American Kogod MBA 2027 for International Students: Ranking, GMAT, Tuition, Scholarships and Deadlines

The Kogod MBA at American University’s Kogod School of Business is a 45-credit, STEM-designated full-time programme in Washington, D.C., ranked No. 46 by U.S. News in its 2026 Best Business Schools list. That is a jump from No. 58 a year earlier. Tuition for students starting in 2026-27 is $2,163 per credit, or $97,335 for the whole degree, and 37% of the most recent class came from outside the United States.

Round 1 closed on 15 October 2026, so your Deadline is Round 2 on 15 January 2027. Kogod labels that round “Priority Scholarship Consideration”, which makes it the round to aim for if you need merit money. Round 3 closes on 15 March 2027. This guide covers the Kogod MBA requirements, acceptance rate, English rules, the personal statement, interview, tuition, scholarships, salaries and the mistakes international applicants make.

Kogod MBA at a glance

Kogod MBA ranking

U.S. News placed Kogod No. 46 among full-time MBA programmes in the 2026 edition, released on 7 April 2026, tied with Boston University’s Questrom. In the 2025 edition Kogod was No. 58, which Kogod itself described as a 27-place rise in one year. Kogod’s MBA page also lists No. 14 for international business in U.S. News, No. 43 in Fortune and No. 33 in Bloomberg Businessweek.

The school leans hard on sustainability. It cites a No. 5 placement for best green MBA in the U.S. from Corporate Knights and No. 9 for best green MBA from the Princeton Review. If you want a career in climate finance, ESG or development work in Washington, that focus is a real reason to apply.

Kogod MBA acceptance rate and class profile

Poets&Quants reported in August 2026 that Kogod admitted 16.0% of applicants for the class that started in 2025, after 15.9% the year before. Only 18% of admitted applicants then enrolled. That low yield means Kogod is admitting many strong candidates who choose other schools, and a candidate who is clearly keen on Kogod stands out.

Kogod’s MBA page does not give the class size, the average GMAT or GRE score, or the year these figures refer to. An average GPA of 3.16 is lower than at most schools in this ranking band, so a modest degree result is less of a barrier here than at many peers.

Kogod MBA requirements for international students

1. Online application: through American University’s graduate application system, the only way to apply.
2. Application fee: $100, non-refundable. Kogod offers a fee waiver if you qualify.
3. Transcripts: unofficial transcripts uploaded in the supplemental items list.
4. Resume: with your full-time work history. Kogod strongly prefers three or more years of full-time experience after your first degree.
5. Personal statement: up to 750 words.
6. Letter of recommendation: submitted through the application.
7. GMAT or GRE: optional. Scores must be under five years old. GMAT code RN4-J4-01, GRE code 5007.
8. Test waiver essay: up to 500 words, only if you send no test score.
9. English test: unless you qualify for the automatic waiver (below).
10. Interview: by invitation only.

Should you send a GMAT or GRE score?

Kogod says applicants are encouraged to send a score and that a score may qualify you for additional funding. I would take the test if you need a scholarship, if your degree had little maths, or if your GPA is below about 3.0. The 500-word essay is a fair route if you already have strong quantitative work at your job and do not need money.

English requirements

Kogod requires an English test from anyone who completed a bachelor’s degree (and a master’s, if you have one) outside the United States, unless the degree was earned in a country on its approved waiver list. That list includes many African and Caribbean countries plus Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the Philippines and the United Kingdom. Check your country on Kogod’s international applicant page before you book a test.

Scores must be under two years old and sent officially by the testing agency. Coursework taught in English outside the approved countries does not earn a waiver, and English certificate courses do not count.

Kogod MBA deadlines 2026-2027

The full-time MBA starts only in the fall. The dates below are for entry in fall 2027.

How to apply, step by step

1. Check the waiver list: find out whether your degree country exempts you from TOEFL or IELTS.
2. Decide on testing: book the GMAT or GRE, or plan the 500-word waiver essay.
3. Update your resume: one or two pages with results, numbers and promotions.
4. Brief your recommender: a supervisor who has seen your work recently is best.
5. Write the personal statement: 750 words maximum.
6. Submit with the $100 fee by 15 January 2027.
7. Interview if invited: virtual, 30 to 45 minutes.
8. After admission: pay the $1,000 deposit by 2 April 2027 (Round 2), then send the CFIS form and proof of funding so American University’s international student office can issue your I-20.

Kogod MBA essays: the personal statement and the waiver essay

Kogod asks for one personal statement of up to 750 words. The admissions pages I checked give the word limit but do not print the prompt, so read it in the application portal before you write. Most schools at this level want the same three things from a long statement: where you are now, where you want to go, and why this MBA gets you there.

A structure that fits 750 words:

• About 150 words on a moment from your work that shows the problem you want to solve.
• About 250 words on your career so far, with two or three results you can measure.
• About 200 words on your goal after the MBA: job title, sector and the kind of employer.
• About 150 words on why Kogod: the STEM curriculum, the sustainability focus, the Washington location or the Global Project Experience, tied to your goal.

For illustration: “In 2023 our bank in Accra rejected a solar mini-grid loan because nobody on the credit team could price the risk. I was the analyst who wrote the rejection, and I have spent the two years since learning how to write the approval.”

If you skip the GMAT or GRE, the 500-word waiver essay should prove you can handle the quantitative courses. Name the analytical tasks you do at work, any maths-heavy courses and grades, and certifications such as CFA Level I or an online statistics course with a grade. Keep it factual.

