MBA programs at US business schools typically have an application fee. Application Fee range from $0 to $275, with most business schools’ application fees being around $200. While this may seem like a minor expense, the cost of applying to multiple schools can add up quickly. For example, if you apply to 10 programs, you would need to pay a total of $2000 in application fees.
Fortunately, there are a few ways to reduce the cost of applying to MBA programs. Many schools offer fee waivers for applicants who demonstrate financial need. Additionally, some schools allow candidates to submit their GMAT or GRE scores in lieu of an application fee. Finally, many business schools have programs that allow candidates to defer their application fee until after they are admitted. By taking advantage of these options, you can minimize the cost of applying to MBA programs.
In this article, we’ll look at the MBA application fees of the best business schools, 8 ways to apply for free or cheaply, and the application fees that top business schools like Harvard, Booth, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, Yale, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua, and many more charge for their full-time MBA programs.
Additionally, you’ll learn about the two business schools that don’t charge an application fee.
Among top business schools, Wharton and Stanford GSB charge the highest application fee of US $275 for their full-time MBA programs.
Most top business schools ask you to pay $250 as an application fee.
Washington University’s Olin Business School and SMU Cox School of Business charge no application fee.
| S. No. | Business School | MBA Application fee |
| 1 | Wharton | $275 |
| 2 | Harvard Business School | $250 |
| 3 | Stanford GSB | $275 |
| 4 | Booth School of Business | $250 |
| 5 | Kellogg School of Management | $250 |
| 6 | MIT Sloan School of Management | $250 |
| 7 | Columbia Business School | $250 |
| 8 | Dartmouth Tuck | $250 |
| 9 | UC-Berkeley – Haas | $200 |
| 10 | Yale SOM | $250* |
| 11 | Michigan Ross | $200 |
| 12 | Duke Fuqua | $225 |
| 13 | Virginia Darden | $250 |
| 14 | Cornell Johnson | $200 |
| 15 | UCLA Anderson | $200 |
| 16 | NYU Stern | $250 |
| 17 | CMU Tepper | $200 |
| 18 | UT Austin McCombs | $200 |
| 19 | UNC Kenan-Flagler | $150 |
| 20 | Indiana – Kelley | $75 |
| 21 | Washington – Foster | $85 |
| 22 | Georgetown – McDonough | $175 |
| 23 | Rice – Jones | $200 |
| 24 | USC Marshall | $155 |
| 25 | Georgia Tech – Scheller | $75 (domestic), $85 (international) |
| 26 | Washington – Olin | $0 |
| 27 | Michigan State – Broad | $85 |
| 28 | Arizona State – Carey | $70 (domestic), $115 (international) |
| 29 | Minnesota – Carlson | $75 |
| 30 | Wisconsin School of Business | $75 |
| 31 | Vanderbilt – Owen | $175 |
| 32 | Ohio State – Fisher | $60 (domestic), $70 (international) |
| 33 | Penn State – Smeal | $65 |
| 34 | Purdue – Krannert | $60 (domestic), $75 (international) |
| 35 | Maryland – Smith | $75 |
| 36 | Boston – Questrom | $125 |
| 37 | Texas-Dallas – Jindal | $100 (domestic), $150 (international) |
| 38 | Texas A&M – Mays | $125 (domestic), $200 (international) |
| 39 | Boston College – Carroll | $100 |
| 40 | SMU – Cox | $0 |
| 41 | Rutgers | $70 |
| 42 | Emory – Goizueta | $175 |
Business schools have identified specific groups based on profession, ethnicity, gender, and so on, and almost all of them offer application fee waivers. However, there are numerous other free ways to apply to your desired business school. Here are eight ways to get a business school application fee waiver:
You can request an application fee waiver from the admissions office of your preferred business school.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, Yale SOM offers an explicit application fee waiver. The application fee is usually $250.
The application fee is $175 if you make less than $30,000 per year. The application fee is $125 if you make less than $15,000 per year.
If you get a high GMAT score, you can request an application fee waiver from the admissions office. Business schools do not explicitly mention this waiver, but you can obtain one by invitation or inquiry.
