The Miami Herbert MBA is the full-time, 21-month MBA at the University of Miami’s Patti and Allan Herbert Business School in Coral Gables, Florida. U.S. News ranks it No. 39 in its 2026 list, the highest of any full-time MBA in Florida. The programme is STEM-designated, test-optional and small: 38 students started in fall 2025, and the school says it admitted 38% of applicants that year. About a third of the class (32%) are not U.S. citizens.
Round 1 closed on 1 October 2026, so your Deadline is Round 2 on 1 December 2026. Round 4 on 2 April 2027 is the official cut-off for international applicants, but the school itself advises international candidates to apply by Round 3 (1 February 2027). This guide covers the Miami Herbert MBA requirements for international students, the two essays, the interview, 2026-27 tuition, scholarships and career results.
Miami Herbert MBA at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Programme | Full-Time MBA (the Miami MBA), 21 months, starts in August |
| U.S. News rank | No. 39, 2026 Best Business Schools (released April 2026), tied with three other schools |
| Acceptance rate (fall 2025 entry) | 38%, as reported by the school |
| Entering class (fall 2025) | 38 students |
| Non-U.S. citizens | 32% (68% U.S. citizens) |
| Average GRE (fall 2025) | 320 combined |
| Average GMAT | Not published |
| Average GPA (fall 2025) | 3.54 |
| Average work experience | More than four years (minimum two years required) |
| Application fee | $100 (limited waivers) |
| Tuition 2026-27 | $2,236 per credit; 56 credits in total |
| STEM | Yes, STEM-designated |
| Scholarships | 89% of fall 2025 entrants received merit awards averaging $85,000 |
Miami Herbert MBA ranking
U.S. News placed Miami Herbert at No. 39 among full-time MBA programmes in its 2026 Best Business Schools ranking, released on 7 April 2026. It shares that spot with BYU Marriott, Florida Warrington and Utah Eccles. The school also points to a No. 49 place in Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2025-26 MBA ranking. In the 2025 U.S. News list, Miami had climbed 12 places to No. 50, so the trend is upward.
For an international applicant, where Miami graduates get hired matters as much as the rank. The employers Miami shows on its programme pages range from banks such as JP Morgan, Citi and Goldman Sachs to Royal Caribbean, Disney, Amazon and the Big Four firms.
Miami Herbert MBA acceptance rate and class profile
Miami Herbert reported a 38% acceptance rate for the class that started in fall 2025, which it described as the lowest in ten years. Poets&Quants’ August 2026 table, built from data schools send to U.S. News, prints a different 2025 figure of 19.5%. I use the school’s own number below and show the Poets&Quants series for earlier years so you can see the trend.
| Intake | Acceptance rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | 38% | Miami Herbert news release, October 2025 |
| Fall 2025 | 19.5% | Poets&Quants (U.S. News data); conflicts with the school’s figure |
| Fall 2024 | 51.9% | Poets&Quants (U.S. News data) |
| Fall 2023 | 58.3% | Poets&Quants (U.S. News data) |
Either way, admission has become tighter. The 2025 yield figure in the Poets&Quants table reads 100%, which is not believable for a class of this size, so I have left it out. For fall 2024 the table gives a yield of 44.9%.
| Miami full-time MBA profile (fall 2025 entrants) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Class size | 38 (up from 31 the year before) |
| Average GRE | 320 combined (up from 318) |
| Average GMAT | Not published |
| Average undergraduate GPA | 3.54 |
| U.S. citizens | 68% |
| Countries represented | Nine, including Colombia, Ghana, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Jamaica, Nigeria and Peru |
| Average work experience | More than four years |
The school did not publish a GMAT average, a median or the share of women for this class. Its marketing pages also say about 40% of the wider student body was born outside the United States.
Miami Herbert MBA requirements for international students
- A four-year bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, from an accredited institution.
- At least two years of full-time work experience before you enrol.
