Kellogg MBA admission requirements for international students are the same as for US applicants: a GMAT or GRE score from a single sitting, one 550-word essay, five short video answers, two recommendations, a resume, transcripts and a $250 fee. International applicants also submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo results where required. Kellogg sets no minimum test score and strongly recommends at least two years of full-time work experience before you start the Two-Year MBA.
Round 1 for 2026-27 closed on 9 September 2026. The deadline still open is Round 2 on 6 January 2027, with decisions on 24 March 2027, followed by Round 3 on 31 March 2027. Tuition for 2026-27 is $88,536. Kellogg is tied for #4 in the U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools list. I checked these details on Kellogg’s admissions pages and the latest class and employment figures on 29 October 2026, and I flag below what Kellogg’s pages did not let me confirm.
Kellogg MBA for international students: key facts
- Programme: Two-Year Full-Time MBA, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston.
- Fee: $250, non-refundable, paid by card inside the application.
- Tests: GMAT or GRE from one sitting, no superscoring, no preference between the two and no minimum score.
- English test: TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test for international applicants.
- Essay: one two-part essay, 550 words maximum.
- Video essays: five questions, up to one minute each, due 96 hours after the deadline.
- Recommendations: two, ideally one from a current supervisor.
- Interview: virtual only, by invitation.
- Work experience: at least two years strongly recommended at matriculation.
Kellogg ranking
Kellogg is tied for #4 with Harvard Business School in the U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools ranking for full-time MBA programmes, released 7 April 2026. That is a drop from #2 in the 2025 edition. Stanford is #1, Wharton #2 and Chicago Booth #3.
Kellogg is known for marketing, general management and a collaborative culture. The two Chicago-area schools, Kellogg and Booth, are often compared; Booth leans analytical and Kellogg leans toward teamwork and leadership.
Kellogg acceptance rate and class profile
Kellogg does not publish an admit rate. Leland’s April 2026 summary estimates it at about 29% for the Class of 2027. Kellogg’s own class profile page shows its figures as an infographic, so the numbers below come from F1GMAT’s summary of the Class of 2027 profile, plus the GPA range stated on Kellogg’s page.
| Class of 2027 figure | Value |
|---|---|
| International students | 37% |
| Median GMAT (10th edition) | 733 |
| Average GMAT Focus | 687 |
| Median GRE | 162 Quant, 162 Verbal |
| GPA range | 2.7 to 4.0 |
| STEM undergraduate majors | 41% |
| Business or economics majors | 49% |
| Top pre-MBA industries | Consulting 32%, financial services 24%, technology 15%, healthcare 6% |
I could not confirm Kellogg’s Class of 2027 class size, application count, share of women or average work experience from a source I could read. The GPA range starting at 2.7 is useful: it shows Kellogg admits people whose grades are not perfect when the rest of the application is strong.
Kellogg MBA requirements for international applicants
- A current resume or CV, written for a general audience, plus the separate employment section covering roles, transitions and promotions.
- Transcripts from your universities.
- A GMAT or GRE score from a single sitting, valid for five years. Your application must be complete before the score expires. GMAT code 6WZ-3J-89; GRE code 7921.
- An English test (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo) where required.
- The 550-word essay and the five video answers.
- Two recommendations.
- The $250 fee. Waivers exist for US military applicants and for people who worked with Teach For America, Title I schools, AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps in the last three years.
English language requirement
Kellogg’s application page lists TOEFL, IELTS and the Duolingo English Test for international applicants and points to its international candidates page for minimum scores and waivers. I could not open that page, so I cannot confirm Kellogg’s minimums or whether an English-medium degree exempts you. If you studied in English in Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya, email Kellogg admissions before deciding not to test. Note that PTE is not on the list on the application page.
Kellogg MBA deadlines 2026-2027
| Round | Deadline | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 9 September 2026 (closed) | 9 December 2026 |
| Round 2 | 6 January 2027 | 24 March 2027 |
| Round 3 | 31 March 2027 | 12 May 2027 |
Deadline
Round 2 is due on 6 January 2027. The video essays are due 96 hours after the deadline, and the link appears only after you submit and pay. Submit a day early so a time-zone slip does not cost you the round. For international applicants, a Round 3 decision on 12 May 2027 leaves little time for the I-20 and visa interview.