As the world is getting back to normalcy, visiting campus may be an option, but before the Covid-19 pandemic, many business schools encouraged you to visit their campus and attend their webinars in exchange for full or partial application fee waivers.
Cornell Johnson and Duke Fuqua are two well-known business schools that offer MBA application fee waivers in exchange for participating in webinars or visiting their campuses. Everyone who attends Cornell’s Johnson Women in Business and Johnson Means Business diversity events in the fall is eligible for open interviews and application fee waivers.
Georgetown McDonough, MIT Sloan, Simon, Washington Foster, and Virginia Darden are among the other business schools that waive application fees.
Business schools frequently hold MBA fairs and admissions events. However, if you go to any of these events, you can inquire about application cost exemptions. These events can be followed through
Forté Foundation will assist you with a 10-month program if you have decided to pursue an MBA but are unsure of where to begin. It connects female candidates for MBA programs and offers them support to help them realize their dream of attending business school.
Women who intend to apply to business schools in the fall of 2022 in order to start classes in the fall of 2023 might consider the 2022 Forté MBALaunch program. Here are the eligibility criteria:
For women applying through Forté MBA Launch, they also forgo the MBA application fee. In 2019, the following business schools waived the application fee:
There are two options for an American candidate who is a member of a protected class (African Americans, Native Americans, or Hispanic Americans) to obtain a waiver of the application cost.
The Consortium enables applicants to submit a single application to multiple business schools. The application fee is waived and is determined by the number of business schools to which a candidate applies, i.e.,
Candidates also have the opportunity to get full scholarships to attend member business schools.
| Business School | Consortium member since |
| Indiana Kelley | 1966 |
| Wisconsin School of Business | 1966 |
| Washington Olin Business School | 1966 |
| University of Rochester, Simon Business School | 1968 |
| USC Marshall | 1968 |
| UNC Kenan-Flagler | 1973 |
| Michigan Ross | 1983 |
| NYU Stern | 1984 |
| UT Austin McCombs | 1984 |
| Virginia Darden | 1992 |
| Dartmouth Tuck | 1999 |
| CMU Tepper | 2001 |
| Emory Goizueta | 2001 |
| Yale School of Management | 2008 |
| Cornell Johnson | 2009 |
| UCLA Anderson | 2010 |
| Georgetown McDonough | 2013 |
| Rice Jones | 2017 |
| Washington Foster | 2018 |
| Berkeley Haas | 1993-2003; 2010-current |
MLT, like the Consortium, works to increase the representation of American ethnic minorities (African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanic Americans) in MBA programs. Business schools waive application fees for MLT fellows.
Business schools waive application fees for active-duty military personnel and veterans of the United States military. In fact, Harvard Business School only waives application fees for students who are on active duty in the United States military.
Duke Fuqua recently altered this policy. It has broadened its application fee waiver program to include military veterans from all countries, not just the United States.
Almost every business school waives application fees for US military personnel.
Few business schools provide waivers to current or former Teach for America, Peace Corps, or Ameri Corps participants. Check the policies of individual business schools on this subject. Yale SOM and NYU Stern, for example, provide waivers to current corps members or alumni of Teach for America, Teach for China, or Teach for India.
Here are the application fee waiver policies of a few business schools:
The only exception is for all active-duty military applicants and past SVMP participants who do not have to pay the application fee.
Reduced Fee – The fee for candidates who qualify for a reduced fee is $100.
Waived Fee – The fee is waived for active-duty U.S. military service members or U.S. military veterans who have been honorably discharged. If you are eligible for a waiver, upload one of the following documents when requested in the online application:
You may apply for an application fee waiver if you are:
Application fee waivers are granted to:
MIT Sloan offers application fee waivers to the following applicants:
Applicants who qualify must submit the fee waiver form at least ONE week before the application deadline
Fee waivers are available to full-time students, active-duty US military personnel, members of the Peace Corps, or Teach For All network partners who are currently in service. Proof of current service is required.
Applicants who qualify for a fee waiver should email a fee waiver request, as well as proof of service, to apply@gsb.columbia.edu and explain their need for a fee waiver in the optional essay.
