Meet Carnegie Mellon Tepper’s MBA Class Of 2027

There are two sides to the equation. One side involves the intricacies of data – revealing the hidden patterns and emerging trends so you can predict behaviors and allocate resources. The other side is devoted to interpersonal subtleties – the ability to listen and connect so you can nurture allies. One side converts feelings to facts. The other frames those facts to spur action.

Call it the yin-and-yang or the mind-and-heart, the dual forces dependent upon each other to find truth and make progress. This interconnection is the core of Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. It is an MBA program designed to deliver the technical skills to garner insights and the soft skills to gain influence.

HOLISTIC PROBLEM-SOLVING

Call it a mix of art and science. A coaching culture par excellence, MBAs receive over 2,000 one-on-one professional coaching sessions annually. In the process, students receive the guidance and develop the emotional intelligence needed to effectively lead teams. At the same time, Carnegie Mellon is the birthplace of management science, the application of statistical and scientific tools to analyze data, identify issues, forecast probabilities, and develop roadmaps. This problem-solving process is also highly interdisciplinary, a major draw to students like first-year Caitlin Hannah Benyah.

“As a software engineer and an artist, I find the opportunity to leverage CMU’s leadership in AI research while also pursuing my passion for creating art and practicing 3D animation as a business student truly exciting. I believe that technology and creativity are most powerful when they coexist, and CMU provides the ideal environment to explore this intersection.”

Such intersections also produce unexpected opportunities for Tepper students, adds Ruben Antonio Quesada, a ’25 grad and P&Q Best & Brightest MBA.

“For students interested in the latest technologies, I can’t emphasize this enough: come to CMU and explore its interdisciplinary curriculum. Coming from a traditional architecture background, working alongside Computer Science students, AI Masters, and PhD researchers has opened up an entirely new world for me. These experiences extended beyond the classroom, ultimately leading me to co-found a startup with fellow students and later join the Techstars AI Accelerator last fall.”

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Jessi Figard, an HR strategist who is earning a dual JD, chose Tepper for its reputation in amplifying analytical thinking. Drawn to entrepreneurship, she believes the Tepper way is the perfect training ground for learning how to become a business owner.

“I’m not seeking another discrete skill; I want to expand how I think, anticipate, and design strategy for challenges the market hasn’t yet recognized,” Fingard explains. “The Tepper School’s emphasis on modeling, optimization, and decision analysis will push me to approach decisions like a futurist, moving beyond present-day best practices to envision and prepare for what’s next.”

Before joining the MBA Class of 2027, Rachel Hagani earned a Mechanical Engineering degree at Carnegie Mellon and worked in R&D for Medtronic. She touts the Tepper MBA’s focus on “AI and digital transformation.” Her classmate, Guillermo Arola, observes that Tepper excels in the areas that will define the future: emerging technologies and leadership. Better still, adds Richard Pichardo, Tepper MBAs aren’t confined to the business school for their education.

“I’m especially excited about the ability to take classes across schools, which will allow me to focus on machine learning, statistics, and technology from both a business and technical perspective,” writes Pichardo, whose career has taken him from economics to product development. “CMU’s cross-disciplinary approach will provide me with both the technical depth and strategic thinking necessary to bridge the gap between what’s technically possible, what’s commercially valuable, and what is socially impactful.”

NOT JUST A PLACE FOR QUANTS

You won’t find many universities that match up to Carnegie Mellon academically. In the 2026 U.S. News Colleges and Universities Ranking, the school places among the very best across the undergraduate programs, including 1st for Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, and Cybersecurity. Carnegie Mellon also finished 4th for Data Analytics and Biotechnology and Top 10 in six engineering fields. Culturally, D. Sofia Trueax describes Carnegie Mellon as an environment that is buzzing with creative problem-solving and breakthrough ideas. Thus far, YJ Lin boils the Carnegie Mellon mystique down to one word: Disruption.

“CMU doesn’t just theorize about change—it architects, executes, and invests in it,” writes Lin, a program manager for Dell for Startups. “From spawning the AI revolution to transforming Pittsburgh’s entire economy, CMU is the epitome of creating impact through calculated disruption.”

True, terms like “scientific approach” and “quantitative decision-making” may initially intimidate students with a ‘poets’ background. However, the program is hardly a hub for quant jocks and engineers says Carolina Campbell, a ’25 grad who earned a BA in Psychology and landed a job at Deloitte Consulting after earning her MBA.

