Last Updated on September 24, 2023
Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business is ranked #10 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 list of the Best Business Schools. So, you can probably imagine that MBA admissions at Ross are pretty competitive. In other words, if you’re planning to apply to the Michigan Ross MBA program, you’ll want every aspect of your application to present you in the best possible light, including your GMAT score.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the University of Michigan MBA class profile and average GMAT scores, and the Michigan Ross acceptance rate. We’ll also discuss how to use that data to set a competitive GMAT score goal for Ross admissions. Additionally, we’ll answer some common questions about the standardized test scores required of aspiring Ross students.
Note that this article focuses on Ross’s full-time MBA program. Ross also offers a few part-time MBA program options, including online MBA, weekend MBA, and Executive MBA programs.
Here are all the topics we’ll cover:
- Does Michigan’s MBA Program Require GMAT Scores?
- Is the GMAT Better Than the GRE for Michigan Ross?
- The Michigan Ross MBA Acceptance Rate
- The Michigan Ross MBA Class Profile
- Ross GMAT Scores
- GMAT Score for Michigan Ross: What Score Do You Need?
- In Conclusion
- What’s Next?
First, let’s review Ross’s application requirements as they relate to test scores.
Does Michigan’s MBA Program Require GMAT Scores?
The Michigan Ross MBA program actually allows applicants quite a few options when it comes to submitting test scores. Applicants to Ross’s full-time MBA program are allowed to submit either a GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, PCAT, or DAT score.
Note that Ross does allow candidates to submit unofficial score reports with their MBA applications. However, if you are accepted to the program, you will have to provide your official score report. Of course, policies can always change. So, if you plan to submit unofficial scores, first check with the MBA admissions office to confirm that submitting unofficial scores is still permitted.
Note also that international students for whom English is not their native language must submit either a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score to demonstrate English proficiency, unless the student has an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution where English is the sole language of instruction.
KEY FACT:
Applicants to Ross’s full-time MBA program are allowed to submit either a GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, PCAT, or DAT score.
While Ross provides a variety of testing options, it currently reports only GMAT and GRE scores in its class profile. So, although we can’t say for sure, it’s probably a pretty safe bet that most Ross applicants submit either a GMAT or a GRE score.
This begs the question: is the GMAT better than the GRE for Michigan MBA applications?
Is the GMAT Better Than the GRE for Michigan Ross?
In response to the question of whether Ross prefers a particular standardized test, Ross states on its website:
“… you are at no advantage or disadvantage by taking one exam instead of the other.”
I am of the mind that when a school makes such a statement, there is no reason not to take the school at its word. After all, what would admissions committees gain by not telling prospective students what programs really want? Wouldn’t admissions just be wasting its own time by giving applicants a false impression?
If you’re leaning toward the GRE, you also may be comforted to know that there was a significant jump in applicants submitting GRE scores for the class of 2022 ( the class entering in 2020). Check out the 5-year data below:
Ross GRE Score Submissions: A 5-Year View
Although we see a dip in GRE applicants for the class of 2021, the overall 5-year trajectory is up. So, if you’re trying to decide between the GMAT and GRE for Ross, I don’t think you have to worry that submitting a GRE score will make you an outlier. Moreover, based on Ross’s own statement, I don’t think you should worry about the school’s having a particular test preference.
Of course, if you still feel concerned that taking a particular test will put you at a disadvantage, it never hurts to contact the folks in admissions directly to get their take on the matter. MBA admissions offices are generally more than willing to help with questions that applicants have.
KEY FACT:
The Ross School of Business states on its website that it has no preference for either the GMAT or GRE.
Now that we understand the MBA program’s standardized test requirement, let’s take a look at the Michigan Ross acceptance rate.
The Michigan Ross MBA Acceptance Rate
Currently, Michigan’s Ross school does not disclose its acceptance rate on its website. However, reputable sources such as U.S. News & World Report, Forbes and Poets & Quants have reported acceptance rates ranging from 20-37% in the past 5 years. Let’s take a look:
Michigan Ross Acceptance Rate: A 5-Year View
You’ll notice that the acceptance rate for the class of 2022 is significantly higher than for any other class year. Keep in mind that the class of 2022 would have been submitting applications and entering in 2020. At that time, Covid-19 was severely impacting the world. So, particularly considering the sharp decrease in the acceptance rate we see for the class of 2023, to be on the safe side, I would consider the 37% high mark in Ross’s acceptance rate a pandemic-related fluke.
That said, we can’t ignore the fact that Ross’s 20% acceptance rate for the class of 2023 was its lowest rate in recent years. Will this shift be permanent? Unfortunately, it’s too early to say. But again, when it comes to something as important as MBA admissions, I like to play it safe. So, a safe bet would be to say that Ross’s current acceptance rate is 20%, or about one in five applicants.
