Chicago Booth MBA

01 · Class profile

Who is in the Chicago Booth MBA class

This is the Class of 2027, as on Booth's class-profile page: 635 Full-Time MBA students and 5,876 applications submitted. The page also shows 60 joint-degree students and does not say whether they are in the 635. It gives no date for when the class entered.

Booth's page differs: its headline is the Class of 2027 (635 students, 41% women), but its history table of past classes starts at the Class of 2026 (714 students, 42% women) and has no Class of 2027 column. This page uses the headline.

Booth shows students from 63 countries, 12% first-generation students (self-reported) and 15% with graduate-level degrees. It publishes no top nationalities or regions. It says its alumni network is over 61,000.

What the class did before Booth (share of students)

Share of the Class of 2027, industries as Booth groups them, with Booth's own bucket 'Other'. Booth publishes no function split for the class before Booth.

Undergraduate majors (share of students)

Share of the Class of 2027, majors as Booth groups them, with Booth's own bucket 'Other'.

Test scores

Booth's page differs on shares: one table shows 73% GMAT and 26% GRE, while a graphic shows 14% GMAT Classic, 39% GMAT Focus and 42% GRE. Booth notes its percentages do not total 100 because of alternate testing rules for UChicago-affiliated and joint-degree applicants, and the two blocks still differ, so this page shows no shares. The scores above are from the graphic.

Booth's text table instead gives a GMAT average of 729 and median of 730, without saying which edition, and GRE averages of 164 Quantitative and 163 Verbal. Booth sets no minimum score.

Booth says the ranges are 80% ranges. The full scales are 200 to 800 for GMAT Classic, 205 to 805 for GMAT Focus and 130 to 170 for each GRE section. It calls the score 'one component' of a holistic review.

Grades

Booth shows an average GPA of 3.6 on a 4.0 scale for domestic applicants and a range of 2.5 to 4, on a 4.0 scale for US-based institutions. The class comes from 286 undergraduate institutions.

Work experience and age

Booth gives the average as 5 years, the same for each of the five classes in its history table. It states no minimum, publishes no range, and points candidates with three or fewer years of full-time work to its early-career programmes.

Booth publishes no average age for the Class of 2027. Its employment report gives a mean age of 28 for the Class of 2025 graduates.

The programme

Booth lists the Full-Time MBA as 21 months in the programme and says it does not offer a one-year MBA. It is fully in person at the Harper Center in Hyde Park, Chicago. Booth says 2000 units are required to graduate and that no thesis is required.

02 · Placements

Where Chicago Booth MBA graduates go

Class of 2025, from Booth's 2025 Full-Time Employment Report (graduation periods August 2024 to June 2025), the newest one. Booth has not posted a report for the Class of 2026. Pay, industry, function, location and source figures are for the 469 accepted full-time offers; offer and acceptance rates are shares of the 534 students seeking employment.

Pay is in US dollars and self-reported; 90% of students reporting accepted offers included salary information. Booth publishes a median base salary only, with a range of $70,000 to $400,000, and no mean.

The median sign-on bonus is $30,000, and 65% of those accepting offers reported one. This page does not add it to base salary. Median base was $175,000 for both US citizens and permanent residents and international graduates.

The 89.1% is the share of students seeking employment who had a job offer within three months of graduation (80.9% at graduation). 87.8% had accepted an offer by then (78.1% at graduation). Booth counts 663 graduates, of whom 534 were seeking employment.

Booth's pages differ: its Full-Time MBA home page still shows 86.8% accepted offers within three months, the previous year's figure. The 2025 report gives 89.1% with an offer and 87.8% accepted. This page uses the 2025 report.

Industry of the job (share of accepted offers)

Share of the Class of 2025's accepted offers, the 'top six industries' as Booth shows them. Booth counts all financial services together at 31.6%, a figure that includes the four financial-services rows above. Investment Management is Booth's Investment Management/Research.

Others include, as the report lists them: law (4.5%), healthcare (4.1%), education, government and non-profit (1.9%), consumer products (1.7%), manufacturing (1.3%) and real estate (0.9%).

Function of the job (share of accepted offers)

Share of the Class of 2025's accepted offers, functions as Booth groups them. Corporate Strategy is Booth's Corporate Strategy/Strategic Planning. Finance includes investment banking (11.9%), investment management/research (5.8%), private equity (5.5%), company finance (2.1%) and venture capital (1.9%).

