IESE MBA

01 · Class profile

Who is in the IESE MBA class

From IESE's current class profile page, which does not name a class year.

IESE's pages differ: the class profile says 89% of the class is international, while IESE's FAQ says more than 85% of students come from outside Spain, from over 50 nationalities. This page uses the class profile.

Test scores

IESE publishes the GMAT and GRE ranges as acceptance ranges. The GRE medians are from IESE's FAQ. GMAT scores from online and test-centre exams are both accepted.

Work experience of the class (share of the class)

Share of the class. IESE recommends 3 to 10 years of work experience.

Previous experience (share of the class)

Share of the class.

Where the class comes from (share of the class)

Share of the class, over 50 countries. IESE's class profile does not show an undergraduate discipline split.

02 · Placements

Where IESE MBA graduates go

MBA Class of 2025. IESE says 80% had secured employment within three months of graduation.

IESE's pages do not say who is counted in that figure, the response rate or the number of accepted offers.

IESE's career page says 63,000+ alumni and its FAQ says more than 60,000, so this page uses the lower figure.

Pay

IESE's public pages show no pay levels. IESE gives out its MBA Employment Report through a request form, so this page has no salary figure.

IESE's career page carries a tile saying 132% salary increase for European schools after 3 years of graduation, according to the Financial Times 2026. That is a growth figure, not a pay level.

Full-time jobs by function (share of jobs)

Share of full-time jobs by function. Other: IESE's list does not itemise this group.

By sector (share of employment)

Share of full-time employment, Class of 2025, from IESE's career impact page.

IESE's pages differ: its January 2026 story on the report gives Consulting as 41% with the other sectors the same, while the career impact page gives 42%. This page uses the career impact page.

By region (share of employment)

Share of employment by region, Class of 2025, from IESE's career impact page.

Top recruiters

IESE's list of top recruiters of the Class of 2025: Accenture, Almirall, Amazon, Bain and Company, Boston Consulting Group, Fever, Google, Kearney, McKinsey and Company, and Strategy&. IESE also reports a 94% student satisfaction average on its career page and says 52% of opportunities come from the IESE Career Development Center and the IESE network.

03 · Fees and scholarships

What it costs, and how to pay less

For the September 2027 intake. The total of €117,000 is the same whether you finish in 15 or 19 months. IESE says individual scholarships typically range from 10% to 50% of tuition fees.

How the fee is paid

IESE says different dates may apply to loan holders. Living costs are not in the fee, and IESE's pages do not itemise them.

How scholarships work

You apply for a scholarship inside the MBA application and submit one scholarship essay. IESE's admissions committee decides which scholarship you get, IESE's FAQ says students are limited to one scholarship, while its scholarships page says a combination can be awarded in exceptional cases. You do not need to pick a specific scholarship. IESE has not published the current scholarship essay question and says to use the questions in the application as the official reference. Decisions are generally announced with the admission decision or within two weeks of the final decision, and may roll over to the next round. IESE says 70% of scholarships are awarded in the first two rounds, and that they are more likely in the first three rounds.

Named scholarships

IESE also lists scholarships for Leaders in Sustainability and Responsible Business, Women in STEM, Women in Management (5 or more years of work experience, with managerial experience), Dignity, Diversity and Belonging, Leaders in Emerging Markets, Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation, Leaders in Non-Profit and Public Sector, and Family, plus named awards from the IESE International Foundation and the Young Talent Path, an early-admission route for people with under 2 years of experience. IESE says individual scholarships typically range from 10% to 50% of tuition fees. It does not publish what share of MBA students receive aid. Its Financial Aid Office manages roughly €6 million a year in financial aid and scholarships to students.

Loans

IESE lists the Post-Graduation Payment Aid (PPA), an income share agreement backed by the EU and the European Investment Fund, where you pay a fixed percentage of your income for up to 10 years after graduation. IESE says it is not a traditional loan and gives details to admitted candidates. It also lists the CaixaBank MBA Loan (up to 100% of fees with a bank guarantee and up to 80% otherwise, up to 9 years including the grace period, no opening or early-repayment fees), Lendwise, Juno (US cosigner), MPower, Deutsche Bank (EU students) and US Federal Direct Loans. The commitment and reservation fees are not covered by the loans IESE offers. IESE tells Full-Time MBA students to send their financial plan to its Financial Aid Office before 15th Jul.

