Several women-only MBA scholarships are available at business schools in the US that want to achieve gender diversity in their cohorts.
Even in today’s society, gender diversity remains an issue in business schools. Gender equality has been achieved at certain schools, including Wharton, but many still have a long way to go.
According to the Graduate Management Admissions Council’s (GMAC) Application Trends Survey, women made up only 40% of business school applications globally in 2023, with little change since 2014.
The good news is that the number of programs reporting growth in applications from women in the United States increased year on year, while male applicants increased at a comparable rate.
Access to business education has a substantial impact on women’s capacity to obtain executive level positions. According to Forté Foundation study, nearly half of all female CEOs at prominent businesses, including those on the Fortune 500 and S&P 500 lists, have an MBA or similar postgraduate degree in business. According to the foundation, obtaining an MBA can increase female graduates’ salaries by around 57%.
In order to foster a more diverse business school cohort, numerous US schools and independent groups give MBA scholarships exclusively to women.
Here are some of the top MBA scholarships for women in the United States.
UCLA Anderson School of Management
Students enrolled in the UCLA Anderson School of Management’s MBA program can apply for two women-only scholarship programs.
The Philanthropic and Educational Organization (PEO) awards the International Peace Scholarship to female international students studying at UCLA. The scholarship provides $10,000 in financial aid for one year.
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) offers career awards to female applicants. These initiatives attempt to empower women to be independent business leaders. International and domestic students receive separate $20,000 grants.
NYU Stern
NYU Stern provides full tuition for outstanding female applicants.
Established in 2017, the NYU Stern Advancing Women in Business Scholarship awards merit-based scholarships to students attending the two-year Full-time MBA program who exhibit a significant commitment to advancing women in business.
This scholarship covers all tuition and required expenses for the two-year all-time MBA program.
Yale School of Management
Yale School of Management, like UCLA, partners with the AAUW to provide financial support to female students. Fellowships for students in their final year range from $5,000 to $12,000 in financial help.
International female MBA applicants are also eligible for the AAUW International Fellowship Program, which supports women who have demonstrated a commitment to improving women’s livelihoods via community or professional activity.
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business
The University of Virginia Darden provides scholarships exclusively for female students. In addition to third-party and independent scholarship possibilities, Darden scholarships are granted competitively using a range of measures and considerations.
Scholarships include the DC Women’s Scholarship and the Virginia M. Kincaid Scholarship.
The DC Women’s Scholarship was founded in 2016 to provide scholarships for female Darden School students from DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
The DC Women’s Scholarship recipients are chosen based on their outstanding academic performance, leadership, professional accomplishments, service, and ability to contribute to the Darden community’s diversity.
In 2001, a charity trust established the Virginia M. Kincaid scholarship to help a female student admitted to the University of Virginia Darden School of Business MBA program.
Independent MBA scholarships for women
The Forté Foundation has worked hard to enhance women’s enrollment at its partner schools—such as Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and 55 other global universities.
In 2023, women enrolled in full-time MBA programs at Forté partner schools at a record 42%, up from 41% in 2022, 38% in 2018, and 34% in 2013.
Across Forté’s partner business schools, 34 out of 58 have 40% or more female students, a significant rise from 27 in 2022 and 19 in 2018.
In reality, five partner institutions reached gender parity in 2023, four of which are in the United States: George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Penn State University.
C200 Scholar Awards
The Committee of 200, which includes some of the world’s most successful female entrepreneurs, provides scholarships to female MBA candidates who have leadership potential.
Those that stand out win up to $10,000 for business school. They also have access to the unique C200 Scholar Network, which may allow them to learn from the greats while connecting with others.
C200 Scholar Award candidates must be enrolled in MBA programs that offer C200 Reach Outs. The scholarship fund is open to candidates who encourage other women and demonstrate entrepreneurial skills.