At several business schools throughout the world, female MBA students are gradually gaining representation. However, some institutions have gone above and beyond to increase the proportion of women in their classes.
The proportion of women enrolled in business schools around the world has been gradually increasing over the last decade. Female MBA enrollment increased from 34% in 2013 to 42% in 2018, as reported by the Forte Foundation.
In 2022, the Fortune 500 reached double-digit representation for female CEOs, highlighting the need for gender balance in MBA programs worldwide.
Obtaining an MBA is beneficial to both women and the firms that employ them. Data from Forté shows that women with an MBA earn 55-65% more than their pre-MBA wage within five years of graduation. Companies with female board directors have a 53% better return on equity.
With such incentives, prominent business schools throughout the world are doing their best to lure more women to their programs, with various degrees of success.
In the US, institutions in the 2024 Financial Times (FT) MBA Ranking have an average of 40% female MBA cohorts, up from 38% in 2023. The majority of ranked schools in Europe have an average of 41%, but those in China have an average of 53%. Female students are significantly underrepresented in Indian schools, accounting for only 22%.
A few premier schools throughout the world have been able to achieve close to—if not more than—50% female MBAs. Here’s our ranking of the top 15 MBAs for women.
15. Queen’s University – Smith School of Business
Women will account for 46% of MBA students at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business in Canada by 2024.
The school is committed to drawing even more women to the program through programs like the Women of Influence Luncheon Series, which features high-profile guest speakers who share their views with students.
14. Emlyon Business School
The current Emlyon Business School MBA cohort is split 46:54 between female and male students. A further 50% of school board members are women, and 42% of the staff are female, reflecting the school’s strong commitment to attaining gender balance across all levels.
13. The Alliance Manchester Business School
Alliance Manchester Business School is ranked among the top 50 programs in this year’s MBA rankings, with 46% of the current class being women.
The school supports a number of measures to increase women’s access to the program, including scholarships worth up to 50% of tuition in cooperation with the Forté Foundation. Each year, one full-ride scholarship is provided through a cooperation with the 30% Club, an organization dedicated to obtaining 30% female board involvement across the UK’s FTSE 100 companies.
12. Stanford Graduate School of Business
Stanford, the first M7 business school to feature on this list, had a disappointing year in overall ranking performance. However, it did enter the top 25 MBA schools for women this year.
It is one of the schools with 46% female presence in the MBA cohort. Women at Stanford have access to a variety of tools, including alumni community forums and the Stanford Women’s Community Center, which help to increase student engagement on gender problems.
Despite high student participation, Stanford’s female academics account for only 27% of the workforce, and fewer than one-third of board members are women.
11. CEIBS
CEIBS has previously achieved gender parity; nevertheless, the current MBA class is 46% female. In addition, the Shanghai-based institution has a 50:50 gender mix on its board.
The Shanghai-based school provides additional support for women in business beyond the MBA. Its Women in Leadership program brings together female and male allies to discuss major concerns for women in business and investigate gender dynamics in the workplace.
10. MIT Sloan School of Management
Another M7 business school on our list is MIT Sloan, which boasts 46% female students and 28% female faculty—a 2% increase over last year.
MIT has a number of women-focused initiatives, including Sloan Women in Management, which seeks to expand opportunities for all women at MIT Sloan through networking events, speaker series, professional development courses, and mentorship programs.
9. EDHEC Business School
EDHEC Business School is the #1 institution on this ranking with 47% female students. On its board, however, gender parity has been attained, with 50% of members being female.
EDHEC has a number of efforts to help women entrepreneurs, including the Swati Kansal Memorial Scholarship for Women of Impact, which is awarded to one woman each year and is worth €10,000. It was established in remembrance of Swati Kansal, a 2019 EDHEC Global MBA graduate who served as president of the MBA Digital Innovation Club while enrolled in the program.
8. University of Washington’s Foster School of Business
At the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, 47% of MBA students are women.
Female Foster MBA students can get help from the Foster Women In Business Alumnae Association, which strives to expand the school’s female network and help the program achieve gender equality.
7. Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management
Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management, which has 48% female MBA students, is one of the top programs in China and one of five Chinese business schools on this list.
The school has 40% female representation on the board and 35% female personnel.
6. Northwestern University: Kellogg
Kellogg was the first top 10 FT-ranked school to select a female dean, Sally Blount, in 2010, so it’s no wonder that it’s consistently recognized as one of the best MBA programs for women.
In 2024, women make up 48% of the MBA class and 45% of the board. Men at Kellogg can also participate in the discourse about gender diversity through initiatives such as ‘Manbassadors’.
5. University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management
The University of Toronto Rotman School of Management has a number of initiatives for women in business, including a Back to Work program for women who have taken a prolonged leave of absence and leadership development courses for early and mid-career women.
This concentration is no surprise given that the Rotman School of Management has one of the best MBA programs for women, with 49% female students and a majority (53%) of women on the board.
4. University of Rochester, Simon Business School
The Simon Business School at the University of Rochester is one of several schools highlighted here that have partnered with the Forté Foundation to provide support for women in business through fellowships, forums, and symposiums.
The school also sponsors the Women’s Conference, which provides female professionals with a taste of MBA life on campus and information about the Simon Women in Business organization’s support. In 2024, the school’s MBA program will have 49% women in the cohort.
3. Audencia
Audencia’s 2024 MBA class, which is based in Nantes, Western France, is 50% female. The school also boasts an exceptional representation on the board (50%) and in the faculty, with 47% of staff being female.
Audencia provides scholarships for women in business to women with outstanding academic credentials.
2. ESCP Business School
One of France’s best MBA programs, ESCP Business School’s MBA, will attain gender parity in 2024. Along with 50% of MBA students, women make up 70% of the board (the highest on this list) and 42% of the faculty.
ESCP has been working to attract more women to its MBA program through initiatives such as the Women in Leadership Scholarship.
1. University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School
In 2024, Wharton regained its top spot on the Financial Times MBA Ranking after a significant loss the previous year. The very prestigious school joins Stanford and MIT as M7 business schools on this list, but it is the only one to attain gender parity.
However, despite having 50% female students, the Wharton board is only 21% female, and women make up fewer than one-third of the faculty.
