collageWharton School, a prestigious business school at the University of Pennsylvania, boasts an acceptance rate of just 9%. With such a low acceptance rate, it’s clear that getting into Wharton is no easy feat. However, for those looking to pursue an MBA at Wharton, there are certain admission requirements that must be met in order to be considered for acceptance.
In order to have a competitive application for the Wharton MBA program, aspiring students should aim for a GPA of 3.6 or higher. While there is no strict minimum GPA requirement, having a GPA at or above the average can greatly increase your chances of being admitted. Additionally, applicants should aim to achieve a GMAT score of 728 or a GRE score of 324, as these are the average test scores for recently admitted students at Wharton.
The admission process for the Wharton MBA program involves submitting a comprehensive application that includes transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, and essays. Applicants also have the opportunity to participate in an admissions interview to further showcase their qualifications and potential fit for the program. With a high acceptance rate, applicants should thoroughly prepare and present themselves as strong, well-rounded candidates in order to stand out in the competitive pool of applicants.
| Wharton MBA Acceptance Rate | 9% |
|---|---|
| Wharton MBA Average GPA | 3.6 |
| GMAT Average Score | 728 |
wharton mBA acceptance rate 2020
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania offers one of the best MBA programs in the USA and the world, and the 2022 Wharton MBA class profile is as strong and diverse as ever.
Known traditionally for its strength in finance, Wharton counts itself among the prestigious M7 business schools, an informal grouping of elite private business schools that are famously selective when it comes to admitting MBA candidates.
Out of 7,158 applications to the school in 2020, less than a quarter were admitted. Wharton’s MBA acceptance rate is 23.1%.
For those who make it into Wharton, the rewards can be huge. Wharton MBAs can expect to earn over $211,000 in annual salary three years after graduation.
Wharton MBA Acceptance Rate
If your sights set on business school and are you trying to decide which MBA programs to apply to, you best start with understanding your chances of acceptance to top programs. You might be wondering where you’ll likely be accepted and which is the best program you can get into with your profile. To help answer your questions, we’ve put together some fast facts covering key admission factors to help you determine your odds of getting accepted into the Wharton MBA Program.
If you’re wondering how difficult it is to get into Wharton, then you’ve come to the right place. On this page, we’ll give you a quick overview of what it takes to get into the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and help you understand whether your profile is a good fit for the Wharton MBA program.
Fast Facts: Wharton MBA
| Acceptance Rate | 25%i |
| GMAT Average | 722 |
| GPA Average | 3.60 |
| Avg. Years Work Experience | 5.0 years |
UPenn Wharton Business School Overview
Wharton is the oldest business school in the nation with an undergraduate program, a full-time MBA program, an executive MBA program, a PhD program, and an executive education program.
There are four pillars for University of Pennsylvania Wharton, (1) Largest Global Network; (2) Culture of Engagement; (3) Innovative Leadership Learning; and (4) Global Opportunities. In your application, make sure you mention how each of Wharton’s core principles pertains to you.
UPenn Wharton Business School GMAT Ranges
Wharton GMAT score ranges from a 620 to 790. That is over a170 point difference. Realistically, you should look at the GMAT score range for the mid-80% of the students, which is a 700-770. The GMAT score mean is 732 and the median is 730. This means the distribution of scores is skewed to the right slightly. Applicants should aim to score around the median to be competitive, however if you don’t end up with a score that high, despite trying 2-3 times to get a better score on the GMAT, don’t worry. You can express your academic strength in other ways.
The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) offers these departments and concentrations: accounting, e-commerce, economics, entrepreneurship, ethics, finance, general management, health care administration, human resources management, insurance, international business, marketing, production/operations management, public policy, real estate, and quantitative analysis/statistics and operations research. Its tuition is full-time: $74,500 per year. At graduation, 81 percent of graduates of the full-time program are employed.
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania was the U.S.’s first business school and now has the largest alumni network in the country.
In addition to graduate business degrees, students can pursue joint degrees, including an accelerated MBA/J.D. degree in three years in conjunction with the Penn Law School; an MBA/M.A. degree in International Studies; and joint degree programs through the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Students can also earn a Ph.D. at Wharton, typically in four to five years, in nine areas including ethics & legal studies, statistics and applied economics.
Students learn how to handle stress, make critical decisions and lead a team outside the classroom on outdoor trips called Ventures. Whether students are mountaineering on Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro, trekking through Antarctica or sailing in Grenada, they put their leadership skills to the test during the weeklong trips. For leadership training closer to home, students can get hands-on experience in about 25 research centers on campus and have close to 150 organizations to get involved in.