A fee waiver is available if you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is an active participant of the AmeriCorps or Peace Corps, a U.S. military service member, or who qualifies based on financial need as determined by Estimated Family Contribution.
The application fee is automatically waived for Tuck Business Bridge graduates and U.S. military personnel and waived upon request for applicants who have completed the Forté MBA Launch program. More details here.
To make the application process as affordable as possible for candidates with diverse backgrounds, the Yale School of Management uses a sliding-scale application fee structure. The standard application fee is $250. For applicants earning less than $30,000 a year, the application fee is $175. For applicants earning less than $15,000 a year, it is $125. The application fee is based on the total annual compensation information you provide in the application. If you are admitted and enroll, Yale SOM will verify this compensation information. Your offer of admission is contingent on successful verification.
Yale SOM waives the application fee for members of the following groups:
Within the Yale SOM application, you can request a fee waiver if you meet any of these criteria. We ask students requesting a fee waiver to do so at least 48 hours before the application deadline.
The non-refundable $200 application fee is waived for:
You may be eligible to receive an application fee waiver if you meet at least one of the following criteria:
You are a member of the military of any nation—active duty, active reserve, or honorably discharged/completed service (within three years). Only voluntary service is valid. Mandatory service may not be used for qualification.
You are an active participant or alumnus/alumna of the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or Teach for America.
You receive Fuqua Admissions Committee approval. In your application, include the reason for your waiver request and the name of the committee member granting approval.
You are a current member of the Forté, Posse Foundation, or Management Leadership for Tomorrow.
Before submitting your application, you register for and attend at least one of the activities listed below. Indicate the event type, location, and month of attendance in your online application. (MBA Fairs are only considered as a qualifying event if you completed a sign-in at the Fuqua table during the fair.)
You obtain a recommendation from a current Fuqua student or alumnus/alumna. In your application, include your recommender’s name, program (Daytime, Cross Continent, Weekend Executive, Global Executive, Master of Management Studies: Foundations of Business, Master of Management Studies: Duke Kunshan University, or Master of Quantitative Management) year of graduation (if known), and email address.
You attended one of four Diversity Events:
You are a member of one or more qualifying organizations: Forté, Posse Foundation, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, Riordan Fellows Program, Choctaw Nation, Graduate Horizons, JumpStart Advisory Group, or Admit.me.
The following are eligible for application fee waivers: Teach for America corps members and alumni (Code: 10029), Peace Corps volunteers (Code: 10039), Education Pioneers fellows (Code: 10049), Forté MBALaunch members (Code: 10059), and U.S. military members (Code: 10019). Citizens of countries on the UN’s list of least developed countries also qualify for an application fee waiver (Code: 10089).
Application fee waivers are provided to candidates who meet the following criteria:
U.S. military members or U.S. veterans who have served active duty, Teach for America and Teach for India program alumni, and Forté MBALaunch alumnae are eligible for application fee waivers. Just prior to submitting your application, email your request for an application fee waiver to admchair@stern.nyu.edu and include documentation of service.
If you are experiencing severe economic hardship and would like to request an application fee waiver, please email admchair@stern.nyu.edu. Requests should include a detailed rationale for the application fee waiver and will be considered by the Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis.
Application Fee Waivers
MBA applicants who meet one or more of the following criteria may qualify for an application fee waiver:
You may qualify for an application fee waiver if you are on active duty with the U.S. military or a veteran; is an active participant in Peace Corps, AmeriCorps or Teach for America.
You may receive an application fee waiver if you belong to one of the following groups. Waivers will be applied automatically when you submit your application.
You automatically qualify for a reduced application fee of $100 if you meet the criteria below:
Attendees of an event listed below will receive an application fee reduction code via email. Please apply this code when you complete the application and the reduction will be applied to your account.
We are proud to offer application fee waivers to:
Application fee waivers are available for U.S. military, Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) Fellows, and Forté MBA Launch participants
The Graduate Admissions Office will waive the application fee for current BU employees, as well as for those who attended select admissions events. In addition, we will waive the application fee for those who are members or alumni of the following programs:
