Yale’s MBA Class Of 2027: Apps Climb Again, But Slower; Women Surge To School-Record 44%

Yale School of Management has set records in its new MBA Class of 2027, enrolling the highest percentage of women in school history while actually increasing international representation — an achievement that stands out as peer schools like Wharton, Duke, and UCLA see steep global declines.

Yale School of Management’s MBA Class of 2027 assembled 367 students, up from 347 last year and 339 in 2025. Applications rose to 3,793, marking a 1.5% increase over 2026 and an 18.8% jump relative to 2021. Yale received the highest number of MBA apps in a cycle since the Class of 2023 (see final table in this story). While Yale admitted more candidates this year — 1,082 versus 1,021 — the acceptance rate nudged upward to 28.5%, nearly in line with its levels from seven years ago. Admits to the SOM MBA are up by one-third since 2021.

This time last year, Yale’s application numbers were far more robust. Comparing the MBA Class of 2026 with the Class of 2025, applications were up by 662, or 21.5%. However, admits in that span rose only 0.8% compared to 6% between 2024 and 2025, and enrollment climbed only 2.4% compared to 6.4%.

TEST SCORES & UNDERGRAD GPA AT YALE SOM, 2019-2025

Class Stats	Class of 2027	Class of 2026	Class of 2025	Class of 2024	Class of 2023	Class of 2022	Class of 2021
GMAT Range	691-760*	700-760*	580-780	630-780	640-780	640-780	640-780
Median GMAT Focus	675	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
GMAT Focus Range	638-715*	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
GRE Average	329	330	329	329	330	328	329
Average GRE-Verbal	164	164	164	164	165	164	165
Median GRE-Verbal	163	164	164	164	166	164	165
GRE Verbal Range	158-169*	159-170*	153-170	152-170	157-170	152-170	158-170
Average GRE-Quant	165	166	165	165	165	164	164
Median GRE-Quant	166	166	166	166	165	164	165
GRE Quant Range	160-170*	161-170*	152-170	154-170	155-170	153-170	155-170
Percentage of students enrolled with GRE scores	47%	37%	37%	39%	36%	35%	24%
Average GPA	3.66	3.65	3.63	3.65	3.66	3.63	3.64
Median GPA	3.69	3.68	3.65	3.69	3.69	3.65	3.66
GPA Range	3.37-3.93*	3.31-3.94*	2.94-4.0	2.88-4.0	3.03-4.0	2.91-4.0	3.08-4.0

*80% range

Source: Yale SOM

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ACCEPTANCE, YIELD & CLASS SIZE

Class size in New Haven, Connecticut is modest among elite MBA programs, but Yale has prioritized consistency, with enrollment steadily varying between 339 and 367 over the past seven years. Over that span, total growth in enrollment is just 6.4%, reflecting a measured approach to expansion.

Selectivity softened a bit this year: the 28.5% admit rate compares to 27.3% for the Class of 2026 and 28% for the Class of 2024, but is still well below the 33% for the Class of 2025. Meanwhile, yield continues its gradual drift downward: 33.9% of admitted students matriculated this year, nearly identical to last year’s 34% but well below the school’s recent high-water mark of 42.8% in 2021.

The decline in yield over the long term hints at intensifying competition across elite MBA programs, as admits now are often choosing between several appealing options. Over the last seven years, Yale’s yield has fallen nearly 9 percentage points — a nontrivial shift.

UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS OF YALE SOM MBA CLASSES, 2019-2025

Undergraduate Majors	Class of 2027	Class of 2026	Class of 2025	Class of 2024	Class of 2023	Class of 2022	Class of 2021
Business	29%	28%	22%	25%	23%	22%	23%
Economics	18%	18%	18%	18%	22%	20%	19%
Humanities/Social Science	20%	20%	25%	19%	28%	29%	28%
STEM	32%	34%	35%	38%	27%	29%	30%

RECORD GMATS & THE ARRIVAL OF GMAT FOCUS

Academically, the new class is rock-solid: average GPA of 3.66 and median of 3.69, replicating Yale’s consistency over time. The 80% GPA range (3.37-3.93) reinforces the strength across the middle of the class curve.

