UCLA GMAT Scores: What GMAT Score Is Needed For UCLA Anderson School?

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Last Updated on August 16, 2023

If you’ve been researching business schools in the top 20, you’ve probably come across the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Ranked #18 on U.S. News’ 2022 list of the Best Business Schools, the UCLA MBA program attracts students — and big-name, post-MBA employers — from around the world. Of course, UCLA MBA admissions are pretty competitive, so earning an impressive GMAT score can be an important way to ensure that your MBA application stands out among the pack at this popular program.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the UCLA GMAT averages and UCLA GMAT Score Ranges for students accepted to the Anderson School’s full-time MBA program, as well as some other key facts about UCLA Anderson’s MBA class of 2022. I’ll also give you some essential questions to consider when thinking about how your applicant profile measures up, and some strategies for determining what GMAT score you need to be competitive.

First, let’s take a look at an important UCLA business school statistic to keep in mind when setting your GMAT goals: the acceptance rate.

• The UCLA MBA Acceptance Rate
• UCLA Anderson MBA Class Profile: Class of 2022
• UCLA MBA GMAT Scores: A 5-Year View
• Balancing Your GMAT Score With Other Factors
• Determining What Score You Need for UCLA Anderson
• Evaluating GMAT Section Scores
• Staying in the “Safe Zone”

The UCLA MBA Acceptance Rate

Given that the UCLA Anderson School consistently lands in the top 25 of MBA rankings, you won’t be surprised to learn that the acceptance rate at the UCLA MBA program has generally hovered in the low to mid-20% range, although acceptances did spike for the class of 2022. Let’s take a look at what we know about the acceptance rate for the full-time MBA program at Anderson over the past 5 years.

UCLA MBA Acceptance Rate: Incoming 2016-2020

Incoming Year	Acceptance Rate
2020	34.4%
2019	26%
2018	24.3%
2017	22%
2016	21%

*2020 data sourced from U.S. News data; data on prior years sourced from Poets & Quants.

While we can’t be certain why the acceptance rate increased so significantly for the incoming class in 2020, it wouldn’t exactly be a leap to guess that COVID-19 had something to do with the change. The fact is, numerous top business schools reported substantial increases in MBA applications during the 2019-2020 admissions cycle, and many of those schools also reported higher acceptance rates.

That said, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, we can see that the UCLA MBA acceptance rate was ticking up slightly year by year. At this point, it’s too early to say whether the larger increase in acceptances during the 2019-2020 admissions cycle represents a “new normal,” but I wouldn’t be surprised if the acceptance rate dropped back down at least a few percentage points post-pandemic.

Now, let’s take a look at some key facts about the UCLA Anderson class profile for the full-time MBA class of 2022.

UCLA Anderson MBA Class Profile: Class of 2022

In the 2019-2020 admissions cycle, the UCLA Anderson School received 2,865 applications to its full-time MBA program, and accepted approximately 986 of those applicants. Out of those accepted, 360 now make up the class of 2022.

These future business leaders are a notably diverse bunch: 36% are international students, 40% are women, and 30% are racial or ethnic minorities. All of those percentages mark increases from the class of 2021, the most significant being in the number of women, which increased from 34% in the class of 2021.

The top 3 undergraduate majors among these students were business (23%), engineering (22%), and humanities (17%), and the top 3 industries they hailed from were technology (26%), finance (22%), and consulting (15%). The class entered with an average of 4.5 years of work experience, with just over half the class boasting 3 to 6 years in the professional world. Interestingly, nearly a third of the class (32%) has just 0 to 3 years of work experience.

Although the UCLA MBA average GPA was not reported, we do know that the middle 80% of the class of 2022 had a GPA range of 3.1 to 3.8.

Let’s keep this data in mind as we turn our attention to the GMAT scores of UCLA MBA students, because you’ll need to consider more than just GMAT scores when figuring out what score you need to be competitive at UCLA business school.

UCLA MBA GMAT Scores: A 5-Year View

As you’ll see below, the UCLA MBA average GMAT score and UCLA GMAT score range for the middle 80% of the class dipped slightly for the class of 2022. Again, it’s hard to say yet whether we can attribute this to “the COVID effect,” but regardless, the GMAT scores of Anderson MBA students remained fairly impressive. Let’s take a look.

UCLA MBA GMAT Scores: 5-Year Data

Class of ...	Average GMAT Score	Middle 80% GMAT Range
2022	706	660-740
2021	719	680-750
2020	719	680-750
2019	716	680-750
2018	715	680-750

It’s worth noting here that the “middle 80%,” or “mid-80%,” as it’s also called, is the GMAT score range within which 80% of people in a school’s class scored, with 10% of the class scoring higher than that range and 10% scoring lower. You can read more about the middle 80% in this article about what schools consider a good GMAT score.