UPenn Wharton Business School Average GPA
The UPenn Wharton average GPA is 3.6 out of 4.0 for the most recent class of admitted students. GPA is important but not the sole indicator of academic strength. You can’t do anything to change your undergraduate GPA now so work on the other parts of your application to balance out your less-than-average GPA. You’ll need to show the admissions committee that you can not only handle the work that Wharton has in store, but also that you’ll thrive in the academic environment. Most courses are team-based and project-based. The admissions committee wants to make sure that every applicant will be able to hold their own in these settings.
UPenn Wharton Business School Class of 2017 Profile
| Number of Applications | 6,590 |
| Students Enrolled in Class of 2017 | 861 |
| Healthcare Management | 78 |
| Lauder Class | 74 |
| JD/MBA | 20 |
| International Students | 32% |
| Countries Represented | 73 |
| Female Students | 43% |
| Minority Students | 30% |
| Years of Work Experience: Mean | 5 |
| Years of Work Experience: Range | 1-16 |
| GMAT Score: Mean | 732 |
| GMAT Score: Median | 730 |
| GMAT Score: Range | 620-790 |
| GMAT Score: mid 80% Range | 700-770 |
harvard mBA acceptance rate
The Harvard Business School acceptance rate is the second-lowest of all MBA programs worldwide. It’s eclipsed only by Stanford GSB, in part because the GSB has a much smaller class size.
Poets & Quants recently shared the acceptance rate and yield data for the M7 MBA programs to illustrate the strength that HBS has in attracting applicants and students. HBS’s acceptance rate in 2020 was 11.5%, up from 10.4% a year earlier, per the US News rankings.
wharton deferred mBA acceptance rate
Till a while back, the program was exclusively for University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) undergrads but has now been expanded for anyone in their final year of, both undergraduate or full-time master’s.
It provides a deferred admit to the Wharton MBA, after 2-4 years of professional experience. Consider it as a passport to corporate superstardom. A lot of regular MBA programs have been opening up this deferred MBA route.
The application deadline tends to coincide with the last round of the regular MBA (give or take) though the process of application is identical for the two options.
The 2020 cohort had 173 successful commits to the program and had a whopping 741 GMAT average (against the MBA cohort average of 732). The average GPA too stood at a hefty 3.79 (against the regular average of 3.6). This makes the acceptance rate for the Wharton deferred MBA tougher than the regular intake.
Finally, the cohort has a slightly better gender balance at 53% female participants compared to the regular cohort at 46%.
wharton mBA cost
Costs listed below reflect the 2021-2022 academic year.
Tuition and fees do not represent the full cost of your program. Living expenses and the cost of books should also be considered and are included in the charts below.
Wharton MBA
| First Year | Second Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $76,000 | $74,500 |
| General Fee | $3,552 | $3,552 |
| Clinical Fee | $648 | $648 |
| Course Materials Fee | $1,030 | $1,030 |
| Pre-Term Fee | $2,000 | – |
| San Francisco Program Fee | – | $5,000 |
| Housing | $14,400 | $14,400 |
| Dining | $7,320 | $7,320 |
| Transportation | $890 | $890 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,630 | $1,630 |
| Personal Expenses | $4,120 | $4,120 |
| Health Insurance | $3,874 | $3,874 |
| Total | $115,464 | $111,964 |
The Lauder Program
| First Year (10 months) | Second Year (9 months) | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $76,000 | $74,500 |
| General Fee | $3,552 | $3,552 |
| Clinical Fee | $648 | $648 |
| Course Materials Fee | $1,030 | $1,030 |
| Pre-Term Fee | $7,000 | – |
| Lauder Program Fee | $16,200 | $16,200 |
| Housing | $15,100 | $13,592 |
| Dining | $7,570 | $6,812 |
| Transportation | $1,070 | $964 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,494 | $1,494 |
| Personal Expenses | $4,700 | $4,230 |
| Health Insurance | $3,584 | $3,584 |
| Total | $149,296 | $122,754 |
Executive MBA (East and West Coast)
| Year 1 | Year 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $48,680 | $48,680 |
| General Fee | $56,770 | $53,920 |
| Total | $105,450 | $102,600 |
wharton mBA requirements
MBA Application Checklist & Prerequisite Requirements
A complete application will consist of the following items:
- Background Information
- Application Fee
- Two Essays
- Transcripts (unofficial or official)
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- GMAT or GRE Score
- English Language Test Score
- Resume
Interviews
Interviews for the MBA program are offered by invitation only. If you have been invited to interview, then you will participate in the Wharton MBA Team Based Discussion (TBD).
International Applicants
Requirements for the MBA program are the same for both international students and U.S. citizens. Recognizing the special challenges that international students face, both Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania provide information and resources to help you navigate the MBA application process, and we assist international students with issues like obtaining a visa and relocating to a new country.
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