- Transcripts from every institution you attended, uploaded to the portal. You can start with unofficial copies.
- A credential evaluation of foreign transcripts by WES or another NACES member, including a copy of your diploma and certified English translations. Miami names IEE and TEC as partner evaluators.
- A professional resume covering full-time and part-time work, internships, volunteering, education, skills and hobbies, most recent first.
- One letter of recommendation, uploaded by your recommender through the portal (up to three are allowed).
- Two essays: a personal statement and a shorter programme-specific response.
- GMAT or GRE scores are optional. If you send one, it must be less than five years old.
- English test scores if your degree is from a country where English is not the main language.
- The $100 application fee.
Test-optional policy
Miami says test scores are not mandatory for its master’s programmes, but an unofficial GMAT or GRE score can help you qualify for the maximum merit scholarship. If you are admitted, official scores must arrive before orientation. The GMAT code is 7NV-S1-96 and the GRE code is 5815. The fall 2025 class averaged 320 on the GRE, so a GRE around that level puts you in range.
I would take the test if you can. Miami awards merit money at admission, and a score near 320 gives the committee a number it can compare with applicants from other countries.
English requirements
| Test | Minimum |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 94 |
| IELTS | 7.0 |
| Duolingo English Test | 125 |
Scores must be less than two years old and sent electronically by the testing service. The requirement can be waived if your degree is from a U.S. institution or from a country on the Graduate School’s English-speaking list. Miami also offers conditional admission to some applicants who meet minimum scores, with a Graduate Business English Certificate Course. If you studied in English in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya or elsewhere, check the country list before booking a test.
Miami Herbert MBA deadlines 2026-2027
Miami publishes one deadline table for its graduate business programmes. For the full-time MBA starting in August 2027, the rounds are:
| Round | Apply by | Decision by | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 (closed) | 1 October 2026 | 15 November 2026 | Priority scholarship deadline |
| Round 2 | 1 December 2026 | 15 January 2027 | Your Deadline |
| Round 3 | 1 February 2027 | 15 March 2027 | Recommended last round for international applicants |
| Round 4 | 2 April 2027 | 15 May 2027 | International applicant deadline |
| Final | 1 June 2027 | Not listed | Domestic applicants in practice |
For international applicants
Round 4 is open to you on paper, but a decision on 15 May 2027 leaves about three months for the I-20, the visa interview and travel before an August start. Apply by 1 December 2026 if you want both a strong scholarship offer and time for the visa.
How to apply, step by step
- Check eligibility: Confirm your degree is four years or equivalent and that you will have two years of full-time work by August 2027.
- Decide on testing: Book the GMAT or GRE if you want maximum scholarship consideration, and book TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo if you need one.
- Order the credential evaluation: Start a WES or other NACES evaluation early, with your diploma and certified translations.
- Update your resume in reverse order with locations, titles, dates and results.
- Brief your recommender and give them a work email address for the portal.
- Write both essays and proofread them.
- Submit and pay $100 by 1 December 2026.
- Interview online if invited.
- After admission: Watch for your C-Number by email, check your decision in CaneLink, then prepare funding proof for the I-20.
Miami Herbert MBA essays 2026-2027
Miami asks for two essays. One is common to all its graduate business applicants and the other is specific to the full-time MBA. The university bulletin describes them as a personal statement of up to 600 words plus a short-essay response. The exact prompts appear inside the application portal and are not printed on the public requirements page.
| Essay | What it should cover | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Personal statement | Academic background, career goals, why the programme, why Miami, and how it fits your values (the school’s FAQ guidance) | Up to 600 words (bulletin); the FAQ suggests about 500 to 650 |
| Programme-specific short essay | Prompt shown in the application | Not published |
How to write the personal statement
Treat the two limits as one rule: aim for 550 to 600 words so you are safe under the bulletin’s cap. Open with a specific moment from work that shows the problem you want to solve. Then explain your goal in one clear sentence, show why an MBA is the missing piece, and spend a full paragraph on Miami: a track you want (finance, consulting and entrepreneurship, AI and technology, marketing, or international business), the South Florida or Latin America market, and why a class of about 40 suits you.