“While the Tepper School does emphasize analytics and data-driven decision-making, I found that it’s just as much about the human side of business—fostering leadership, collaboration, and diversity. The environment provides a unique balance of rigorous quantitative coursework and classes that emphasize people, leadership, and communication—all of which are just as critical in shaping well-rounded business leaders. The Tepper School isn’t just about numbers; it’s about personal growth, community impact, and the ability to translate insights into action—using data not just to analyze, but to drive better decisions and lead effectively.”

While Tepper is known for management science, the larger university’s liberal arts programs have produced performers like Suits lead actor Gabriel Macht, Academy Award winner Holly Hunter, Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, and Star Trek’s Zachary Quinto (aka Spock). Not surprisingly, says Campbell, one of the hottest Tepper electives is Acting For Business.

“I had never acted or done theatre before, but this course was quite simply a blast, and Professor Goyette is so adept at getting students out of their comfort zone. He gives excellent feedback and makes the class both constructive and fun.”

AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION: ACCELERATE LEADERSHIP CENTER AND MASTERS CAREER CENTER

The Accelerate Leadership Center (ALC) is among Tepper’s biggest appeals to both poets and quants. Notably, the center offers both professional and peer coaching, along with self-assessments, reflections, and workshops. At its core, the center’s programming is designed to help students develop self-awareness, communications, relationship-building, and cultural navigation skills. As part of the program, students can also earn an Accelerate Leadership Development Certificate.

Most recently a financier working in AI, D. Sofia Trueax lauds the program’s “holistic approach to leadership.” For Cristine Ferraz, a business analyst in the energy sector, the ALC provides a space to develop “persuasion and eloquence – while sharpening decision-making skills under pressure.” By the same token, Richard Pichardo has used his time in the ALC to beef up his executive storytelling skills.

“I’ve been successful at driving product results through data and execution, but I want to elevate my ability to craft compelling narratives that inspire teams and secure buy-in for transformational initiatives. In product management, the difference between a good idea and a green-lit initiative often comes down to how the story is told. Upleveling that skill will help me secure faster alignment on high-stakes and high-reward roadmap bets.”

On top of that, the ALC’s programming is complemented by Tepper’s highly-active Masters Career Center (MCC) says Grace McPartlin. She points to needing another layer of support after transitioning to business school after being a captain in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

“I didn’t want to go through my MBA journey alone,” continues McPartlin. “The Tepper School’s MCC stood out because of its personalized, relationship-focused approach. From day one, I’ve had career coaches who not only understand my unique background, but also challenge me to explore new industries, ask better questions, and grow my network intentionally. For someone driven by curiosity and human connection, this level of tailored support was exactly what I needed to make a confident and purposeful pivot.”

McPartlin also points to the ALC providing “daily practice” in the area she wants to strengthen: Emotional intelligence. Caitlin Hannah Benyah, a software engineer at Kohl’s, is seeking to fill a similar gap: “Enhanc(ing) communication skills so my words resonate both logically and emotionally.” When it comes to outcomes, Jessi Figard is seeking the Holy Grail: Learning to “think and operate as a CEO.”

“I seek to learn how to convey a long-term vision, navigate uncertainty, and make decisions with incomplete information,” Figard continues. “My experience at Capital One taught me how to identify inefficiencies, use data to guide strategy, and implement solutions. What I want to develop next is the executive-level judgment to balance quantitative insight with the human factors that determine whether an idea takes root.”

BIGGEST MANAGEMENT ACHIEVEMENT: MAKING YOURSELF UNNECESSARY

Thankfully, the Class of 2027 brings a strong base of leadership experience and impressive achievements to realize such goals. YJ Lin harkens back to his final week at Dell, when he recognized that his team was ready to take the reins without him.

“They say you’re successful when you become irreplaceable—I disagree. You’re successful when you become unnecessary,” he tells P&Q. “I watched my team take ownership of frameworks I’d created, improve processes I’d started, and dream bigger than I had. The relationships I’d nurtured became theirs to grow…Real leadership isn’t about building something that needs you—it’s about building something that transcends you.”

Chances are, this was a rule rather than an exception when the Class of 2027 streamed into Pittsburgh last year. Just look at Pennsylvania native and Harvard graduate Alexander DesPois. During the COVID pandemic, the U.S. Army awarded him the Meritorious Service Medal for running Europe’s top dental treatment facility. Joshua Soulliere received the LEAF Champion Award from his company for “outstanding service and commitment.” At Lockheed Martin, Sam Hinojosa developed a new machining process for a new material.

