The UCLA Anderson MBA is a two-year, STEM-designated full-time MBA in Los Angeles, ranked No. 18 in the U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools list. For fall 2027 entry, Round 2 closes on 6 January 2027 and Round 3 on 7 April 2027. Test scores are optional, but international applicants still need TOEFL or IELTS unless their degree was taught in English. You will write three short essays (250, 250 and 50 words), send two recommendations and pay a $200 fee.
Anderson admitted 31.0% of applicants for fall 2025 entry, according to U.S. News data. Its newest class, the Class of 2028, has 287 students, a mean GMAT of 718 (660 on GMAT Focus) and 36% international students, with Nigeria, Ethiopia and Egypt among the countries represented across the two current classes. The estimated budget for 2026-27 is $137,951, well above the budgets at Carnegie Mellon Tepper or Vanderbilt Owen. All figures in this UCLA Anderson guide were checked on UCLA’s own pages on 29 October 2026.
UCLA Anderson MBA ranking
U.S. News released its 2026 Best Business Schools ranking on 7 April 2026. UCLA Anderson placed No. 18, tied with Texas McCombs, as shown in the tables published by Poets&Quants and Clear Admit and on Anderson’s own rankings page. Anderson is strongest in technology, entertainment and media, real estate and entrepreneurship, and most graduates stay on the West Coast.
UCLA Anderson acceptance rate and class profile
Anderson does not print an acceptance rate on its profile. U.S. News data analysed by Poets&Quants shows 3,064 applications and a 31.0% acceptance rate for the class that entered in fall 2025. Applications then fell 21% to 2,422 for the Class of 2028, and Poets&Quants reported in October 2026 that the school missed its 300-seat target, partly because of visa delays. The official acceptance rate for that class has not been released.
| Class of 2028 (entered fall 2026) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Applications | 2,422 |
| Class size | 287 |
| International students | 36% |
| Mean GMAT (10th edition) | 718 (middle 80%: 650 to 750) |
| Mean GMAT Focus | 660 (middle 80%: 635 to 695) |
| Mean GRE Verbal / Quant | 162 / 164 |
| Mean GPA | 3.5 (middle 80%: 3.1 to 3.9) |
| Average work experience | 5.4 years (21% have under 3 years) |
| Average age | 28 (range 22 to 39) |
| Women | 39% |
| Career switchers | 90% |
Pre-MBA backgrounds are spread out: technology 17%, finance 16%, media and entertainment 11%, government, education and impact 10%, healthcare and consulting 9% each. Business majors make up 31% of the class, humanities and social sciences 21% and engineering 19%. Fewer applications in 2026 is good news for anyone applying now, since there were 8.4 applicants per seat compared with 10 the year before.
UCLA Anderson MBA requirements for international students
The list below comes from the official Anderson full-time MBA admissions page and its requirements page.
- Academic records: scanned copies of all post-secondary transcripts. Do not convert grades to a 4.0 scale. Official documents are requested only if you are invited to interview. Three-year degree holders can be admitted if the rest of the profile is strong.
- Resume: ideally one page, no more than two.
- Essays: three required (250, 250 and 50 words) and one optional (250 words).
- Recommendations: two, preferably from direct supervisors or managers. Reapplicants send one new letter.
- Test: GMAT, GMAT Focus, GRE or Executive Assessment, or no test plus an essay showing quantitative readiness.
- English test: TOEFL or IELTS, unless exempt.
- Fee: $200.
Test-optional policy
Anderson says plainly that a test score is not required and there is no minimum score. If you skip the test, you write an essay pointing to evidence of analytical ability: quantitative coursework, a numbers-heavy job, professional certifications such as CFA or ACCA, or an expired GMAT or GRE result. Poets&Quants reports that roughly a quarter to 30% of applicants go test-optional. My advice for international applicants: if your undergraduate grades come from a system the committee may not know well, a good GMAT Focus or GRE score is the quickest way to show you can handle the core courses.
English language requirement
Test-optional does not cover English. Anderson follows UCLA’s graduate minimums, and only TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic are accepted.
| Test | UCLA graduate minimum |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT (taken before 21 January 2026) | 87 |
| TOEFL iBT (taken on or after 21 January 2026) | 4.5 on the new scale |
| IELTS Academic | 7.0 overall |
| Duolingo or PTE | Not accepted (not listed) |
You are exempt if you hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited university where English is the sole language of instruction. Anderson adds that working in English does not earn a waiver; only English-medium education does. Your test date must fall within two years before you submit and no later than the round deadline. UCLA’s TOEFL institution code is 4837.
