The University of Virginia Darden School of Business MBA Class of 2026 profile has been released, showcasing the achievement and potential of its 355-member class.
This year, 38 percent of the class are women. Twenty-three percent represent a U.S. racial minority, a nine percent jump from last year. LGBTQ+ students make up 11 percent of the class, a four-percent increase over last year. Recruitment of U.S. servicemembers in the MBA program remains steady at 14 percent, and 14 percent are also first-generation college students. This year’s cohort is, in addition to being diverse and well-rounded, worldly, with 31 percent having studied abroad and 31 percent being international students from 30 different countries.
| Women | 38% |
| Countries Represented (by citizenship) | 30 |
| International Students | 31% |
| Average Work Experience | 5.7 years |
Education and Employment
The incoming UVA Darden MBA class represents 207 different undergraduate schools with an average GPA of 3.56. The class boasts an average GMAT score of 718, a slight increase over last year’s average of 716. The median GMAT score landed at 720 with the middle 80 percent of scores ranging from 680 to 760. The average combined GRE score, compared to last year’s class, remains unchanged at 321. The median GRE score clocked in at 320 with the middle 80 percent of scores ranging from 311 to 330.
| Average Undergraduate GPA | 3.56 |
| Average GMAT Score | 718 |
| Average GRE (Combined) | 321 |
The new class comes from various professional backgrounds with an average of 5.7 years of work experience with 279 unique employers. Financial services is again the most common career for aspiring MBAs, with 23 percent coming from that industry. Another 15 percent were in government work, 12 percent in consulting, and 12 percent in the tech industry. Six percent of the class had worked in the biotech or pharmaceutical industries.
