The Yale School of Management welcomed 347 new students to its MBA Class of 2026 this August, marking the start of an exciting new chapter for these future business leaders. Read on to learn about their impressive academics, varied professional histories and diverse backgrounds.
Academic and Professional Achievements
Twenty percent of the new Yale SOM class were the first in their families to earn a college degree. During their undergraduate years, the MBA Class of 2026 earned an average GPA of 3.68. More than a third of students — 34 percent — hold a degree in a STEM discipline. Twenty-eight percent had majored in business followed by 20 percent in humanities/social sciences. Another 18 percent hold bachelor’s degrees in economics.
| Average Undergraduate GPA | 3.68 |
| Percent majoring in humanities, social sciences | 20% |
| Percent majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math | 34% |
| Percent majoring in business | 28% |
| Percent majoring in economics | 18% |
Thirty-eight percent of incoming students submitted GRE scores. Their median verbal score landed at 164, and the median quant score came in at 166, identical to last year’s GRE stats.
Given the changes to the GMAT, Yale SOM broke down the incoming class’s scores by test. Those who submitted the GMAT (10th edition) scores reported worked out to a median score of 730, with the middle 80 percent of scores coming in between 700 and 760. For the limited number of candidates who submitted GMAT (Focus) scores, their median landed at 675.
| Median GMAT (10th edition) Score | 730 |
| Median GMAT (Focus edition) Score | 675 |
| Median GRE Quant | 166 |
| Median GRE Verbal | 164 |
Yale SOM’s MBA students average 4.9 years of work experience. Financial services topped their pre-MBA industry background at 24.4 percent. Twenty-two percent had been working in consulting before matriculating. Nearly 14 percent came from the tech industry, followed by nine percent from nonprofit.
A Diverse Cohort
The Yale MBA class profile reflects a wide range of human experience. Thirty-nine percent of the MBA Class of 2026 are women, on par with last year’s 40 percent. Fifty-six percent identify as students of color, an eight percent jump from last year, and 16 percent as underrepresented U.S. minorities. Nearly half of the class (48 percent) are international passport holders representing 42 countries all together. Twelve percent of the class identifies as LGBTQ+.
| Women | 39% |
| Countries Represented (by citizenship) | 42 |
| International Passport Holders | 48% |
| Average Work Experience | 4.9 years |