It’s also worth noting that, while the UCLA MBA does not state a preference between the GMAT and GRE exams (and states that there is no minimum score requirement for either exam), it did not publish any GRE score data for the class of 2022. What does that tell us? Well, we can’t be sure, but it could be that the vast majority of enrolled students submitted GMAT scores, so the sample size for reporting GRE averages and score ranges was quite small. One reference point we do have is that only 2% of the class of 2018 submitted GRE scores. So, even if the Anderson school has no GMAT bias, its accepted MBA students clearly do.

Now, what exactly can we glean from these 5-year GMAT score trends? Should you just shoot for the average GMAT score and be done with it? Well, admissions decisions at business schools aren’t quite so cut and dried. So, let’s take a look at how your GMAT score is typically weighed along with other factors.

Balancing Your GMAT Score With Other Factors

We all know that impressive test scores can only help when you’re applying to a highly regarded school such as UCLA Anderson, but as I alluded to earlier, there are numerous factors that MBA admissions committees weigh when deciding who makes the cut. In other words, business schools evaluate applicants holistically, rather than admit applicants based on any one factor in isolation.

Case in point: We saw that the middle 80% of the class of 2022 has GMAT scores ranging from 660 to 740, an 80-point swing. Furthermore, we know that the mid-80% does not represent the full range of GMAT scores of the MBA class. In fact, 10% of the class scored lower than 660 and 10% of the class scored higher than 740. Of course, we don’t know how much lower or higher those numbers go, but it’s safe to say that we’re dealing with a significant range of GMAT scores.

So, what accounts for these variations? Clearly, some students were exceptional enough in other areas of their applications to earn a seat in the MBA program despite GMAT scores that fell well below the average of the incoming class. Perhaps they had impressive careers and certifications such as CPA/CA/CFA. Perhaps they come from underrepresented backgrounds and had stellar GPAs.

The point is, your GMAT is just one factor among many, so determining what score you’ll need to be competitive is a matter of not only looking at GMAT averages but also carefully evaluating your strengths and weaknesses in other areas. A high GMAT score, on its own, isn’t a guarantee that you’ll gain acceptance or even be competitive at UCLA Anderson — say if your GPA is on the low side and you come from an overrepresented group. However, a lower-than-average GMAT score doesn’t necessarily spell doom.

Nevertheless, your GMAT score is an important factor in admissions decisions because MBA programs generally regard the GMAT as a reliable predictor of a student’s ability to succeed in business school. So, a GMAT score on the high end of the class range could be a “gold star” on your application, particularly if you need to compensate for weaknesses in other areas of your profile.

So, how high is high enough? Should you shoot for 740? 710? Let’s investigate.

Determining What Score You Need for UCLA Anderson

Generally speaking, a good GMAT score is one that is equal to your target school’s average score, and a great GMAT score is one that beats the average. However, because all applicants are different, what constitutes a competitive GMAT score for UCLA Anderson varies from one applicant to the next.

These varying standards are not only because factors such as GPA and work history are taken into account, but also because Anderson, like many business schools, prides itself on attracting future MBAs from all over the world and from many different backgrounds. In general, business schools want to create a dynamic environment for their students, one that reflects the real world. So, MBA admissions committees typically seek to pull together a student body that brings with it a diverse array of experiences and perspectives.

Consequently, you should think of other applicants whose profiles are similar to yours as your direct competition. You should also keep in mind that applicants from industries and backgrounds that tend to be overrepresented in MBA applicant pools usually need to earn higher GMAT scores in order to stand out among their peers.

For example, let’s say you’re a white male with a degree in engineering, a GPA of 3.5, and 4 years of work experience in tech. In that case, a GMAT score that is well above the average of 706 (and I would argue, above the prior average of 719), may be necessary for you to rise to the top of a sea of similar applicants.

In fact, you probably want to aim for the upper end of the mid-80% GMAT score range, and if there are some areas of your profile that may be considered weaknesses, you may want to shoot for a score above that range, 750 for example.

Conversely, suppose you are a woman from a racial group that is typically underrepresented in business schools, with a 3.9 GPA, a degree in the social sciences, and 5 years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector. In that case, you’ll already have “beat the averages” in several respects, so you may feel comfortable applying with a GMAT score that falls at or below the Anderson average, perhaps a score of 700 or 680. Your overall profile may, in fact, make you a highly desirable candidate.