For illustration: “The shipment of solar panels sat in Tema port for 41 days, and I spent each of them learning how much a weak supply contract can cost a small firm.”
The short programme essay
Answer exactly what the portal asks and keep it tight. Use it to add one fact the personal statement could not hold, such as a leadership example outside work.
The Miami Herbert interview
Interviews are by invitation only, after your complete application has been reviewed. They are held online by an admissions staff member, the Academic Director, or both. Expect about 30 minutes in English. Be ready to explain why Miami, what you will do in your first job after the MBA, and how your work history supports that plan. A stable connection and a quiet room matter more than people think.
What the admissions committee looks for
- Two or more years of full-time work, with clear results on the resume. The fall 2025 class averaged more than four years.
- Academic strength: the fall 2025 class averaged a 3.54 GPA.
- Evidence you can handle quantitative courses, from grades, a test score or your job.
- A realistic career plan that fits Miami’s tracks and recruiters.
- Strong spoken English and clear communication in the interview.
Miami Herbert MBA tuition and cost 2026-27
The University of Miami is private, so there is no in-state rate. Its 2026-27 tuition schedule charges the MBA by the credit:
| Item (2026-27) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition per credit (students admitted fall 2025 or later) | $2,236 |
| Credits in the programme | 56 (four semesters of 14) |
| Tuition per semester (14 credits, my calculation) | $31,304 |
| Tuition for the whole programme (my calculation) | $125,216 |
| Graduate activity fee | $46 |
| Athletic fee | $180 |
| Health and counseling centers fee | $254 |
| Student center complex fee (full-time) | $230 |
| Wellness fee | $171 |
The per-credit rate and fees come from the university’s 2026-27 tuition and fees schedule; the semester and programme totals are simple multiplication and assume the rate does not rise in your second year. Housing, food and health insurance are extra. Miami lists them on its full-time MBA financial information page, which I could not read for this guide, so get the current living-cost estimate from the admissions team before you plan your budget.
Costs not covered
- Rent and food in the Miami area.
- Student health insurance, unless you have a plan the university accepts.
- The credential evaluation fee charged by WES or another NACES member.
- Flights, the SEVIS fee and the U.S. visa application fee.
- Local transport, whether that is a car, ride-share or public transport.
Miami Herbert MBA scholarships for international students
Miami considers admitted full-time MBA students for merit scholarships and grants. The school says 89% of the fall 2025 entering cohort received merit-based scholarships or grants, averaging $85,000, and 92% of the fall 2024 cohort received some award. It does not name individual scholarships or say that international students are excluded. Round 1 was the priority scholarship deadline, so apply as early as you can in the rounds that remain.
Miami’s admissions pages do not name Prodigy Finance, MPOWER or any loan without a U.S. co-signer. Ask the graduate business office what international students used last year. For outside funding, see our list of American scholarships for international students.
STEM designation and OPT
Miami describes the full-time programme as a STEM-designated, 21-month MBA. For an F-1 student, that means you can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension after the first 12 months of OPT, so up to three years of U.S. work after graduation. Confirm the CIP code on your I-20 when you receive it.
Miami Herbert MBA salary and employment
Miami publishes placement rates but, on the pages I checked, no salary figures for the full-time MBA.
- 85% of graduates seeking work accepted full-time offers within three months of graduation (2025 data).
- 90% did so in 2024, according to the programme’s information page.
- In April 2025 Miami reported that 97% of its full-time MBA graduates were employed three months after graduation, the highest rate in the U.S. News data that year.
- Employers shown on its pages include JP Morgan, KPMG, Amazon, Citi, Moody’s Analytics, Royal Caribbean, Deloitte, Disney and Goldman Sachs.
- Median base salary: not published on Miami’s pages.
