The newest Columbia Business School (CBS) MBA class brings together a uniquely talented and diverse group, showcasing the program’s dynamic class profile and the global appeal of CBS’s curriculum and culture. From former professional athletes and tech innovators to passionate entrepreneurs and advocates of social impact, each student brings a wealth of experience and perspective, making CBS a vibrant hub for future leaders–and we meet some of them in this edition of Real Humans: MBA Students.
But first, let’s take a look at the class profile stats for the 972 students who matriculated at CBS in 2024. 734 of these new students started in August (graduating in 2026) while 238 signed up for the J-Term class (graduating in 2025). Women make up 44 percent of the CBS classes and 46 percent are international students. Forty-four percent identify as U.S. minorities.
During their undergraduate years, the CBS class earned an average 3.6 GPA. Thirty percent had earned degrees in business while eighteen percent had studied economics. Another 16 percent had majored in engineering. Thirteen percent came from a social sciences background while 10 percent had studied the sciences. New CBS students arrived on campus with an average of six years of work experience. The most popular pre-MBA industry was financial services at 30 percent, followed by consulting at 25 percent. Another 13 percent had worked in tech. Ten percent brought work experience from media/marketing and five percent from healthcare. When it came time to take the GMAT, CBS candidates averaged a score of 732. For those who took the GRE, they reported an average score of 162 in both the Quant and Verbal sections.
Beyond the class profile in the following pages, we meet Caraun Reid, a former NFL player from the Bronx, who was drawn to CBS’s collaborative spirit and supportive alumni network. Then, Catherine Wei, with a background in ad tech, values the opportunity to expand her leadership skills within CBS’s Media and Technology program. Next, Cedoni Francis brings entrepreneurial flair from her content creation journey, while Garrett Breeden, with roots in finance and sports, underscores the program’s networking power in New York City. John Harbour III, transitioning from healthcare analysis, values CBS’s breadth in healthcare and investment education, and Julia Schwart, from Buenos Aires, seeks to apply her consumer product expertise to the tech and venture capital sectors.
Each of these students chose CBS for its unparalleled academic resources, extensive network, and the diverse, inclusive community it fosters. They reflect the class’s wide-ranging interests and the supportive environment that CBS has cultivated for lifelong learning and leadership. Read on for their stories.