Kellogg sends interview invitations on a rolling basis until decisions come out, and it says the timing of an invitation says nothing about your chances.
Kellogg essays 2026-2027 and how to answer them
| Prompt | Limit |
|---|---|
| Required essay, Part I: the key experiences and decisions that brought you here, how they shaped your ambitions, and why now is the right time for an MBA | 550 words total |
| Required essay, Part II: what you hope to contribute to your classmates | Within the same 550 words |
| Reapplicant essay: your personal and professional growth since you last applied | 250 words |
| Video essays: five questions | Up to 1 minute each |
Part I: your path and why now
Spend about two-thirds of the words here. Choose two or three decisions that shaped you, show what you learned from each and land on a goal that the MBA moves forward. The “why now” part needs a concrete reason, such as a skill gap you have hit or a role you cannot get without the degree.
For illustration: “The week our Nairobi warehouse flooded, I learned that I could manage a crisis and that I could not read a cash-flow statement well enough to explain it to our investors.”
Part II: contribution to classmates
Kellogg describes itself as looking for empathetic collaborators. Name one or two specific things you will give classmates, such as a perspective from your market, a skill you can teach or a club you will help run, and back each with something you have already done.
For illustration: “Every Kellogg classmate who wants to sell into West Africa will hear from me about the three months I spent getting one product registered with NAFDAC.”
Video essays
The video section takes about 30 minutes including setup. You get a brief moment to think before each one-minute answer, and you cannot redo official answers, though practice questions are unlimited. Use a computer with a webcam and microphone, a quiet room and a stable connection. Practise until one minute feels natural; most people run out of time on their first try.
Recommendations
Kellogg asks for two letters and does not want extras. One should ideally come from a current supervisor; the other from someone who can judge your performance and leadership, such as a former supervisor or a client. Recommenders answer three questions:
- How the applicant engaged with colleagues, clients or stakeholders who held different views (300 words).
- How the applicant’s performance compares with other well-qualified people in similar roles, with examples (300 words).
- The most important piece of constructive feedback given to the applicant, and how they responded (250 words).
Brief recommenders with specific stories for each question, especially the feedback one. A letter that shows you changed after criticism is far stronger than one that calls you perfect.
Kellogg interview format
Kellogg interviews are virtual only and by invitation. Once you choose a slot it is final and cannot be changed; to cancel you must call 847.491.3308. Kellogg’s application page does not say who interviews or how long it lasts. Prepare to walk through your resume, your goals, why Kellogg and examples of teamwork, since that is the quality Kellogg talks about most.
Kellogg tuition and cost of attendance 2026-2027
Kellogg’s 2026-27 tuition for the Two-Year MBA is $88,536, as listed in Poets&Quants’ September 2026 table of top-30 MBA costs. I could not open Kellogg’s Tuition and Financial Aid page to confirm the full budget for housing, food, insurance and fees. As a rough guide, the other top schools in this series publish first-year budgets of $130,000 to $141,000, and Kellogg’s tuition sits in the same band.
| Item | 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Tuition (per year) | $88,536 |
| Full cost of attendance | Check Kellogg’s Tuition + Financial Aid page |
Costs not covered
- Application, test and score-reporting fees.
- F-1 visa and SEVIS fees and flights to Chicago.
- Winter clothing for Evanston’s cold winters.
- Recruiting travel, student trips and club conferences.
- Housing deposits and furnishing a flat.
Kellogg scholarships for international students
Kellogg’s Tuition and Financial Aid page is where it lists scholarships and loans, and I was unable to open it, so I cannot confirm which scholarships are open to international students, how they are awarded or whether Kellogg offers loans without a US cosigner. Ask Kellogg’s financial aid office about three things: whether merit scholarships need a separate application, whether internationals can borrow without a cosigner, and what proof of funds you need for the I-20. Meanwhile, check our list of American scholarships for international students for outside funding.
STEM designation and OPT
I could not confirm from Kellogg’s pages whether the Two-Year MBA or any of its majors is STEM-designated. That matters because STEM status decides whether an F-1 graduate can add the 24-month STEM OPT extension to the standard 12 months. Stanford, Booth, Wharton (through ten majors) and HBS all confirm STEM OPT options, so ask Kellogg directly before you compare.
