The management school at UCLA was originally established in 1935, and it began offering Master in Business Administration degrees in 1939.
Following its founding, the school underwent a number of name changes before receiving its current name in 1987 after alumnus John E. Anderson donated $15 million to the school, prompting a major expansion.
UCLA Anderson offers prospective students three choices of MBA program: a regular, full-time MBA program taught on campus, its Fully-Employed MBA program for those who need a remote or hybrid class structure in order to accommodate the needs of their schedules, and its Executive MBA program for those more advanced in their business careers.
Along with its Master of Business Administration programs, the UCLA Anderson School of Management offers Master of Financial Engineering and Master of Science in Business Analytics degrees in addition to its PhD program.
Among the many research centers at the UCLA Anderson School of Management are the Easton Technology Management Center and the Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
The Easton Technology Management Center seeks to prepare future business leaders for success in the technology sector by examining the issues and opportunities presented by technology-based solutions.
The Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation performs research focused on the theory and practice behind entrepreneurship and provides excellent experiential learning opportunities for UCLA Anderson students.
Given the prestige of its parent university system and the excellent facilities available to its students, aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the country and around the globe are attracted to attending UCLA Anderson.
UCLA Anderson School of Management Acceptance Rate
The acceptance rate for UCLA Anderson School of Management is 12%.
The school received 2,471 applications to join the 2024 MBA class, and the class is ultimately made up of 330 students.
These students had a middle 80% GPA range of 3.1 to 3.8 and a middle 80% range of scores on the GMAT of 660 to 760. The average GMAT score for the class was 711.
The two most heavily represented undergraduate majors in the class of 2024 are business and engineering, with 26% of the students having a business background and 26% of the students having a background in engineering.
Students of economics and the humanities make up the next largest populations, with each major represented by 14% of the class.
Half of the class had a background in either finance or high tech industry sectors, with 26% of students coming from high-tech fields and 24% of students coming from the finance industry.
Those who worked in consulting or marketing made up another quarter of the class, with 14% of students having experience as consultants and 11% of students coming from the marketing sector.
The school’s fully-employed MBA class of 2023 is made up of 217 students who contributed to an average class GPA of 3.3 and had a median GMAT score of 667.
UCLA Anderson School of Management Ranking
For its 2023 rankings, U.S. News and World Report placed UCLA Anderson at number 17 in its Best Business Schools list and at number 5 in its Part-time MBA list.
Contributing to its high overall ranking is the school’s placement in the report’s specialty rankings, with the school’s executive MBA program rank at number 9, its finance rank at number 10, and its real estate rank at number 7.
The QS World University Rankings for 2022 at topuniversities.com show UCLA Anderson beating out many other highly regarded world universities.
Coming in at number 2 in the World University Rankings – Masters In Business Analytics and at number 8 in the World University Rankings – Masters In Finance lists, the school has maintained its excellent rankings for many years.
UCLA has held its place in the QS rankings at number 2 for its Master in Business Analytics program since 2020, and the 2023 rankings show the program maintaining its position. The Master in Finance program rose three places for the 2023 rankings, moving up to number 5.
The Financial Times ranks the Anderson School of Management highly across a number of categories.
The Financial Times further placed UCLA Anderson at number 26 in its Global MBA category for 2022.
Ranked highly by many of the leading reviewing organizations, UCLA Anderson will draw many from industry and recent college graduates to apply to study in one of its excellent business programs.
Anderson School of Management Requirements
Those interested in studying in UCLA Anderson’s full-time MBA program apply online and have three application rounds to choose from.
Full-time MBA applicants must hold a four-year degree or its equivalent and submit scanned copies of their academic history.
Most applicants are required to submit either GRE or GMAT scores, but law or medical students may submit LSAT or MCAT scores instead.
Work experience is not required for admission, but most applicants have spent some time after college in the workforce. Those who do not have a work history are generally admitted on the strength of their academic performance.
The program also requires two letters of recommendation from contacts who can speak to the achievements and characteristics of the applicant.
Having a supervisor or professional colleague write the recommendation is best, and the program discourages applicants from having a professor submit a recommendation.
Applicants are required to submit an essay describing how their personal or professional achievements relate to their goals for the MBA program.
Upon review of the applications, UCLA will invite likely candidates to an interview that will cover and explore areas of interest in the application. The interview is required for admission into the program.
For those who are interested in the school’s Fully Employed MBA program, the requirements are much the same as for the regular MBA program; however, there are different deadlines and decision dates, applicants need to submit two essays, the interview is optional, and applicants are expected to show professional achievements and leadership potential.
The requirements for admission to the school’s Executive MBA program are similar to the regular MBA; however, there are different deadlines and decision dates, applicants need to submit two essays, the interview is required, and applicants must have at least eight years of work experience
Notable Alumni of the Anderson School of Management
Over the course of its 87 years, the business school at the University of California, Los Angeles has produced many leaders across various fields.
UCLA Anderson alumni have had successful careers in areas such as entertainment, banking, technology, and government, among many others.
The vice chairman of Lionsgate Entertainment, Michael Burns, graduated from UCLA Anderson with his MBA in 1992 before becoming a board member of Lionsgate in 1999.
Founder of Classic Media and former president of Marvel Enterprises, Eric Ellenbogen earned his MBA from the business school in 1982.
Among the successful alumni in the banking and investment sectors is billionaire Larry Fink, the CEO and chairman of BlackRock, Inc., who earned his MBA from Anderson in 1976.
Managing director for J.P. Morgan Leslie Perkins attained her MBA from the school in 1983, and Tom Schwartz, the managing director for Goldman Sachs, earned his MBA at UCLA Anderson in 1983 as well.
Technology leaders who studied at UCLA Anderson include the CEO of YouTube, Susan Wojcicki, and a former president of Raytheon, Susan Baumgarten, earning MBAs from the school in 1998 and 1979, respectively.
Executive vice president and CFO of Oracle, Jeffrey O. Henley also studied at UCLA Anderson, earning his MBA in 1967.
Should You Attend the UCLA Anderson School of Management?
Whether seeking their MBAs as part of a career transition or as a means of updating one’s knowledge and skills while working full-time or as corporate executive, those considering studying business administration at the graduate level must carefully consider which institution they attend.
With many prestigious business schools available to choose from, the UCLA Anderson School of Business stands out from many others with its high rankings and flexible MBA programs.
With multiple billionaires and a large number of successful entrepreneurs and corporate executives calling UCLA Anderson their alma mater, many aspiring MBA students will find the prospect of studying in the same programs as role models and inspirations quite compelling as they consider which university’s business schools they wish to apply to.
Whether interested in careers in technology, government, finance, or media and entertainment, anyone considering studying for an MBA would be wise to consider applying to the UCLA Anderson School of Management strongly.
The many centers of excellence at UCLA Anderson provide valuable opportunities to students in areas such as entrepreneurship, innovation, real estate, marketing, finance, and others by bringing industry leaders together with Anderson faculty to shape the future of business while simultaneously providing students in the program a world-class business education.
Although the selective admission process may be daunting to some who are considering applying for acceptance into one of the MBA programs at UCLA Anderson, others will only see this as one of a series of challenges to be overcome on the way to success.