UCLA Anderson MBA deadlines 2026-2027
Round 1 closed on 1 October 2026. These are the remaining dates.
| Round | Deadline | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Round 2 | 6 January 2027 | 26 March 2027 |
| Round 3 | 7 April 2027 | 14 May 2027 |
Plan for visa time
A Round 3 decision on 14 May 2027 leaves very little time to get an I-20 and a US visa appointment before an August start. Anderson pointed to visa delays as one reason its 2026 class came in under target. International applicants should aim for Round 2.
UCLA Anderson essays and how to answer them
| Essay | What it asks | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Prompt 1 | Your short- and long-term post-MBA goals (role, industry, example target companies), how the MBA helps, and which Anderson resources you will use most | 250 words |
| Prompt 2 | How you hope classmates will describe you by graduation, the qualities or values you want to be known for, and how you will show them as a student leader and community member | 250 words |
| Prompt 3 | The first thing you would tell classmates about yourself on arriving at Anderson | 50 words |
| Optional essay | Extenuating circumstances or extra context | 250 words |
| No-test essay | Evidence of readiness for the curriculum (only if you submit no score) | Limit not stated |
Prompt 1: goals
With 250 words, every sentence must carry information. State your short-term role, industry and two or three target companies in the first two sentences. Then give one sentence on the long-term goal, two or three on the skills gap, and name specific Anderson resources (a centre, a field study, a club). Leave out your life story; your resume covers it.
Sample opening, for illustration: “After Anderson I plan to join the product strategy team of a streaming company such as Netflix or Spotify, focusing on growth in African and Middle Eastern markets.”
Prompt 2: how classmates will describe you
Pick one or two qualities and prove each with a short example from your past and one concrete thing you will do at Anderson, such as leading a club trip or organising peer tutoring for first-years. Avoid a list of five adjectives.
Prompt 3: the 50-word introduction
This is the most personal prompt. Share something specific and memorable that does not appear elsewhere in the application. A detail from your home town, a skill, or an odd fact works better than a career summary.
Sample, for illustration: “I can cook jollof rice for sixty people on two gas burners, a skill I learned running my church’s youth retreat in Ibadan. Ask me for the recipe at our first potluck.”
Interview format
Interviews are by invitation and required for admission. They last about 30 minutes on Zoom or in person, and second-year MBA students conduct them. The interviews are blind: your interviewer sees only your resume, so walk them through your career clearly and expect questions about your goals, teamwork and why Anderson.
What the Anderson admissions committee looks for
- A specific career plan with named roles and companies; 90% of the class are career switchers, so the plan has to be believable.
- Evidence of analytical ability, from a test score or the no-test essay.
- Community contribution. Prompt 2 asks how you will lead and take part as a student.
- Strong recommendations from people who managed you.
- Interest in the school’s strengths (technology, media, real estate, entrepreneurship) and in Los Angeles.
UCLA Anderson tuition and cost of attendance
Anderson charges one flat MBA programme fee, so international and California students pay the same. The school publishes an estimated budget for each year.
| Item | 2026-27 | 2027-28 |
|---|---|---|
| MBA programme fees | $82,734 | $82,734 |
| Mandatory UCLA fees | $2,105 | $1,893 |
| Health insurance | $8,668 | $8,043 |
| Food and housing | $33,562 | $28,767 |
| Books, materials and supplies | $2,672 | $2,004 |
| Transportation | $4,455 | $3,819 |
| Personal | $3,755 | $3,219 |
| Total estimated budget | $137,951 | $130,479 |
The 2026-27 budget includes a summer 2026 term, which is why it is larger. Taken together, the two years come to about $268,430 before any fellowship. If you start in fall 2027, check the updated budget, since the school says programme charges are estimates and can change.
UCLA Anderson scholarships for international students
Anderson says about half of its full-time MBA students receive fellowships, and it awards fellowships and loans up to the amount of the yearly budget. The main financing page does not publish a list of named fellowships, award amounts or any citizenship limits. In practice you are considered when you apply; check the Financing Opportunities page and ask admissions after you are admitted. For external funding, our list of American scholarships open to international students is a good start, and our recommendation letter guide helps with the two letters you need.
Loans without a US cosigner
Anderson’s financing page does not name Prodigy, MPOWER or any other lender that lends to international students without a US cosigner. Ask the Anderson financial aid office which private lenders it certifies for international borrowers before you commit.
STEM designation and OPT
UCLA Anderson’s full-time, fully employed and executive MBA programmes were reclassified as Management Science, a STEM field, retroactive to the Class of 2019. Eligible F-1 graduates can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, so you can work in the US for up to three years after graduating.
