Harvard Business School (HBS) expects women to make up a record 41 percent of its incoming MBA class, according to preliminary data released earlier this week. Up from 40 percent last year and 35 percent ten years ago, it reflects continuing efforts the school has been making to bolster female enrollment.
The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School has been a leader among top business schools with regard to female enrollment, with women making up 42 percent of its incoming class last year. The Philadelphia school has not yet released its enrollment figures for the upcoming fall. Stanford Graduate School of Business, which enrolled 35 percent women last year, also has not yet released fall enrollment figures.
The strides in female enrollment come amid HBS’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of admitting women MBA students, which it commemorated in 2012-13. Even so, according to a report HBS published to mark the occasion, its women graduates are less satisfied with their careers than their male counterparts, and many believe the decision to prioritize family over work stands as the greatest barrier to career advancement for women.
In releasing its preliminary class profile, HBS also revealed that applications rose 9.3 percent (to 9,315) last year and that it admitted 12 percent of those who applied, down from 13 percent last year. HBS expects its class size to increase to 941 students this fall, up from 913 last year.
