UCLA Anderson

Magoosh interviews Alex Lawrence, Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Admissions, gives the full scoop on UCLA Anderson's NEW test-optional policy, what it means for MBA applicants, how to make your Anderson application shine, and more!

UCLA Anderson School of Management offers an innovative MBA program that embraces the forward-thinking business landscape of Southern California. The program is distinguished by its test-optional application, making it one of the first top-tier business schools to adopt this inclusive policy. Anderson's MBA experience is characterized by a strong focus on customized learning, global exposure, and a commitment to advancing careers in various sectors, particularly technology and entrepreneurship. Their values of shared success and thinking fearlessly underpin a curriculum designed to cultivate leadership and a proactive approach to business challenges.

UCLA Anderson received 2,182 applications, with an acceptance rate of 37.6% resulting in 929 accepted applicants. The yield rate, which is the percentage of accepted students who chose to enroll, was 34.7%.

UCLA Anderson is one of the first leading business schools to offer a test-optional application process for their Full-Time MBA program, allowing candidates to choose whether to submit GMAT, GRE, or EA test scores based on their individual profiles and strengths. This approach empowers applicants to decide if their test scores are a reflective measure of their potential to contribute to and benefit from the MBA experience.

At UCLA Anderson, the undergraduate majors of MBA students are diverse, with Business majors forming the largest group at 24%, followed by Engineering at 19%, Humanities and Social Sciences at 16%, and Economics at 14%. The middle 80% of students have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.1 to 3.8, showcasing a wide range of academic backgrounds.

UCLA Anderson's MBA program students come from a broad range of industries, with the largest segments working in technology (25%) and financial services (23%) before pursuing their MBA. They bring an average of 5.7 years of work experience to the program, indicating a rich professional background among the cohort.

Upon graduating from UCLA Anderson, a significant 34.1% of students transition into the technology industry, with consulting and financial services also being popular, attracting 23.8% and 12.1% of students, respectively. These fields are indicative of the school's strong integration with the tech sector and its robust consulting and financial services training. Geographically, the vast majority of alumni, 83.1%, work in the Western United States, particularly in Southern California, which accounts for 57.9%, illustrating the school's significant influence in the region.