KEY FACT:
The acceptance rate for Ross’s full-time MBA class of 2023 was approximately 20%.
So, what does the incoming class at a selective, top 10 school such as Ross look like? Let’s review the UM Ross student profile.
The Michigan Ross MBA Class Profile
The Ross MBA class profile is pretty impressive, not only in terms of student achievement but also in terms of diversity. In the space of top MBA programs, Ross students are a fairly diverse bunch. Let’s take a look at some key demographic information for the Ross MBA class for the past few years.
Ross Full-Time MBA Program: Class Demographics 2021-2023
| Class Year | Average UGPA | Average Years of Work Experience | Female | International | U.S. Students of Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3.53 | 5 | 46% | 28% | 36% |
| 2022 | 3.5 | 5.3 | 43% | 18% | 36% |
| 2021 | 3.5 | 5 | 45% | 27% | 22% |
First, we should note that Ross states the following on its website:
“We do not require a specific number of years of work experience prior to entering the Ross MBA program, but almost all incoming Ross students have worked for at least 2 years … historically students with more than 2 years of work experience have been most successful in the full-time MBA program.”
It’s important to keep these statements in mind. While Ross does not specify required minimums for undergraduate GPA, GMAT scores, or work experience, like most other top MBA programs, Ross seems to prefer that its students have a few years of work experience under their belts.
Does that mean you have to hit the 5-year mark in your career to be competitive at Ross? Not necessarily. After all, work experience is just one factor among many that admissions will consider. However, if you want to have the best possible shot at gaining entry to Ross, you may want to apply when you can count yourself in that “more than 2 years” category.
Notable Demographic Shifts
You may have noticed a dip in the percentage of international students at Ross in the class of 2022. Those students would have been applying and entering in 2020. So, it’s safe to say that the decrease was a pandemic-related fluke. As we can see in the class profile data above, the number of international students bounced back the following year.
We should also note that the proportion of students of color (from the U.S.) has increased by 14% since the class of 2021. Furthermore, the class of 2023 boasts a record-high number of female students. Additionally, the average UGPA ticked up slightly in the most recent incoming class. The last time Ross’s average UGPA increased was in 2017 (class of 2019), when it climbed from 3.4 to 3.5.
KEY FACT:
The average UGPA of the Ross MBA class of 2023 is 3.53.
Let’s take a look at what Ross students earned their undergraduate degrees in.
Ross MBA Class Profile: Undergraduate Majors
As we can see above, for the past three years, the proportion of Ross’s full-time MBA students who majored in business as an undergrad has held steady at 42%, while STEM degrees have become slightly more common.
KEY FACT:
For the past three years, the proportion of Ross’s full-time MBA students who majored in business as an undergrad has held steady at 42%.
Now, let’s have a look at the professional backgrounds of Ross’s full-time MBA class of 2023.
MBA Class of 2023: Top Pre-MBA Industries
As we can see, consulting is by far the most common pre-MBA industry among Ross’s class of 2023. A consulting background has, in fact, become increasingly common among Ross students in recent years, overtaking finance as the most common industry starting in the class of 2021. (Finance has not been the most common industry since the class of 2019, of which 19% had finance backgrounds. In the class of 2020, consulting and finance tied as most common at 16%.)
Of course, both consulting and finance backgrounds are quite common at top MBA programs. But it’s interesting to note that the gap between the number of Ross students hailing from each industry has widened significantly in just a few years.
KEY FACT:
Consulting overtook finance as the most common pre-MBA industry among Ross students in the class of 2021, and the gap between the proportion of students in each industry has widened to 10% since then.
All of this class profile data is going to come in handy when we discuss how to set your GMAT score goal for your Ross MBA. Before we get to that, let’s take a look at the final piece of the class profile puzzle: GMAT scores.
Ross GMAT Scores
Ross MBA average GMAT scores have remained fairly consistent from one incoming class to the next over the past several years. Let’s take a look.
Per the data above, the GMAT average at Ross’s full-time MBA program tends to be roughly in the 710-720 range. So, a safe bet would be to say that an average GMAT score for Michigan Ross is 720.
Now, does that mean that 720 is “the magic number” you should be shooting for when you take your GMAT. You might not be surprised to learn that setting your target GMAT score is a little more complicated than simply looking at the class average. Let’s discuss.
GMAT Score for Michigan Ross: What Score Do You Need?
Generally speaking, a good GMAT score for any MBA program will be equal to the average GMAT score of admitted students. However, class averages are merely a starting point when you set your GMAT score goal. After all, admissions committees weigh numerous factors when considering each applicant. GPA, work experience, recommendations, personal background and application essays — all of these elements of your MBA application will come into play in addition to your standardized test scores.