In 6 months, we machined 18 months of required parts,” explains Hinojosa, a manufacturing engineer who spent five years fronting a rock band. “Additionally, I leveraged my experience in tool engineering to improve upon the prior process by extending the life of the drill bits. This tool study will save the process over $500K in tooling costs over the next 2 years.”

In retail, Caitlin Hannah Benyah rolled out a Cash Office application across over 1,000 stores that saved Kohl’s $3-million annually. In contrast, Richard Pichardo launched 130 delivery-only retail stores for REEF, executing a supply chain strategy that slashed market entry costs by 75%.

“Decisions that are backed by data are highly correlated with success,” Pichardo observes. “However, leveraging data to make decisions is only as effective as understanding its provenance, limitations, and context. It is equally, if not more, essential to identify the right metrics and check bias before letting a dashboard steer strategy.”

STRONG NUMBERS ACROSS THE BOARD

As a whole, the Class of 2027 features 154 Full-Time MBA students, with Tepper accepting less than one-in-four applicants. On average, the class hit a 661 average in the GMAT focus. At the same time, GRE averages hit 163 (Quant) and 161 (Verbal), as the undergraduate GPA reached 3.34. In addition, the class is composed of students from 23 countries.

Engineering majors make up the largest segment of the class at 41%. Business and Commerce graduates hold another 25% of the class seats, followed by Economics (10%), Math and Physical Science (7%), Arts and Humanities (5%), and Social Science (5%). Once these students entered the workforce, both the Consulting and Technology fields employed 18% of the class each. These segments edged out Financial Services (17%), while Government and Healthcare each represented 11% shares of the class. The remainder of the class includes students who last worked in Media and Entertainment, Real Estate, and Energy.

Earlier this year, when U.S. News & World Report surveyed business school leaders about the top Full-Time MBA programs, Tepper ranked as the top school for Information Systems, while finishing 2nd in Business Analytics. In addition, the program placed Top 10 in Supply Chain and Logistics, Production and Operations and Entrepreneurship. In the 2025 Bloomberg Businessweek MBA Ranking, where Tepper rose to 15th, the school finished 4th in Entrepreneurship, 5th for Learning Quality, and 7th for Networking. The school also fared well in the 2026 Princeton Review MBA Ranking. Here, students gave Tepper the fourth-highest score for Faculty Excellence, along with ranking the school 2nd and 8th for its Operations and Management curriculum respectively. It isn’t just the Full-Time MBA program where Tepper earns plaudits. Tepper ranked 6th in P&Q’s latest Online MBA Ranking and Top 20 in its Undergraduate Ranking, a testament to the school’s depth.

THE CAMPUS CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Despite being known for management science and analytics excellence, Tepper has also invested heavily in entrepreneurship, ranking 15th in the latest P&Q Entrepreneurship Ranking. Over half of 2024-2025 students participated in an entrepreneurship-related club, with the school ranking 5th globally in funding per student venture at $17,769. The school also ranked 3rd in Ratio of Mentors-to-Students (3.97), a reflection of just how seriously that entrepreneurship is taken at the school.

At the center of campus, you’ll find the Tepper Quad, the home of the business school. In fact, at 315,000 square feet and five stories high, the business school remains the largest building on campus. Here, you’ll find the center of Carnegie Mellon’s entrepreneurship ecosystem: Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. Covering 23,000 square feet, the Swartz Center is where undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, technical experts, and faculty come together to turn their visions into ventures. That includes cutting edge areas like Artificial Intelligence, robotics, self-driving technologies, and energy storage.

The Project Olympus incubator and the Venture Pre-Seed Fund rank among the most popular programs offered by the Swartz Center. Aside from top minds, wide resources, and deep pockets within a short walk of the Quad, YJ Lin also cites just how engaged the Carnegie Mellon community is with entrepreneurship.

“Even before starting my MBA, the staff and professors [were] already connecting me with opportunities to help bring Pittsburgh’s startup community together through Carnegie Mellon University. This wasn’t just a conversation about having access to resources; it was about creating a place to help find authentic partners who understand where I am trying to go and help proactively seek to support my mission. When I shared my vision to impact a million people through community frameworks, I didn’t get polite nods—I got introductions, collaboration offers, and genuine excitement about co-creating this future.”

Next Page: Profiles of 12 Members of the MBA Class of 2027

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