Yale SOM’s incoming students bring its strongest GMAT profile yet. The average GMAT is 728, and the median has climbed to 740, both school records. The 80% GMAT range (691-760) is narrower than in previous cycles, indicating tighter clustering at the top.

For the first time, Yale is also reporting GMAT Focus Edition results: a median of 675 and an 80% range of 638-715. With many schools still adjusting to the Focus rollout, Yale’s early transparency offers a useful benchmark for comparison.

The GRE, meanwhile, continues to gain ground at Yale: 47% of enrolled students submitted GRE scores, up from 37% last year and only 24% in 2021. At nearly half the class, it’s the most GRE submissions by percentage in school history. The average GRE remains 329, with medians of 166 in Quant and 163 in Verbal.

WOMEN, MINORITIES, INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS & MORE AT YALE SOM, 2019-2025

Class Demographics	Class of 2027	Class of 2026	Class of 2025	Class of 2024	Class of 2023	Class of 2022	Class of 2021
Women	44%	39%	40%	43%	43%	39%	42%
U.S. Underrepresented Minorities	15%	16%	18%	24%	20%	15%	20%
International	41%	37%	41%	36%	33%	27%	35%
Number of Countries Represented	47	42	46	48	38	46	47
Average Age	26.8	26.5	28	27	27	27	28
Average Years of Prior Work Experience	5.0	4.9	5.1	4.7	4.4	4.5	5
LGBTQ+	13%	12%	13%	12%	NA	NA	NA
First-Generation Students	17%	20%	16%	17%	NA	NA	NA
Joint-Degree Students	6.3%	8%	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA

Source: Yale SOM

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WOMEN SET A RECORD AT 44%

Diversity metrics are striking: 44% of the class are women, up five points over last year and the highest share of women in Yale SOM history. That milestone places SOM among the leaders in gender balance across elite MBA programs and brings it closer than ever to true parity.

While Yale had reached 43% women in both 2024 and 2023, this year’s class establishes a new benchmark for gender representation in the MBA program.

U.S. underrepresented minorities make up 15% of the class — slightly lower than 16% last year, but still ahead of some earlier cohorts where it dipped to 11%. U.S. minorities remain a huge part of the class at 56% of U.S. students. 

On the flip side, Yale’s international share is 41%, a rebound from 37% last year and flat with the Class of 2025.

Yale touts that this incoming class spans 47 countries, and the school takes pride in its global reach: “this group is truly global in nature, representing 47 different countries… Members of the class speak a range of languages including German, Italian, Mandarin, Hindi, Japanese, Spanish, Hungarian, Korean, Cantonese, Arabic, Portuguese, Igbo, Hebrew, Urdu, French, Turkish, Russian, Azeri, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.” (som.yale.edu)

Notably, Yale has avoided the sharp declines in international enrollment that have hit many other elite U.S. programs in recent cycles. Schools such as Wharton, Duke Fuqua, and UCLA Anderson have seen double-digit slides in their international mix, but Yale’s share has held steady — underscoring the school’s enduring global appeal at a time when many international candidates are rethinking the U.S. MBA option.

