The Tulane MBA is the two-year, 59-credit, STEM-designated full-time MBA at Tulane University’s A. B. Freeman School of Business in New Orleans, Louisiana. U.S. News ranks it No. 53 in its 2026 Best Business Schools list, up from No. 54, which Freeman calls its best placing in more than 15 years. Poets&Quants reported a 47.7% acceptance rate for the class that entered in 2025, and Freeman says every 2025 graduate accepted a job offer within four months, at an average base salary of $109,746.
Your Deadline is Round 1 on 1 November 2026. Round 2 closes on 1 February 2027, and Freeman asks international students to apply by 1 May 2027 at the latest. This guide covers the Tulane Freeman MBA requirements, acceptance rate, GMAT policy, English tests, tuition, scholarships of up to full tuition, careers and the mistakes international applicants make.
Tulane Freeman MBA at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Programme | Full-Time MBA, two years, four semesters, 59 credits, August start |
| U.S. News rank | No. 53, 2026 Best Business Schools (released 7 April 2026) |
| Acceptance rate | 47.7% for the class that entered in 2025 (Poets&Quants) |
| GMAT / GRE | Optional, no minimum; needed for full-tuition fellowship consideration |
| Application fee | $125 |
| Essay | One required essay; personal statement optional |
| Recommendations | One |
| Tuition (2026-27) | $1,989 per credit; $65,637 in year one |
| Scholarships | Merit awards up to 100% of tuition; international students fully eligible |
| STEM | Yes |
| Employment (Class of 2025) | 100% accepted offers within four months; average base $109,746 |
Tulane Freeman MBA ranking
U.S. News placed Freeman No. 53 among full-time MBA programmes in its 2026 edition, released on 7 April 2026, one place higher than the year before. Freeman says this is a 28-place climb since 2023. The same edition ranked Freeman’s Executive MBA No. 39 and its Professional MBA No. 49. Freeman’s MBA page also cites the Princeton Review 2027 list of best on-campus MBA programmes. Poets&Quants ranks Freeman No. 59 in its own 2026 table.
Tulane Freeman MBA acceptance rate and class profile
Poets&Quants’ August 2026 data gives a 47.7% acceptance rate for the 2025 entering class, down from 52.5% in 2024 and 63.8% in 2023. Yield was 29.3%. Freeman’s own April 2026 news release says its full-time MBA acceptance rate fell 9.1% in the latest U.S. News data.
Freeman does not publish a class profile on its MBA pages. Poets&Quants’ school profile, updated in October 2026 but without a class year, lists these figures:
| Freeman full-time MBA (Poets&Quants profile, year not stated) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Full-time enrolment | 35 |
| Median GMAT | 580 |
| Median GRE | 299 |
| Average GPA | 3.36 |
| International students | 14% |
| Women | 54% |
| Average age | 27 |
Treat these as a rough guide only. The same profile gives an acceptance rate of 70%, which does not match Poets&Quants’ newer August 2026 figure, so the profile numbers may be from an older class. Even so, the picture is of a small class where a GMAT near 600 is competitive.
Tulane Freeman MBA requirements for international students
- Online application form.
- Resume.
- One essay: required. Freeman does not publish the prompt or word limit on its admissions page.
- One letter of recommendation.
- Transcripts: unofficial copies from every institution you attended, used for review; official copies are needed at enrolment.
- Credential evaluation: a document-by-document evaluation with a U.S. GPA equivalent for any non-U.S. degree. Freeman cannot review your file without it.
- GMAT or GRE: optional. GMAT code XVC-SG-32, GRE code 6197.
- Personal statement: optional.
- English test: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Duolingo score report, unless exempt.
- Financial documents: an affidavit of support, a bank statement and a passport copy, due before you accept your offer.
- Application fee: $125.
Freeman prefers evaluations from IEE, The Evaluation Company, ECE, Educational Perspectives, One Earth Evaluators or WES, and accepts any NACES member. Order this early: it is the step that most often holds up international files.
Should you send a GMAT or GRE score?
Freeman makes the test optional, with no minimum score, and two years or more of work experience is encouraged. But its MBA page says scholarships of up to 100% of tuition come with a valid GMAT or GRE score, and its admissions page says scores are required for full-tuition fellowship consideration. If you need funding, take the test.
English requirements
Freeman asks international applicants for a TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Duolingo score report but does not publish minimum scores on its admissions pages. You may be exempt if you completed at least one year of university study, taught in English, in an English-speaking country. Freeman’s wording does not make clear whether a degree from a university in Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya counts, so email admissions@freeman.tulane.edu before you skip the test. Ask the same email for the minimum score the MBA committee expects.
