The University of Pennsylvania Wharton MBA Class of 2026 represents a global community of ambitious individuals, from military officers to former consultants, all drawn to Wharton’s collaborative and inclusive culture, as we’ll see in the profiles in this Real Humans: MBA Students. The program’s reputation for supporting entrepreneurial ventures and offering unmatched resources across various industries continues to be a pivotal attraction. As the class embarks on their journey, they bring diverse perspectives and a shared commitment to growth, making them a transformative cohort in Wharton’s rich history of business leadership.
Wharton welcomed 866 new students to be a part of the MBA Class of 2026. Taking a look at the Wharton class profile, 47 percent of the new MBA students are women. Thirty-five percent of the class identifies as U.S. minorities, which includes students of African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic American, and multiethnic backgrounds. International students comprise 31 percent of the Class of 2026, and a total of 65 countries are represented in the class. Ten percent identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Turning to their undergraduate years, 36 percent had majored in the humanities. Thirty-two percent each had earned degrees in STEM or business. Of those graded on a 4.0 scale, the average GPA during their undergraduate years was 3.7. Eleven percent are first-gen college students. After graduation, enrolled students then earned an average of five years of work experience. In terms of industry experience, 28 percent of students had backgrounds in consulting, followed by private equity/venture capital at 15 percent. Technology and non-profit/government were next at 11 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Nine percent hailed from investment banking. When it came time to take the GMAT, the average score landed at 762. For those who took the GRE, their average scores landed at 162 in Verbal and 163 in Quant.
The Wharton MBA class profile showcases the unique journeys of students like Ariel Slama, a Tel Aviv-based attorney who aims to leverage Wharton’s real estate expertise to drive growth in his family business, and Bobby Keating, a Navy Supply Corps officer committed to returning to his military role with a strengthened foundation in data-driven leadership. This year’s class also includes Astha Berry, an entrepreneurial-minded consultant who found her fit at Wharton through the school’s burgeoning resources for founders, and Kate Harper, a former collegiate golfer and Bain consultant eager to apply her teamwork insights in the consulting and sports-focused industries.
Read through the following pages to learn more about these new Wharton students, why they chose the leading business school, their advice for admissions and more.