04 · Rounds and deadlines

Which round, and by when

These are the dates for the September 2027 intake (IESE's MBA Class of 2029). IESE calls them expected dates and says key dates are subject to change. Applications that miss a deadline roll to the next round. IESE advises non-EU citizens to apply before Round 3 to leave time for a visa. IESE tells you the decision by phone call and email (its FAQ mentions email).

IESE generally tells you within 2 to 3 weeks after it confirms it has received your application whether you are invited to interview. IESE's admissions page still shows 2026 dates in its academic key-dates block and gives no 2027 start date, so this page says only September 2027. IESE does not publish when each round opens.

05 · Clubs and activities

Life outside class

IESE does not state how many clubs it has. IESE labels its list of initiatives, clubs and groups a tentative and illustrative list, subject to change. This is the full list.

Student conferences

IESE says professional clubs run interview preparation, technical workshops and interview banks, and that Career Treks are student-led trips to hubs such as London, Dubai and Berlin. IESE names Multi-Culti and the IESE Spring Games as signature events, the Sailing Club's Med Cup Regatta, and the Africa and LatAm Business Career Fairs. The Student Council meets regularly with the Dean, and the Social Action Club partners with the Social Impact Consulting elective on pro-bono projects for NGOs.

Careers, competitions and exchange

IESE's FAQ names a mandatory Career Fundamentals Program. IESE's career page lists a Career Forum in October and February, the Latam MBA Career Fair and Asia Career Fair, and a job board of 1,100+ postings a year. The IESE MBB Case Competition (McKinsey, BCG and Bain) was held on 17th Oct 2025, with a maximum of 12 teams of about four first-years, according to IESE's career page. The IESE International Roland Berger Case Competition held its 31st edition on 5th to 7th Mar 2026.

The International Exchange Program has run since 1983, with about 30 partner schools in 13 countries, and 3,300+ MBA students have taken part. IESE's illustrative list of partners includes Berkeley, Booth, Columbia, Cornell, Darden, Duke, Kellogg, Michigan Ross, MIT, NYU, Tuck, UNC, Wharton, Yale, HEC, LBS, RSM, CEIBS, HKU, HKUST, ISB and NUS. About 85 exchange students go each year, in the first and second terms of the second year (Term 4 or 5 on the Flexible track). Places are competitive and based on first-year academic performance.

For entrepreneurs, the Summer Entrepreneurship Experience (SEE) replaces the internship, and IESE says 60+ graduates have raised search funds. In the classroom, you are assigned a Team Room of 8 to 9 classmates in year 1, the case method is used, IESE has a grade non-disclosure policy, and year 2 offers 140+ electives. Concentrations are AI, Tech and Data; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Family Business; Finance; International Business; and Sustainability and Responsible Business (4 credits needed). IESE offers free Spanish classes and a Bilingual MBA diploma option.

Described as IESE describes them on its clubs list, FAQ and career pages. What each club runs changes by year.

06 · Process

From application to decision

1. Apply online

   Submit the application form with the application fee, official transcripts, CV, test score, English test if you need one, one recommendation letter, the two mandatory essays and the other documents IESE lists. You then receive a link to the Kira video essay.

   IESE reviews your application only after it has the fee and all documents, and calls the application complete only after your video answers arrive.

2. Admissions pre-committeeAfter you apply

   This is the second of IESE's six steps. IESE's pages say little about what happens in it.

   Candidates are generally told within 2 to 3 weeks after IESE confirms it received the application whether they are invited to interview.

3. Personal interview

   An Admissions Committee member or an IESE alumnus interviews you in English, face to face on the Barcelona campus, by videoconference, or with admissions directors travelling worldwide.

   IESE's pages describe a single personal interview and do not state the number of interviews, the length or the question types. IESE's admissions blog for the September 2026 intake (July 2025) says most interviews are virtual and mentions trained alumni volunteers.

4. Assessment DayIf invited

   IESE may invite shortlisted candidates to group discussions and collaborative exercises. It is not required of all candidates, and taking part is optional even if you are invited, though IESE highly recommends it.

   IESE says it looks at communication, leadership potential and a collaborative mindset. IESE's admissions blog for the September 2026 intake (July 2025) says it was held on campus in Barcelona, in New York, in São Paulo or virtually.

5. Admissions CommitteeAfter the interview

   IESE lists the Admissions Committee as the fifth of its six steps, before the admission decision.