UCLA Anderson MBA salary and employment
The most recent official figures I could confirm are for the Class of 2024, as reported from Anderson’s employment report by Clear Admit.
| Class of 2024 outcome | Figure |
|---|---|
| Received an offer within 3 months | 77.7% |
| Accepted an offer within 3 months | 76.6% |
| Median base salary | $142,800 |
| Mean base salary | $146,526 |
| Consulting | 24.9% (median $175,000) |
| Technology | 23.4% (median $142,000) |
| Financial services | 17.7% (median $175,000) |
| Healthcare | 9.1% |
| Entertainment and media | 8.6% |
Nearly 11% of the Class of 2024 took jobs outside the US. Third-party summaries of the Class of 2025 report show technology (about 28%) overtaking consulting (about 26%) as the top industry, with Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, McKinsey, Bain, BCG and Deloitte among the hiring firms, but I could not open the official 2025 report to confirm the salary and placement rates.
Costs not covered by the budget
- The $200 application fee, test fees and score reports.
- Credential translation and courier fees.
- The SEVIS I-901 fee and US visa fee.
- Flights and a rental deposit; Los Angeles deposits are often a full month’s rent.
- A car or rideshares; Los Angeles is spread out and public transport near Westwood is limited.
- Recruiting trips and club fees.
- Rent above the budget if you live alone near campus.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Thinking test-optional means English-test-optional. It does not.
- Booking a TOEFL after the round deadline. The test date must be on or before the deadline.
- Converting your grades to a US 4.0 scale on the application. Anderson asks you not to.
- Using Prompt 1 to retell your career. The resume does that; spend the words on goals.
- Waiting until Round 3, which leaves little time for a visa.
- Choosing a famous recommender who did not supervise you.
Who should apply to UCLA Anderson
Anderson suits you if you want technology, entertainment, real estate or consulting jobs on the West Coast and you are switching careers. It is also a good choice if your test scores are weaker than the rest of your file, since the test-optional route is real. It suits you less if money is very tight: the budget is higher than Tepper or Vanderbilt and the school does not publish named scholarships.
UCLA Anderson compared with similar MBA programs
| School | U.S. News 2026 rank | Acceptance rate (fall 2025 entry) | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA Anderson | 18 | 31.0% | 3,064 |
| Michigan Ross | 13 | 30.2% | 3,932 |
| Texas McCombs | 18 | 32.7% | 2,274 |
| UW Foster | 20 | 33.6% | 899 |
| USC Marshall | 25 | 31.4% | 1,914 |
Acceptance rates and applications are from Poets&Quants’ August 2026 analysis of U.S. News data. For undergraduate admission at UCLA, read our UCLA admission guide for international students.
FAQ on the UCLA Anderson MBA for international students
What is the UCLA Anderson MBA acceptance rate?
About 31.0% for fall 2025 entry, from 3,064 applications, based on U.S. News data reported by Poets&Quants. The rate for the Class of 2028 has not been published.
Does UCLA Anderson require the GMAT?
No. The test is optional; if you skip it you write a short essay showing your quantitative readiness. The Class of 2028 averaged 718 on the classic GMAT and 660 on GMAT Focus.
Is the UCLA Anderson MBA STEM designated?
Yes. The full-time MBA is classified as Management Science, so F-1 graduates can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension.
What TOEFL score does UCLA Anderson need?
UCLA’s graduate minimum is 87 on TOEFL iBT taken before 21 January 2026, or 4.5 on the new scale after that date, and 7.0 on IELTS. You are exempt if your degree was taught entirely in English.
Sources and updates
Checked on 29 October 2026. Ranking: U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools (released 7 April 2026), as tabulated by Poets&Quants on 6 April 2026, Clear Admit on 9 April 2026 and Anderson’s April 2026 rankings page. Deadlines and test policy: Anderson full-time MBA admissions page. Essays, recommendations, interview and English rules: Anderson admissions requirements page and UCLA Division of Graduate Education English requirements. Class figures: Anderson Class of 2028 profile and Poets&Quants (13 October 2026). Acceptance rate: Poets&Quants, “Acceptance Rates, Yield & Apps At The Top 100 U.S. MBA Programs For 2026” (August 2026). Costs and fellowships: Anderson full-time MBA financing page. STEM: Anderson press release on STEM designation. Employment: Clear Admit summary of the Class of 2024 employment report (April 2025). We will add the official Class of 2025 employment figures once we can confirm them.
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.