As you can see, you have to take every aspect of your profile into account when determining what GMAT score will make you a competitive applicant. This includes considering how your GMAT section scores may be viewed by admissions. Let’s discuss that next.

Evaluating GMAT Section Scores

Although the UCLA Anderson school does not publish the GMAT section score averages of admitted MBA students, the fact is, many business schools pride themselves on the quantitative nature of their courses, and thus place particular emphasis on the Quant section of the GMAT. So, a fantastic Quant score — or a very low one — is likely to get noticed by admissions.

Particularly if your quantitative bona fides are lacking in other areas, a high Quant score can go a long toward reassuring admissions that you have what it takes to handle rigorous, graduate-level classes focused on subjects such as finance, economics, and statistical analysis.

For example, perhaps you majored in humanities in college and your work experience is in the entertainment/media sector. On the one hand, those data points make you somewhat unique as an applicant. However, your background could become a disadvantage if you don’t have many quant-specific courses in your academic history, or your performance in those courses was lacking. In that case, you’d want to aim for a strong Quant score of 47 or higher to help alleviate any worries admissions may have that your background hasn’t prepared you for the UCLA MBA program.

In general, showcasing strong skills that are less common or less expected for a person of your background (whatever that may be) can really help your MBA application stand out. Think about it: admissions would probably expect that a person with a background in humanities and work experience in media would score high on GMAT Verbal, but not as high on GMAT Quant as students with quant-heavy backgrounds. So, if you can match those students with your Quant section score, you could give yourself a considerable edge.

The same goes for applicants with strong backgrounds in Quant. Perhaps you’re in very overrepresented groups academically and professionally, meaning that you have a solid background in business and finance. In that case, one way to make your application really stand out would be to score high on the Verbal section. An applicant with an undergrad degree in economics and a professional background in finance would significantly shrink his or her pool of competition by scoring, for example, 40 or higher on GMAT Verbal. 

So, when thinking about your GMAT score goal, consider your goal not only for your total GMAT score but also for your section scores. Those scores could be useful for “balancing the scale” if you have weak points in your profile or for helping your application rise to the top if your pool of competition is large. Just be sure to keep in mind that business schools generally prefer to see GMAT section scores that are relatively balanced, so if your section scores are very lopsided in either direction, you may raise some eyebrows in admissions.

Now that you know the factors you’ll need to consider in order to set your GMAT score goal for UCLA Anderson, let’s discuss a GMAT score strategy that I call “staying in the safe zone.”

Staying in the “Safe Zone”

There is no straightforward calculation that you can use to determine whether you’ll gain admission to UCLA business school — or any business school — with a particular GMAT score. After all, although we know some general trends, it’s impossible to know exactly how stiff your competition will be or how large the applicant pool will be from year to year.

That said, there is a strategy that you can use to at least ensure that your GMAT score won’t be a red flag on your application. I call that strategy “staying in the safe zone.” Now, let me reiterate: the “safe zone” is not an entry ticket. There are no guarantees when it comes to MBA admissions. The “safe zone” is simply a general guideline that you can follow to at least feel confident that your GMAT score won’t be a reason for admissions to not consider you a serious candidate.

So, let’s take a look at some “safe zone” guidelines for the UCLA MBA program:

If you are from an overrepresented background or industry, shoot for a GMAT score above the Anderson average. So, to stay in the safe zone, shoot for a score of 720 or higher. Additionally, if your GPA falls toward the lower end of the mid-80% range, shoot for the higher end of the mid-80% GMAT score range. And if your GPA falls below the mid-80% range, shoot for a GMAT score above the mid-80%.If you are from an underrepresented group or industry, shoot for a GMAT score at least meets the Anderson average. So, to stay in the safe zone, shoot for a score of at least 710. Of course, if you score 710 on your GMAT, but your practice test scores were higher, I wouldn’t say that you should forgo a second attempt at the GMAT just because you’re from an underrepresented group. It may be worthwhile to give the GMAT another shot, particularly if you have weaknesses in other areas of your profile.

Fortunately, your GMAT score is one aspect of your application that is completely within your control. If you work hard, have a smart GMAT study plan, and don’t give up until you reach your goal, your GMAT score can be a selling point on your application. Particularly if you need to offset weak factors in your application or distinguish yourself among a sea of applicants with similar profiles, a GMAT score that surpasses class averages could be a crucial part of convincing UCLA MBA admissions that you deserve to be part of the class.

Need some GMAT study strategies for earning an impressive score? This guide to scoring 700+ on the GMAT can help.