   IESE says candidates are generally notified of the decision within six weeks following the interview.

6. Admission

   IESE tells you by phone call and email. Accepting means paying the €10,000 commitment fee by the date in your admission letter.

   IESE does not publish waitlist rules.

07 · What you need

What goes into the application

1. Eligibility

A bachelor's degree or equivalent. IESE recommends 3 to 10 years of work experience, with an average of five, and counts full-time military service. IESE welcomes candidates without a business background, such as law, medicine, the arts or non-profit work. Spanish is not required, because the MBA is taught entirely in English.

2. Test score

A GMAT or GRE score is mandatory and cannot be waived. IESE accepts the current or the previous GMAT edition equally, assesses scores with the GMAC percentile tables, and wants scores no older than 5 years. If you have taken both the GMAT and GRE, submit both. IESE's acceptance ranges are in section 01. Its FAQ says a lower GMAT with strong experience can still be considered, since the review is holistic.

3. English test

Required for non-native speakers. IESE recommends a TOEFL of 100, IELTS of 7.5, PTE Academic of 68 (C1), or a Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency with a minimum grade of B. You do not need a test if English is your first language, your degree was taught in English, or you have lived 2 or more consecutive years in an English-speaking country. IESE's codes are TOEFL 7237 and IELTS CL035. The new-format TOEFL iBT (from Jan 2026) is still accepted on the 0 to 120 scale.

4. Essays

Two essays are mandatory and are submitted in an online form. IESE has not published the September 2027 prompts or word limits on its admissions page. IESE's admissions blog for the September 2026 intake (July 2025) describes Essay 1 as your career vision (immediate post-MBA goals, and where you see yourself in the medium and long term) and Essay 2 as why IESE is the right place for your MBA, and gives no word limits. Scholarship applicants add one scholarship essay (see section 03). IESE's admissions director, in tips for the September 2027 intake, asks for genuine reflection, and says AI tools for brainstorming are understood but should not tell your story for you.

IESE does not publish the exact prompt wording or word limits for the September 2027 intake, so this page shows no prompt boxes.

5. Kira video essay

The Kira video essay is mandatory. After you submit the written application and pay the fee, IESE sends a link within 24 hours. The link expires 48 hours after you receive it, and the video must be done by the round deadline. Your application is complete only after IESE receives your video answers.

IESE's admissions page for the September 2027 intake says there will be four video essay questions. IESE's tips blog for the September 2027 intake says this year adds a new video essay on how applicants think about AI, which IESE says is not a technical test. IESE's pages differ here: its admissions blog for the September 2026 intake (July 2025) describes three questions, with 1 minute to prepare and 1.5 minutes to answer each. This page uses four, from the current admissions page. IESE does not state the timing for the four-question version, and the instructions come with your link.

6. One recommendation letter

IESE requires one letter of recommendation. Its public pages do not say who the recommender should be, the format or questions, how it is submitted or its deadline.

7. Documents

IESE's list is the application form, Kira video essays, application fee, official transcripts, CV, GMAT or GRE, English test, one letter of recommendation, the mandatory essays, military or civil-service obligation information, and a passport-size digital photograph of up to 2 MB. IESE's FAQ list of requirements also names a passport copy. IESE publishes no CV length or format rules. Upload documents as scans in English, and do not submit books, theses or other material IESE has not asked for.

08 · What IESE wants

How IESE reads your file

IESE says your GMAT or GRE result is important but not the only deciding factor, and that your personality, motivation, goals, leadership abilities and communication skills are also taken into account. Its class profile page lists what it is looking for.

IESE also says everyone in the cohort shares a desire to make a deep and positive impact on the world. Its admissions director, in tips for the September 2027 intake, names strong academics, meaningful professional experience and leadership potential, plus curiosity, resilience and adaptability.

IESE publishes no weights for these factors.

09 · Interview questions

What IESE interviewers typically ask

Five questions that show the pattern, based on candidates' own accounts of their IESE interviews. 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. Nobody gets a fixed list, and most of the interview is built from your own file.

The accounts cover 2021 to 2026, with more from some years than others, so treat the tags as directional. Candidates also report being asked to introduce themselves, about their biggest achievement or hardest project, and which other schools they applied to.

10 · Interview experience

What the interview is actually like

What IESE says

What candidates report

Candidates' accounts are a guide to the pattern, not a promise.

11 · FAQs

Questions students ask about IESE MBA