Tulane Freeman MBA deadlines 2026-2027
| Round | Application deadline | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 1 November 2026 | Before 15 January 2027 |
| Round 2 | 1 February 2027 | Before 15 March 2027 |
| Final round (international applicants should apply by this date) | 1 May 2027 | 1 June 2027 |
| Rolling | After 1 May 2027 | Rolling |
These are for fall 2027 entry. Freeman’s page gives the days without a year; the years shown follow from the fall 2027 intake.
International applicants
Freeman asks international students to apply by 1 May 2027. Because the credential evaluation and financial documents take weeks, Round 2 on 1 February 2027 is a safer target if you miss 1 November.
How to apply, step by step
- Order your credential evaluation: document-by-document with a U.S. GPA.
- Take the GMAT or GRE: if you want to be considered for the biggest scholarships.
- Book an English test: unless you clearly meet the exemption.
- Ask one recommender: ideally your current supervisor.
- Write the essay: and an optional personal statement only if it adds something.
- Submit and pay $125: by 1 November 2026 or 1 February 2027.
- Prepare financial documents: the affidavit of support and bank statement for the I-20.
How to write the Tulane Freeman MBA essay
Freeman’s admissions page lists one required essay but does not publish the prompt or a word limit, and the prompt appears in the application. Most MBA essays at this level ask some version of: what you have done, what you want to do, and why this school. Prepare a 500-word core story you can adapt:
- Your work: one achievement with a number, and your role in it.
- Your goal: a specific post-MBA job. Freeman’s concentrations are business analytics, finance, marketing, strategy and innovation, and energy and sustainability, so tie your goal to one.
- Why Freeman: the consulting practicum, the impact capstone with corporate clients, the international immersion project, or the energy sector in the Gulf South.
For illustration: “At a Port Harcourt oil services firm, I cut equipment downtime on our offshore contracts by 18% by rescheduling maintenance crews. I want to move into energy transition strategy, and Freeman’s energy and sustainability concentration is built for that move.”
If the application shows a different prompt, answer that prompt directly and reuse only the facts.
The Tulane Freeman MBA interview
Freeman’s MBA pages do not describe an interview or its format. If you are invited to one, treat it as a check on your goals and your English. Be ready to explain why New Orleans, why a small class, and how you will pay for the programme.
What the admissions committee looks for
- Two or more years of work experience after your degree, though strong internships are also considered.
- An accredited bachelor’s degree with a solid GPA, shown through the credential evaluation.
- A test score if you want top scholarships.
- A clear goal that one of the five concentrations supports.
- Readiness for team projects with real corporate clients.
Tulane Freeman MBA tuition and cost 2026-2027
Tulane’s 2026-27 graduate rate sheet confirms the full-time MBA tuition of $1,989 per credit hour. Freeman’s tuition page breaks the two years down as follows:
| Cost | Year one | Year two |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $65,637 | $51,714 |
| Mandatory fees | $5,914 (includes a $900 Global Immersion Course fee) | $4,314 |
| Tuition and fees | $70,651 | $56,028 |
| Living costs (about nine months) | $19,284 | $19,284 |
| Health insurance | $3,381 | $3,381 |
| Books | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Transportation | $3,006 | $3,006 |
| Computer allowance | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| Miscellaneous | $2,228 | $2,228 |
| Estimated total | About $102,550 | About $87,927 |
The totals are my sums of Freeman’s line items. Freeman’s tuition page does not label the year, but its per-credit rate matches Tulane’s 2026-27 rate sheet. That sheet lists mandatory fees for a full-time MBA student as an academic support fee of $100 per credit hour, a $160 student activity fee, a $260 recreation centre fee and a $437 campus health fee each semester.
Costs not covered by tuition
- Rent above Freeman’s living estimate, plus renters’ insurance.
- Summer living costs between the two years.
- Travel during the international immersion beyond the $900 course fee, if any; Freeman does not say what the fee covers.
- Visa fees (SEVIS I-901 and the visa application fee) and flights.
- Credential evaluation and test fees.
Tulane Freeman MBA scholarships for international students
Freeman considers every admitted applicant for merit scholarships, with no separate application. Awards can reach 100% of tuition, and Freeman says international students are fully eligible. It weighs professional experience, academics and test scores, leadership potential and community involvement. Full-tuition fellowships require a GMAT or GRE score.
Other funding listed on the tuition page:
- Private alternative loans: available to international students, with requirements Freeman does not spell out. Prodigy and MPOWER are not named.