PRIOR INDUSTRIES OF YALE SOM MBA CLASSES, 2019-2025

Prior Industries	Class of 2027	Class of 2026	Class of 2025	Class of 2024	Class of 2023	Class of 2022	Class of 2021
Consulting	19%	22.2%	18%	19%	24%	19%	19%
Consumer Packaged Goods	3%	2.2%	5%	3%	3%	6%	3%
Energy	2%	2.5%	2%	4%	5%	3%	5%
Financial Services	25%	24.4%	24%	20%	17%	23%	20%
Government	9%	7.6%	11%	9%	7%	8%	8%
Healthcare (including products and services)	5%	7%	6%	7%	5%	4%	5%
Manufacturing	5%	2.8%	5%	5%	4%	3%	7%
Media/Entertainment	4%	4.1%	3%	4%	7%	7%	4%
Non-Profit	11%	8.9%	9%	12%	14%	11%	15%
Other	3%	1.6%	2%	1%	2%	1%	2%
Real Estate	1%	0.3%	2%	2%	–	1%	2%
Retail	2%	1.9%	1%	2%	1%	2%	2%
Technology	12%	13.6%	12%	12%	10%	10%	7%

Source: Yale SOM

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AGE, EXPERIENCE & FIRST-GEN STUDENTS

The class’s average age is 26.8, and students have an average of five years of prior work experience, consistent with Yale’s tradition of attracting slightly younger candidates. 17% are first-generation college graduates, mirroring Yale’s continued focus on socioeconomic diversity.

According to Yale, “first-generation college graduates comprise 17% of the class, while 17% have earned a previous graduate degree.” Thirty-five students are members of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, and nine are members of the QuestBridge Graduate Match program.

The Class of 2027 includes 13% self-identified LGBTQ+ students, matching the school’s highest proportion in recent cycles. 6.3% are joint-degree students, enrolled in dual programs like MBA/JD, MBA/MDiv, and others.

YALE SOM APPS, ADMITS, CLASS SIZE, ACCEPTANCE RATE & YIELD 2019-2025

Class Stats	Class of 2027	Class of 2026	Class of 2025	Class of 2024	Class of 2023	Class of 2022	Class of 2021	2-Year Change	7-Year Change
Applicants	3793	3738	3076	3237	3877	3453	3194	+55 (1.5%)	+599 (18.8%)
Admits	1082	1021	1013	894	914	1027	806	+61 (6.0%)	+276 (34.2%)
Enrolled	367	347	339	347	349	350	345	+20 (5.8%)	+22 (6.4%)
Acceptance rate	28.5%	27.3%	33%	28%	24%	30%	25%	+1.2 (4.4%)	-1.5 (0.05%)
Yield	33.9%	34.0%	33.5%	38.8%	38.2%	34.1%	42.8%	-0.01 (0.03%)	-8.9 (20.8%)

Source: Yale SOM

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UNDERGRADUATE BACKGROUNDS: BUSINESS CLIMBS, STEM STEADY

This year’s class shows a notable rise in business majors at 29%, up from 28% last year and significantly higher than the 22% in 2025. Economics remains strong at 18%, while humanities/social sciences drop to 20%. STEM majors account for 32%, a slight dip from last year’s 34%.

Over time, the trend suggests a mild shift toward more profession-oriented majors: business is up since 2021, humanities has declined, and STEM remains a stable pillar.

In industry backgrounds, financial services leads the pack for a fourth straight year, constituting 25% of the class, slightly higher than last year’s 24.4%. Consulting (19%) follows, though off from 22.2% in 2026.

Yale continues to pull from public and nonprofit sectors: 11% come from nonprofit, and 9% have government experience. The school notes that “80% of students come from the private sector, while 20% come from the nonprofit and public sectors.”

Other sectors represented include technology (12%), healthcare (5%), manufacturing (5%), consumer packaged goods, energy, media/entertainment, retail, and real estate (each between 1–4%).

Yale highlights that “Their professional credentials are equally diverse … more than 274 different employers are represented, including Amazon, BlackRock, Bain and Company, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.” 

DON’T MISS LAST YEAR’S STORY ON THE YALE SOM MBA CLASS OF 2026: MBA APPS AT YALE SOM JUMP 21.5% and WHARTON’S MBA CLASS OF 2027: MORE RACIALLY DIVERSE, FEWER WOMEN & INTERNATIONALS 

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