Median base salary for the Class of 2025. Booth shows 'insufficient data' where a row has under 1% of offers or under half with salary information. The median sign-on bonus is $30,000 in consulting and $50,000 in finance.

Location of the job (share of accepted offers)

Share of the Class of 2025's accepted offers; US regions as Booth groups them. By city, Chicago has 30.7%, New York 26.7% and the Bay Area 11.3%. The median base salary was $175,000 in the US and $134,219 outside it.

Booth publishes no country-level figures for India or other Asian countries. Of the offers outside the US, it shows Latin America and the Caribbean 2.1%, Asia 1.3%, Europe 0.9%, Canada 0.4% and Middle East and North Africa 0.4% of all offers.

How the class found jobs

Booth's report shows 72.1% of accepted offers came through school-facilitated efforts and 27.9% through direct contact with the company. The largest single source was a Booth-facilitated summer employer, at 49.7%.

Employers

Number of Class of 2025 graduates hired, for the companies that hired four or more. The report's tab for this list is headed 'Major Employers 2024', though its figures match the Class of 2025.

03 · Fees and scholarships

What it costs, and how to pay less

Tuition is $89,976 for the 2026-27 academic year (three quarters, nine months), in Booth's 'MBA Class of 2028' column. Booth publishes no two-year total and says 2027-28 tuition will be released in Spring 2027.

A footnote says full programme tuition is charged over six quarterly instalments, even if a student graduates in fewer than six quarters. It covers up to 2200 units of coursework, of which 2000 are required to graduate.

Cost of attendance, 2026-27

Booth says the university health-insurance rates inside miscellaneous expenses are still to be determined, so that line is an estimate. These are 2026-27 figures; Booth has not published costs for 2027-28 yet.

Application fee

The fee is $250, due when you submit. Booth waives it for active-duty, reservist and veteran military, full-time government or non-profit staff, full-time undergraduate students (not UChicago), University of Chicago employees and current students, and previous applicants from the 2025-26 cycle.

Booth also waives it if you attend select 2026-27 virtual events before you submit: Zoom In On Booth, Let's Talk Booth: Online with Admissions, and the Joint Degree Virtual Information Sessions. Booth says conditions can vary by cycle and are not based on financial status.

Booth does not publish an admission deposit amount or due date. It says admitted students receive additional information with their admission.

Scholarships

Booth names no Full-Time MBA scholarship programmes, amounts or percentages on its page, and does not publish what share of students receive one. Its FAQ lists student loans and merit-based scholarships and fellowships as the financing for admitted students.

Loans

Booth says the majority of students fund the MBA through student loans, repaid within 10 years of graduation. It names no lenders, rates or terms.

04 · Rounds and deadlines

Which round, and by when

These are the rounds for the Class of 2029 application, as Booth's application story calls it. Booth's application is open for the cycle.

Booth publishes no interview windows, invitation dates or deposit and acceptance dates for the rounds. It says application review begins as soon as the deadline passes.

Booth says every round is viable and evaluated equally, and that international students are advised to consider earlier rounds for visa processing. It also says there is sufficient time to secure a visa for applicants in all three rounds.

An application submitted after a deadline is automatically considered in the next round if all materials are included. Booth says to submit by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on the deadline day.

Chicago Booth Scholars, a separate track for final-year undergraduates, has a deadline of 1st Apr 2027 and a decision on 24th Jun 2027. Booth says Scholars interviews are in person and that Scholars defer for 2 to 5 years.

If you applied to the Full-Time MBA in the past two academic years you are a reapplicant: Booth keeps a prior application for two years and asks for a new application, a new letter and new transcripts. You can apply to only one Booth programme at a time.

05 · Clubs and activities

Life outside class

Booth's pages give different counts of student groups: 70+ on its Full-Time MBA home page, more than 80 in the Graduate Business Council's text, and 85 on its groups page. This page uses the groups page. The total of 85 is our count of its list.

Business and Professional Groups (20)

Booth Education Group (BoothEd); Booth Technology Group (BTG); Chicago Booth Fintech; Corporate Management Group; Booth Climate, Energy & Sustainability Group (CES); Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Group; Entrepreneurship through Acquisition Club (ETA); Food, Environment, Agribusiness, and Development Group (FEAD); Healthcare Group; Innovation and Design Club; Investment Banking Group; Investment Management Group; JD/MBA Group; Management Consulting Group; Marketing Group; Media, Entertainment, and Sports Group (MESG); Private and Family Business Group; Private Equity Club; Real Estate Group; Retail and Luxury Group.

