Meet The Texas McCombs MBA Class Of 2026

You’re only as good as your surroundings.

That’s one reason why 52,000 students attend the University of Texas each year. At the Forty Acres, the Texas mantra of ‘Bigger is better’ fully realized.  Picture state-of-the art facilities, teaching and research prowess, and a passionate student body. Nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate programs – and over 12,000 courses and 1,000 student organizations to boot. On campus, you’ll find the entire world donning burnt orange, with students hailing from 130 countries (and every American state). Across the globe, there are nearly 500,000 alumni who’ll flash ‘Hook ‘em horns” everywhere from a road football game in Ann Arbor to a terminal in Zayeb International Airport.

No wonder the school slogan is, “What Starts Here Changes the World.”

HIGH PERFORMANCE IN EVERY MEASURE

UT’s spirit and scale opens doors and creates opportunities, a connection born of together singing “The Eyes of Texas” and chanting “Texas Fight.” At the McCombs School of Business, there is a similar combination of graduate fervor.

Take the 2025 Financial Times alumni survey. Here, McCombs MBAs gave their alma mater the 11th-best score in the world for Alumni Effectiveness. When the FT evaluated faculty research on its size and impact, McCombs finished 10th globally. And the graduate business program is equally respected by its peers. In a 2025 survey of business school deans and MBA directors, McCombs ranked as the top business school for Accounting – and 3rd in both Project Management and Information Systems. In a testament to the program’s across-the-board excellence, McCombs scores among the 10-best in Marketing, Management, Entrepreneurship, Business Analytics, Real Estate, and Production and Operations. In another survey of alumni and students conducted by The Princeton Review in 2024, the McCombs MBA posted top 10 scores for its Campus Environment and Family Friendliness – not to mention its Marketing and Consulting programming.

In other words, the McCombs MBA is designed to bring out the best in students because it invests in being the best. In the end, surroundings matter – and MBAs are only as good as the classmates around them. By that measure, the Class of 2026 is in pretty good hands.

AN ESPN MOMENT

Exhibit A: Mandira Karmakar. A professional singer, she is accustomed to the spotlight. Karmakar has performed both in Bollywood films and in front of audiences as large as 200,000 people. Along with being a model for poise to her classmates, her “rollercoaster” career ride makes for a living case study on perseverance and branding.

“Growing up in a small, remote area with limited opportunities, I worked my way up to compete on a top reality show alongside incredibly talented people. From there, I went on to perform with celebrities, sing for Bollywood, and conduct music tours that reached thousands of people globally.”

Kasey McCravey, a U.S. Military Academy graduate and supply chain officer, also succeeded in a demanding industry: athletics. In 2020, she made the U.S. Women’s 7’s Rugby team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as an alternate – despite playing the sport for just three years. As a college softball player, McCravey’s leap over a catcher to score a run made more than ESPN’s highlight reel.

“I was nominated for an ESPY for “Best Play” in 2016 but lost to Steph Curry.”

McCravey wasn’t alone in starting her career in elite organizations. Jalen Wade matriculated at the U.S. Naval Academy before becoming an infantry commander with the U.S. Marine Corps. Mackenzie Schafer, a computer science and theater major, last worked for Google, earning the firm’s highest marks for her work on Google Chat. Before business school, Juliet Uadiale made the transition from accounting to data analytics – and then to the non-profit space.

 

“I’m most proud of is the decision to create my non-profit platform, Data&Her,” she tells P&Q. “I wanted to help other women who, like me, sought to break into data analytics but didn’t have access to the right resources. Through this platform, I’ve been able to provide the support I didn’t have, and seeing some of these women land their dream jobs has been incredibly rewarding.”

BIGGEST SELLING POINT: A SISTER WITH A MCCOMBS MBA

Ekaterina Kouznetsova grew up in Russia before studying marketing at the University of Texas at Dallas. At Signet Jewelers, a $2.75-billion-dollar firm that brands itself as the world’s largest marketer of diamond jewelry, Kouznetsova managed an eight-digit marketing budget focused on new products and services. While many class members tout their successes, Wes Barlow, a finance manager, harkens back on his bad luck as an entrepreneur.

“Between 2017 and 2020, I worked on a concept to bring temporary shared storage lockers to cities and event venues. Think bike sharing but for bag storage. I ended up building a 24-unit prototype and signing 7 locations in Nashville; however, when the pandemic hit, contracts were paused, and I couldn’t raise money for the pilot test, so I had to shut the company down. I was proud about how far I could take it but disappointed we couldn’t get it in front of customers before running out of money.”

Alex Kim, a nonprofit program manager, says he was sold on his classmates during orientation, when he started learning about their amazing personal stories. “One student spoke about how his father owned the largest Harley-Davidson dealership in Mexico, inspiring his own entrepreneurial ambitions. Another shared how he ran away from home at a young age and how the opportunities he was given saved his life, fueling his desire to succeed so he could give back to his hometown. By the end of that session, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be—surrounded by an extraordinary group of individuals from whom I would learn and grow. Listening to these stories reinforced a belief I’ve always held—that the people around you play a crucial role in shaping your success and that success isn’t just about personal drive but about the community that challenges, supports, and inspires you.”

For Juliet Uadiale, the McCombs selling point could be found much closer to home. “Witnessing my sister’s remarkable transformation after completing her MBA at McCombs was undeniable proof of the program’s impact. Seeing her not only land her dream job but also grow significantly in her career showed me firsthand how McCombs could open doors. At that moment, I knew McCombs was the right fit for me—no sales pitch could have convinced me more than that personal experience.”