Before you commit, ask the career office for the latest median salary and how many international graduates found jobs with visa sponsorship.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Sending raw transcripts without a WES or NACES evaluation.
- Writing a personal statement over 600 words because the FAQ mentions 650.
- Skipping the test and then missing out on the top scholarship tier.
- Asking a recommender who has a personal email address and never sees the portal request.
- Applying in Round 4 and leaving too little time for the visa.
- Assuming the English waiver applies without checking the country list.
Who should apply to Miami Herbert, and who shouldn’t
Apply if you want a STEM MBA in a small class, you have two to six years of experience, and you can see yourself working in finance, consulting, technology or international business, with Florida as your likely first job market. Miami’s merit awards are large on average, which can bring the real cost well below the sticker price.
Think twice if you want a big class with hundreds of recruiters on campus, or if you cannot plan for about $125,000 in tuition plus Miami living costs without knowing your scholarship.
Miami Herbert vs peer MBA programmes
| School | U.S. News 2026 | Avg GMAT | Tuition or cost | International | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Herbert | No. 39 (tie) | Not published (GRE 320) | $2,236 per credit; $125,216 for 56 credits | 32% non-U.S. citizens | 1 December 2026 (Round 2) |
| Utah Eccles | No. 39 (tie) | 632 (Class of 2026) | $77,500 estimated for the two-year programme | 30% | 1 December 2026 (Round 3) |
| SMU Cox | No. 36 (tie) | 633 GMAT Focus (2025 entering class) | $51,337 tuition; $98,942 estimated total, 2026-27 | 29% | 5 January 2027 (Round 2) |
| Georgia Tech Scheller | No. 27 | 640 (Class of 2028) | $22,478 a semester nonresident tuition, fall 2026 | 31% | 8 January 2027 (Round 2) |
| Emory Goizueta | No. 23 | Not published | $79,200 a year nonresident tuition, 2026-27 | 40% | 6 January 2027 (Round 2) |
For undergraduate study at the same university, see our University of Miami admission requirements for international students.
FAQ
What is the Miami Herbert MBA acceptance rate?
Miami Herbert says it admitted 38% of full-time MBA applicants for fall 2025, its lowest rate in ten years. Poets&Quants’ table of U.S. News data shows 19.5% for the same year, so treat the figure as somewhere in that range.
Is the GMAT required for the Miami Herbert MBA?
No. GMAT and GRE scores are optional, but Miami says an unofficial score can help you qualify for the maximum merit scholarship. The fall 2025 class averaged 320 on the GRE.
Is the Miami Herbert MBA STEM designated?
Yes. Miami describes the full-time MBA as a STEM-designated, 21-month programme, so F-1 graduates can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension.
What is the Miami Herbert MBA deadline for international students?
The Deadline is Round 2 on 1 December 2026. The official international cut-off is 2 April 2027, but Miami recommends applying by Round 3 on 1 February 2027.
Sources and updates
Requirements, the English test minimums, the interview, the fee and transcript rules are from Miami Herbert’s Full-Time MBA requirements page. Credits, the 600-word personal statement and the work experience minimum are from the University of Miami Academic Bulletin entry for the Two-Year MBA. Round dates are from the Herbert graduate How to Apply page for 2026-2027, and the advice to apply by Round 3 is from the graduate business admission FAQ. STEM status, tracks, placement rates and scholarship percentages are from the full-time MBA programme pages. The fall 2025 class profile and 38% acceptance rate are from the October 2025 University of Miami news story on the entering MBA class; the 97% employment figure is from the April 2025 news story on the U.S. News ranking. Tuition and fees are from the university’s 2026-2027 tuition and fees schedule. Other acceptance rates are from Poets&Quants’ August 2026 article on acceptance rates, yield and applications at the top 100 U.S. MBA programmes. The ranking is from U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools (full-time MBA), released on 7 April 2026, as tabulated by Poets&Quants. Checked on 29 October 2026.
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.