Kellogg MBA salary and employment
| Class of 2025 outcome | Figure |
|---|---|
| Offers within 3 months | 88% |
| Accepted offers within 3 months | 86% |
| Employed at 6 months | 90% |
| Median base salary | $175,000 |
| Median signing bonus | $30,000 (85% received one) |
| Median total pay | $200,500 |
| Consulting | 38% |
| Financial services | 21% |
| Technology | 19% |
| Consumer packaged goods | 9% |
| Healthcare | 6% |
| Jobs outside the US | 6% |
Poets&Quants reported that Kellogg’s 2025 median pay matched its record high. The summary did not list top employers.
What the Kellogg admissions committee looks for
Kellogg says it is looking for empathetic collaborators and people with entrepreneurial spirit, and that you are more than a test score, GPA or job title. Its recommendation questions back that up: they ask about handling different views and responding to feedback. Show teamwork with real examples, show you take feedback well, and make sure your video answers sound like a person who would be easy to work with.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Spending most of the 550 words on Part I and squeezing Part II into one line.
- Forgetting the video essays, which are due 96 hours after you submit.
- Reading scripted video answers, which sound stiff.
- Applying with less than two years of work experience outside the Kellogg Future Leaders deferred programme.
- Sending a PTE score without checking that Kellogg accepts it.
- Booking an interview slot you might miss, since slots cannot be changed.
- Assuming STEM OPT is available without confirming it.
Who should apply to Kellogg
Kellogg suits applicants who want consulting, marketing, consumer goods or general management careers, who work well in teams and who want a strong community. Its median GMAT of 733 and a GPA range starting at 2.7 mean a strong professional record can balance weaker grades.
If staying in the US for three years on OPT is essential to your plan, confirm Kellogg’s STEM status before applying.
Kellogg vs other top MBA programmes
| School | U.S. News 2026 | GMAT (Class of 2027) | International | Tuition 2026-27 | Round 2 deadline | STEM for OPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kellogg | #4 (tie) | 733 median (Focus average 687) | 37% | $88,536 | 6 Jan 2027 | Not confirmed |
| Chicago Booth | #3 | 736 average (Focus 670) | 37% | $89,976 | 7 Jan 2027 | Yes, whole MBA |
| Harvard Business School | #4 (tie) | 730 median (Focus median 685) | 37% | $84,760 | 5 Jan 2027 | STEM OPT track available |
| Wharton | #2 | 735 average (Focus 676) | 26% | $87,970 | 5 Jan 2027 | Ten STEM-certified majors |
| Stanford GSB | #1 | 738 average (Focus 689) | 38% | $89,187 | 6 Jan 2027 | Yes, whole MBA |
For undergraduate admission at Northwestern, see our Northwestern University guide for international students.
How to apply to the Kellogg MBA
- Test: take the GMAT or GRE and an English test if required.
- Recommenders: brief two people on the three questions.
- Essay: write the two-part 550-word essay.
- Application: complete the resume and employment sections and upload transcripts at admissions.kellogg.northwestern.edu/apply.
- Submit and pay: pay the $250 fee by card in the application.
- Video essays: complete all five within 96 hours of the deadline.
- Interview: if invited, book your virtual slot carefully.
Frequently asked questions
What GMAT score do I need for Kellogg?
Kellogg sets no minimum. The Class of 2027 median was 733 on the older GMAT, with an average of 687 on GMAT Focus.
How many essays does the Kellogg MBA require?
One two-part written essay of up to 550 words, plus five one-minute video answers.
What is the Kellogg MBA deadline for 2027 entry?
Round 2 is due 6 January 2027 and Round 3 on 31 March 2027.
Does Kellogg accept the Duolingo English Test?
Yes. Kellogg’s application page lists TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo for international applicants.
Sources and updates
Checked on 29 October 2026 against Kellogg’s Full-Time MBA admissions page, how-to-apply page, class profile page and programme page. Class of 2027 test scores, international share and industries are from F1GMAT’s summary of the Class of 2027 profiles. Employment figures are from Poets&Quants’ December 2025 report on the Class of 2025. Tuition is from Poets&Quants’ September 2026 cost table. The rank comes from the U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools list (full-time MBA), released on 7 April 2026, as reported in the Poets&Quants ranking table of 6 April 2026 and Clear Admit’s ranking report of 9 April 2026. The admit rate estimate is from Leland. Start on the Kellogg Full-Time MBA admissions page. We update this guide when Kellogg changes its dates or costs.
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.