Cultural/Regional/Religious/Personal Affiliation Groups (25)

African American MBA Association; Asian American Student Association; Brazil Booth Group; Chicago Booth Taiwan Club; Low-Income/First-Generation Group (LFG); Belgian Club; Canadian Business Group; Catholics at Booth; Booth Africa; Southeast Asia Club; Chicago Women In Business (CWiB); Christians in Business; Emerging Markets Group; European Business Group; Greater China Club; Hispanic American Business Students Association; Japan Club; Jewish Business Students Association; Booth Korean Club; Latin American Business Group; Latter-Day Saints Student Association; Middle East and North Africa Group; Muslims in Business; OUTreach; South Asian Business Group.

Leadership Groups (2)

Admissions Ambassadors; Graduate Business Council (GBC).

Social Groups (7)

AudioBooth; Booth Coffee Club; Booth Games Club; Epicurean Club; PhotoBooth; Stage and Screen; Wine Club.

Special Interest Groups (18)

Armed Forces Group; Booth Analytics Club; Booth Artificial Intelligence Group; Booth Fine Arts Group (BFAG); Booth Impact Investing; Booth Outdoor Leadership Development Group (BOLD); Business Solutions Group (BSG); Chicago Booth Follies; Chicago Booth Veg Club; Chicago Business (ChiBus); Giving Something Back; Government and Policy Club; Net Impact; Parents Of Little Ones (POLO); Public Speaking and Communications Group (formerly Toastmasters); Quantum at Booth; The Adam Smith Society; Yoga Club.

Sports Groups (13)

Booth Dance Club; Chicago Booth Basketball Club; Chicago Booth Boxing Club; Booth Cricket Club; Chicago Booth Golf Club; Chicago Booth Hockey Club; Booth Pool Club (Billiards); Chicago Booth Rugby Club; Chicago Booth Ski and Snowboard Club; Chicago Booth Soccer Club; Chicago Booth Racquets Club; Chicago Booth Run Bike Swim Club; Chicago Booth Volleyball Club.

What some groups do

Described as Booth describes them on its student groups page. Groups change what they run each year.

06 · Process

From application to decision

1. Apply online

   Register, complete and submit the online application. You can save it and edit before you submit. It counts for a round only if you submit by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on the deadline day.

   Booth does not review your candidacy before you apply and gives no feedback after you apply.

2. Application reviewAfter the deadline

   Review begins as soon as the deadline passes. You can add new test scores or a new resume through the online status page, but Booth cannot guarantee they will be seen and will not re-review an application it has already reviewed.

3. Interview invitationInvitation only

   Booth invites candidates to interview after it evaluates the submitted application. An interview is required for admission but does not guarantee it, and Booth says candidates can be denied without one.

   Booth does not publish invitation dates.

4. Video simulation exercise and interviewIf invited

   Invited candidates also complete a brief video simulation exercise on the school's video platform, recording answers to a series of questions that are added to the application. Details come with the invitation. The interview is virtual, with one interviewer who is a current student or another member of the Booth community.

   Booth says all interviews carry equal weight. It does not publish how long the interview lasts.

5. Decision

   Your decision is posted in the Application Status section of the online application system. The outcomes are admission, waitlist or denial, and Booth says decisions are final.

   Booth says waitlisted candidates stay on the waitlist at least until the next round of decisions. The waitlist is not rank-ordered and Booth gives no feedback to waitlisted candidates.

6. After admissionOnce admitted

   Booth asks for official transcripts from every institution, official GMAT or GRE scores once you are admitted and have accepted the offer, and a degree certificate for universities outside the US (or on graduating, if you are in your final year).

   Booth says international students who have accepted an offer of admission are eligible to apply for an F-1 or J-1 visa, and that visa instructions are sent in spring.

07 · What you need

What goes into the application

1. Eligibility

An undergraduate degree from an accredited US college or university, or its equivalent in another country, from an institution recognised by that country's education ministry. For international applicants Booth asks for a degree equivalent to a four-year American bachelor's degree, and accepts three-year degrees under the Bologna Accord. Booth states no minimum work experience.