The Kogod MBA interview

Interviews are required for admission and happen only by invitation after a first review of your file. Kogod schedules them by email, holds them virtually, and says they usually last 30 to 45 minutes. Prepare a two-minute walk through your resume, a clear answer on your post-MBA goal, two stories about leading people or fixing a problem, and specific reasons for choosing Kogod and Washington. Test your camera, sound and internet the day before, and have a backup connection if power or data is unreliable where you live.

What the admissions committee looks for

• Three or more years of full-time work, which Kogod strongly prefers.
• Evidence that you can manage a STEM-designated curriculum, from a test score, maths courses or your job.
• A clear goal that the Kogod programme and the Washington job market can support.
• Interest in Kogod itself. With a yield of about 18%, the school has good reason to look for applicants who will actually enrol.
• Communication skills, tested in the interview and through the English requirement.

Kogod MBA tuition and cost 2026-2027

The per-semester fees break down as $50 graduate activity, $450 support services, $136 Metro U-Pass and $324 digital courseware. Kogod’s tuition page does not give a full cost of attendance with rent and food. It links to American University’s international student cost guide, which is the figure you will use for the I-20, so request it early.

Costs not covered by tuition

• Rent and food in Washington, D.C., one of the more expensive U.S. cities.
• Per-semester fees and the health insurance premium.
• The Spring Global Experience trip fee.
• Flights, SEVIS fee, visa fee and any GMAT, GRE or English test costs.
• Laptop, winter clothing and money for dependants if family comes with you.

Kogod MBA scholarships for international students

Kogod says every applicant, including international students, is considered automatically for merit scholarships. There is no separate form. Its tuition page does not name the awards, give amounts or say how many students receive them, and it states that GMAT or GRE scores may qualify you for additional funding. The Round 2 label, “Priority Scholarship Consideration”, tells you when to apply.

Need-based aid on the same page refers to federal grants and loans, which are for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Kogod’s pages do not mention Prodigy Finance or MPOWER, so if you need a loan without a U.S. cosigner, check those lenders’ own school lists. For outside funding, see our guide to American scholarships for international students.

STEM designation and OPT

Kogod states that its full-time MBA is STEM-designated. After graduation you can work in the U.S. on 12 months of standard OPT and then apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, up to three years in total, which gives you more time and more H-1B lottery attempts. This is one of the strongest selling points of the Kogod MBA for international students.

Kogod MBA salary and employment

Kogod’s MBA page says 94% of graduates report being fully employed, in graduate school or both six months after graduation. Kogod’s April 2025 news release on its U.S. News rise reported an average salary of $125,381 for its MBA graduates, without naming the class year. Kogod does not publish a median salary or a breakdown by industry on the pages I checked.

Poets&Quants lists recent Kogod MBA hires at AstraZeneca, Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Amazon, Deloitte Consulting, Fannie Mae, the Inter-American Development Bank and Raytheon. The mix of government, consulting, finance and development banks reflects the Washington location.

Common mistakes international applicants make

• Assuming an English-taught degree means no test. The waiver depends on the country on Kogod’s list, not on the language of teaching.
• Applying in Round 3 and then needing a scholarship. Round 2 is the priority scholarship round.
• Skipping the test without a solid waiver essay, then wondering why the funding offer is small.
• Sending a personal statement that could go to any school. Kogod’s low yield makes interest in Kogod itself worth showing.
• Budgeting only for tuition and forgetting D.C. rent, fees and the global trip.
• Leaving the CFIS form and bank documents until after the deposit, which delays the I-20.

Who should apply to Kogod, and who shouldn’t

Apply if you want a STEM MBA in Washington, D.C., have three or more years of work, and aim for consulting, government contracting, finance, development or sustainability roles. The 3.16 average GPA makes Kogod realistic if your degree result was average but your career is strong.

Think twice if you need large published scholarship figures before you commit, want a big international class in a classic MBA city outside government, or cannot cover close to $100,000 in tuition plus D.C. living costs.

Kogod vs peer MBA programmes

Questrom is the closest match on rank and has a far larger international class. Wisconsin is cheaper and gives scholarships to almost every eligible student, but it is in a smaller Midwest city. Kogod’s case rests on the STEM designation, its sustainability focus and the Washington job market.

FAQ

What is the Kogod MBA acceptance rate?

Poets&Quants reported a 16.0% acceptance rate for the class that entered in 2025, with 15.9% the year before. Kogod does not publish a separate rate for international applicants.

Is the GMAT required for the Kogod MBA?

No. The GMAT and GRE are optional, but if you send no score you must write a waiver essay of up to 500 words. Kogod says a score may qualify you for more scholarship money.

Is the Kogod MBA STEM-designated?

Yes. Kogod says its full-time MBA is STEM-designated, so international graduates can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension after 12 months of standard OPT.

What is the Kogod MBA deadline for international students?

The Deadline is Round 2 on 15 January 2027, the priority scholarship round. Round 3 closes on 15 March 2027 for fall 2027 entry.

Sources and updates

Programme facts come from Kogod’s Full-Time MBA admissions page (requirements, interview, personal statement and waiver essay limits), its application deadlines page, the how-to-apply page, the MBA international applicant information page (English tests and waivers), the MBA tuition and fees page and the Full-Time MBA programme page (class profile, STEM status, employment rate, rankings). The average salary is from Kogod’s April 2025 news release on its U.S. News ranking. The acceptance rate and yield are from Poets&Quants’ August 2026 analysis of acceptance rates at the top 100 U.S. MBA programmes, and the employer list from its Kogod school profile. The 2026 rank is from U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools (released 7 April 2026), as reported by Poets&Quants and GMAC. Checked on 29 October 2026. We update this guide when Kogod changes its dates, costs or requirements.

Jude Chinecherem

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.