MBAs will need to lead organizations by leveraging new tools responsibly and ethically while understanding the implications and necessary human interface. I am confident that Fuqua’s courses like Leadership, Ethics, and Organizations along with Leadership Communications, provide the perspective and context our students need to meet the moment.”

Next Page: Profiles of 11 Members of the Class of 2026