2. Test score

A GMAT or GRE score is required, with no minimum score. Booth says it has no preference on which exam you take and does not superscore, and its class profile reports both GMAT Classic and GMAT Focus. Scores are valid for five years at submission. You self-report at application and send official scores only after admission (GMAT code H9X-9F-34; GRE code 0685).

Only current UChicago undergraduates and graduates of a UChicago programme can skip the test; Booth lists no other waivers. The Full-Time MBA pages we read do not mention the Executive Assessment.

3. English test

Booth says you may be required to prove English proficiency with TOEFL iBT (including at-home), IELTS Academic, PTE or Duolingo. Scores are valid for two years. Report one sitting only; Booth does not average scores and does not accept TOEFL MyBest.

Booth's stated minimums are TOEFL iBT 5.0 on its new 1 to 6 scale (tests taken on or after 21st Jan 2026), TOEFL 600 paper or 104 iBT for earlier tests, IELTS 7, PTE Academic 70 and Duolingo 135. You may still apply below a minimum, but admission is then contingent on showing English proficiency at interview or through other requirements. Send TOEFL scores with code 1832-02 (Booth's FAQ shows 1832).

You are exempt if you hold an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from an institution in Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom or the United States. You are also exempt with a degree where English was the only language of instruction (Booth wants documentary proof or a URL), or with two or more years of full-time living and working in the US. Citizenship does not qualify. India is not on the country list.

4. Short answers

Booth says it replaced its essays with four short-answer prompts this cycle. You type your answers into the text box in the application. The limit on each of the four is 300 characters, not words.

Short answer 1 (required, 300 characters)

Short answer 2 (required, 300 characters)

Short answer 3 (required, 300 characters)

Short answer 4 (required, 300 characters)

Optional additional information (maximum 300 words)

Reapplicant question (required for reapplicants only, maximum 300 words)

Booth does not publish image-upload format or size rules for short answer 3.

5. One recommendation

Booth asks for one letter from a supervisor, ideally someone who can assess both your strengths and your weaknesses. A current supervisor is preferred; if that is not possible, you explain in the space provided. If you run a family business or are self-employed, Booth asks for a letter from a client or outside party who does business with you.

The recommendation is a skills assessment plus a letter that answers two questions. Booth says it cares about content, not the recommender's title or status.

Question 1 for your recommender

Question 2 for your recommender

You enter your recommender's name and email in the online application and Booth emails them a link. Booth does not accept letters by email, post or fax. It states no separate recommender deadline and no word limit. Reapplicants must request a new letter.

6. Video simulation exercise

If you are invited to interview, you also complete a brief video simulation exercise on the school's video platform. You record answers to a series of questions, and the recordings are added to your application. Booth sends the details with the interview invitation and does not publish the platform's name, the question wording or time limits.

7. Other documents

A professional resume, with no page or format limit stated. Unofficial scans of transcripts from all postsecondary institutions you attended, both sides, and do not convert foreign grades to a 4.0 scale. Booth requires degree certificates for universities outside the US, and official records in the original language with an English translation. Official transcripts are needed only after admission. The application fee is $250.

08 · What Booth wants

How Booth reads your file

Booth says it takes a holistic approach and evaluates applicants in three broad areas: Curriculum, Community and Career. Here is what each means for your application.

Booth publishes no weights for these areas. The only weighting it states is that all interviews carry equal weight, whoever the interviewer is.

09 · Interview questions

What candidates say Booth interviewers ask

Five types of question that candidates describe, based on candidates' own accounts of their Booth interviews from 2021 to 2026. The tag says how likely that type of question is: high means it comes up in close to half of candidate accounts or more, medium in roughly a quarter to just under half, and low in fewer than a quarter.

Other types candidates describe are walking through your resume, short-term and long-term goals, leadership style, feedback and failure, and time for your questions. No case, guesstimate or ethics question appears in the accounts.

Nobody gets a fixed list. Candidates say many behavioural questions are followed by several follow-ups, so have a number of distinct stories ready.

10 · Interview experience

What the interview is actually like

What Booth says

What candidates report

Based on candidates' own accounts from 2021 to 2026. Booth now says interviews are virtual, and this page follows Booth on the format. The on-campus option appears only in 2022 to 2024 accounts.

11 · FAQs

Questions students ask about Chicago Booth MBA