- Rowe Fund: interest-free loans of up to $15,000 for students from Latin American and Caribbean countries that belong to the Organization of American States.
- Yellow Ribbon: for eligible U.S. veterans, up to $25,000 a year from Freeman, matched by the VA.
Our guide to Tulane University scholarships covers wider university funding, and our list of the best American scholarships for international students covers outside awards.
STEM designation and OPT
Freeman says the full-time MBA is STEM-designated, which gives international graduates extended Optional Practical Training. In practice that means you can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension after the standard 12 months of OPT, for up to three years of U.S. work authorisation.
Tulane Freeman MBA salary and employment
| Outcome | Figure |
|---|---|
| Class of 2025 accepting job offers within four months | 100% |
| Average base salary, Class of 2025 | $109,746 |
| Average base salary, 2024 and 2023 (Poets&Quants) | $104,111 and $96,966 |
| Median base salary | Not published |
Poets&Quants’ profile lists the Class of 2025’s main industries as financial services (21%), energy (17%), technology (13%), product lifecycle (13%) and law (8%). Freeman’s April 2026 news release says average starting salary and bonus rose 8.6% in the latest U.S. News data. Freeman links to employment reports for all its programmes, but it does not list top MBA employers on its MBA pages.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Applying without a test score and expecting full tuition: the full-tuition fellowship needs one.
- Ordering the credential evaluation late: Freeman cannot review your file without it.
- Assuming the English exemption: confirm by email first.
- Applying after 1 May: too late for international students.
- Forgetting the financial documents: they are due before you accept your offer.
- Writing a generic essay: tie your goal to a Freeman concentration.
- Budgeting from year two: year one costs more because of the extra credits and the immersion fee.
Who should apply to Tulane Freeman, and who shouldn’t
Apply if you want a small, STEM-designated MBA with strong finance and energy ties, a real chance at a large scholarship, and a city with its own culture. Applicants from energy and oil-producing economies will find the energy and sustainability concentration a natural fit.
Look elsewhere if you need a large class and a big international community, or if a published median salary and employer list are must-haves before you apply.
Tulane Freeman vs peer MBA programmes
| School | U.S. News 2026 | Avg GMAT | Tuition 2026-27 | International share | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulane Freeman | No. 53 | Not published by Freeman | $1,989 per credit | Not published by Freeman | 1 November 2026 |
| Boston College Carroll | No. 53 | 650 (GMAT 10th edition, Class of 2028) | $70,390 a year | 18% | 15 December 2026 |
| Chapman Argyros | No. 53 | Not published (admitted range 600 to 710) | $2,135 per credit | Not published | 1 November 2026 |
| Kansas | No. 51 | 600 | $1,176.10 per credit (nonresident) | Not published | 1 February 2027 (scholarship priority) |
Freeman is the only one of these where the test is optional for every applicant, and its full-tuition awards are open to international students. Kansas is cheaper, and BC publishes much fuller class and salary data.
FAQ
What is the Tulane Freeman MBA acceptance rate?
Poets&Quants reported 47.7% for the class that entered in 2025 and 52.5% for 2024. Freeman does not publish a separate rate for international applicants.
Is the GMAT required for the Tulane MBA?
No. The GMAT and GRE are optional with no minimum, but you need a score to be considered for a full-tuition fellowship.
Is the Tulane Freeman MBA STEM-designated?
Yes. International graduates can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension after 12 months of standard OPT.
What is the Tulane MBA deadline for international students?
The Deadline is Round 1 on 1 November 2026. Round 2 closes on 1 February 2027, and international students should apply by 1 May 2027 at the latest.
Sources and updates
Programme facts come from Freeman’s Full-Time MBA admissions page (deadlines, requirements, fee, test policy, Class of 2025 outcome), the Full-Time MBA page (credits, STEM status, concentrations, scholarships), the Full-Time MBA tuition and aid page, Freeman’s graduate admissions general information page (English exemption, credential evaluation, I-20 documents) and Tulane Student Accounts’ 2026-2027 business graduate rate sheet. The ranking change is from Freeman’s 7 April 2026 news release. Class profile figures, earlier salaries and industries are from the Poets&Quants Freeman school profile, and acceptance and yield figures from Poets&Quants’ August 2026 analysis of the top 100 U.S. MBA programmes. The 2026 rank is from U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools (released 7 April 2026), as reported by Poets&Quants. Checked on 29 October 2026. We update this guide when Freeman changes its dates, costs or requirements.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