Away from work and school, the Class of 2026 is equally impressive. At 15, Wes Barlow was playing trumpet as part of an orchestral concert in Beijing’s Forbidden City Music Hall. Mackenzie Schafer can speak five languages, while Andres Campano – a consultant by trade – was just 10 when he learned to drive a boat. That pales in comparison to Jalen Wade, who performed as a stunt double on an AT&T commercial. And how is this for versatility…

“I design clothes, play the piano, and love learning new languages—currently learning Hausa,” writes Juliet Uadiale. “I’m also an ardent Cristiano Ronaldo fan (True soccer fans will understand!). Plus, I’m passionate about all things Tech and empowering women with my knowledge.”

AUSTIN: “THE PERFECT PLACE TO EARN AN MBA”

The Class of 2026 may benefit from being surrounded by an expansive public university and accomplished classmates. However, the larger Austin metropolitan area brings further possibilities and play into the equation.

Business-wise, Austin is often described as a tech and innovation hub. The birthplace of Dell, Whole Foods, Indeed, and Schlotzsky’s, Austin ranks as the 4th-largest startup center for venture capital investment according to Dealroom. In fact, “Silicon Hills” is home to over 5,500 startups, Even more, it has been a magnet for influential tech players. Tesla employs 20,000 people in the region – and a combined 40,000 people in the region work for Dell, Amazon, Apple, and IBM. That doesn’t count large area offices for companies like Samsung, Cisco, HP, Intel, Meta, and Oracle. Let’s not forget that Austin is the state capitol of America’s 2nd-most populous state – placing McCombs MBAs within a six-minute drive of power brokers and subject matter experts in areas ranging from energy to life sciences to aerospace.

“Austin is the perfect place to earn an MBA,” observes Juliet Uadiale. “The city’s vibrant, innovative energy is contagious, with a booming tech scene and countless opportunities to network with entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Its welcoming, collaborative culture makes it easy to connect with people, and the mix of business, creativity, and fun creates an inspiring environment to learn and grow.”

And live too, adds Uadiale. “Who can resist the live music, outdoor adventures, affordable cost of living, unbeatable food, and the excitement of football games? Go Longhorns! Austin truly has it all!”

KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD…AND FUN!

Maybe the Austin lifestyle is the best part of the MBA experience. Call it a place where polar opposites not only exist, but feed into each other. A city of transplants, Austin still maintains a Southern Hospitality. All the while, it embraces the unconventional with its “Keep Austin weird” vibe.

“While the skyline and other features have changed in recent years, the underlying culture still rings true,” writes Colby Bermel, a 2024 graduate and P&Q Best & Brightest MBA.  Some of my favorite memories over the past two years have been going with classmates to “Only in Austin” events like Austin City Limits, Formula One, and South by Southwest – along with enjoying our city’s tacos, barbeque, and other delicious cuisine. Fond times have also been spent cycling the Northwest Hills, hiking up Mount Bonnell, and strolling down South Congress.”

Among American cities, you could argue that Austin is most like New York City and San Francisco – a city that never sleeps and always has something going on – just in a mid-metro milieu (with year-round sunshine). There is the “Dirty 6th” (Street) – or Rainey Street – nightlife, lined with bars, breweries, and clubs where the senses are teeming with piercing guitar riffs and zesty whiffs from food trucks. There is barbecue and brisket, pulled pork and sausage – and the most diverse tacos and queso imaginable.

Thus far, Jordan Woods has hit all the best spots in Austin with her classmates, including tubing in San Marcos, enjoying music in Zilker Park, and rooting for the Longhorn football team in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. That may be the best part of Austin, according to Alex Kim: It enables her classmates to connect in so many ways.

“Austin is a city that allows meaningful connections to be formed effortlessly. Between the run clubs, live music, and open-air bars, I was surrounded by a community that felt more like home than anywhere I had been. And that same spirit extends to my experience at Texas McCombs. My classmates aren’t just brilliant and ambitious—they are the kind of people who lift others up, create opportunities for connection, and always look for ways to contribute to something greater than themselves.”

A CLASS PROFILE

Overall, the Class of 2026 features 259 students, with women and international students representing 33% and 29% shares of the class respectively. Another 18% of the class are underrepresented minorities, while first-generation students and military veterans make up 15% and 14% of the class respectively.

On average, the class bring a 704 average GMAT to campus. GRE scores averaged 162 (Quant) and 159 (Verbal). As a whole, the class attended 165 undergraduate institutions. The class is nearly evenly divided between Business/Economics and STEM majors at 34% vs. 33%. Humanities majors accounted for another 8% of the class, with the remaining 25% falling under different categories.

Among McCombs’ biggest advantages is its facilities. That starts with Rowling Hall. Rising five stories and covering nearly 500,000 square feet, Rowling Hall is the center of MBA life. It features 17 classrooms, 23 conference room, 21 interview rooms, and 80 study rooms – not to mention housing a studio and the Texas Venture Labs. Across the street, you’ll find the AT&T Executive Education Conference Center, replete with a 300-seat amphitheater, ballroom, and adjoining hotel. Come 2028, McCombs will be opening Mulva Hall, 17-stories and 373,000 square feet devoted to McCombs’ 4,800 undergraduate population.

For Alex Kim, Rowling Hall form followed function to enhance the learning experience. “From the moment I stepped into Rowling Hall, McCombs’ dedicated MBA building, I could see that this was a place designed with learning in mind. The various classroom setups—pod-style group tables, traditional lecture halls, and intimate study rooms—demonstrated a clear commitment to adaptable teaching styles focused on enhancing the student experience. The attention to detail in the building’s design, combined with a faculty selected for their expertise and effectiveness as educators, made it clear that McCombs invests heavily in creating an engaging and impactful learning environment.”

Next Page: Interview with Tina Mabley, Senior Associate Dean

Page 3: Profiles of 12 Members of the Class of 2026