Thus, a competitive GMAT score for one applicant may not look so great for another. Consider this: the middle 80% GMAT score range for the Ross class of 2023 is 690-760. That range tells us that 80% of students in the class scored in that 70-point range, 10% of the class scored below 690, and 10% scored above 760. All together, the class of 2023 has a pretty wide-ranging set of GMAT scores.
So, you can’t simply assume that the class average is the GMAT score that will make you a competitive applicant. Clearly, many Ross students were admitted with below-average GMAT scores and many had above-average scores. In other words, there is no one “magic number” that opens the door for every applicant. To set your score goal, you need to think like admissions, weighing all of your unique strengths and weaknesses.
To set your score goal, you need to think like admissions, weighing all of your unique strengths and weaknesses.
Setting Your GMAT Score Goal
When setting your target GMAT score, strive to balance out your applicant profile. Of course, higher is always great when it comes to the GMAT game. However, you don’t want to neglect other aspects of your application because you’re focused on scoring a 770 you don’t really need.
Ask yourself, are there weaknesses in your applicant profile that your GMAT score could help balance out? For example, perhaps your quant background is not particularly strong. In that case, a high GMAT Quant score could help reassure admissions that you can succeed in quant-heavy classes.
Let’s look at a couple of other example scenarios of how to weigh various aspects of your profile when setting your GMAT score goal.
Scenario 1
Let’s say you’re part of a group (or a few groups) that is overrepresented at Ross, in which case your application might not stand out. People in groups that are overrepresented in MBA admissions typically need to earn higher GMAT scores in order to get noticed in the sea of similar applicants. For instance, say you’re a white male with an undergraduate degree in business. You have a GPA of 3.6 and about 5 years of work experience in consulting. In that case, you can bet that there will likely be plenty of other applicants to Ross with profiles very similar to yours.
Thus, a GMAT score of 720 probably won’t do much to distinguish your application. In other words, if your GMAT score meets the average, then the major aspects of your application will all be, by Ross’s standards, average.
To stand out from the pack, a smart strategy would be to shoot for a GMAT score that beats the class average. In the case of our imaginary applicant above, shooting for a score near the top of Ross’s mid-80% range (if not higher) may be advisable, since he falls into several overrepresented or “average” categories.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you are in an overrepresented group, aim for a GMAT score that beats the Ross average, possibly one at the top end of the mid-80% range.
Scenario 2
Let’s say your applicant profile already stands out in some respects. In other words, you’re underrepresented or not “average.” You may be quite competitive applying to Ross with a score at the lower end of the mid-80% range. Of course, only you know just how strong your applicant profile is and whether there are weak points in your application that high test scores could help compensate for.
Moreover, you should keep in mind that top MBA programs typically prefer to see GMAT Quant scores of 47 or higher. Furthermore, they may not look kindly on GMAT section scores that are wildly imbalanced.
So, even if you are from an underrepresented group, a safe bet would be to aim for a GMAT score that at least meets the Ross average of 720.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you are in an underrepresented group, aim for a GMAT score that at least meets the Ross average of 720.
In Conclusion
However your applicant profile stacks up next to the University of Michigan MBA profile, the GMAT can be a powerful tool for showing admissions that you have what it takes to excel in a rigorous top 10 MBA program.
Below are some key points to keep in mind when setting your GMAT score goal for Michigan Ross.
- Ask yourself whether there are any weaknesses in your applicant profile that your GMAT score could help balance out.
- People in groups that are overrepresented in MBA admissions typically need to earn higher GMAT scores.
- If you are in an overrepresented group(s), aim for a GMAT score that beats the Ross average, possibly one at the top end of the mid-80% range, or higher if you have notable weaknesses in your profile.
- If you are in an underrepresented group, aim for a GMAT score that at least meets the Ross average of the most recent incoming class.
- Top MBA programs typically prefer to see GMAT Quant scores of 47+, and they like to see fairly balanced section scores.
- The Ross average GMAT score is not a “magic number” for admittance.
Remember, whatever your GMAT score goal, with the right attitude and a smart study plan, you CAN earn the score you need to be competitive at Ross. (A top-notch, personalized GMAT prep course also doesn’t hurt.) Consider the GMAT one more opportunity to show off your skills, and do everything in your power to seize that opportunity!
Consider the GMAT one more opportunity to show off your skills, and do everything in your power to seize that opportunity!
What’s Next?
Thinking of applying to other top business schools like Ross? This guide to GMAT scores at top MBA programs can help you get started.
Already know your score goal? Get expert strategies for reaching it with this guide to scoring 700+ on the GMAT.
