MEDIA CONTACT:
Cate Douglass; [email protected]
WASHINGTON (February 14, 2024) – For the first time in its history, the George Washington University School of Business is ranked #1 in the world for the highest percentage of women enrolled in a Masters of Business Administration program, according to the latest report by the Financial Times.
Women make up more than 65% of the program’s enrollment for 2025. Among colleges and universities globally, only 13 have MBA programs for which women’s enrollment breaks the 50% mark. The new breakthrough at the GW School of Business is based on long-standing commitments to gender equity in the classroom and in the boardroom.
The school has led female enrollment in MBA programs in the United States for the past four years. Women made up 57% of the class of 2022, 56% of the class of 2023 and 59% in the class of 2024. Women’s enrollment in the Global MBA full-time class of 2025 has far outpaced past years and reflects the school’s ongoing commitment to gender parity.
Among the Financial Times’ 2024 MBA top 100 ranking, only three other universities have reached the 60% milestone and GW Business is the only one in the United States.
"Representation, community and societal impact matter. Over the last twenty years across faculty, staff and student organizations women have held visible and impactful leadership roles. The overall mission of the school resonates, so whatever area of business they are focused on studying, the desire to make an impact on society is also strong. It connects our community of women from prospective students through our alumni,” Vanessa G. Perry, Interim Dean of GW Business, says.
It’s a trend the school isn’t just seeing with its Global MBA programming; the school has hit gender parity across all graduate and undergraduate enrollment.
School leaders say these achievements demonstrate a persistent dedication to fostering an environment where diverse perspectives thrive. GW Business credits this success to the environment it cultivates in and outside of the classroom.
“There has been an investment from our alumnae to connect with rising women leaders, and the university supports that with structured initiatives including GW Women in Business for undergraduates, On The Board for executive education, and a strong network has grown across our MBA, graduate and undergraduate classes,” says Senay Agca, Chief Diversity Officer at GW Business. “The growth in intentional and authentic programming created by women and for women only continues. This year, ELEVATE, the executive leadership course for local minority business enterprises in Washington, D.C., will be all women-owned businesses. The partnership with the Coalition of Non-profit Housing and Urban Development is in the third year and fourth cohort.”
Through this combination of intentional student programming, a recruitment team that reflects the student body, and tapping into the global reputation of Washington D.C., students often feel they can come to GW Business to find a place where they belong and to further contribute to a diverse and inclusive community.
“Part of why I picked GW Business was because they are serious about promoting women in business,” Triada Cross, a Global MBA and Master of Science in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management candidate at GW. “Before I applied, they had a webinar specifically for women interested in GW where women in the program talked about their experiences and I was able to ask them questions. That was key to my decision to come here. In my past educational and professional experience, I was often one of the few women in the classroom or office and that wasn't a dynamic I wanted to experience again in my graduate studies.”
The Financial Times MBA Business School Rankings were published February 11, 2024.
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