About Darden School of Business
In its 2019 ranking, The Financial Times named Darden the #1 MBA program in the world for Corporate Social Responsibility, driven by the school’s commitment to teaching ethical, social and environmental issues. The FT also ranked Darden #1 for General Management.
Darden offers unique experiential learning opportunities and practical applications. From consulting projects to seminars to live action cases, students immerse themselves in real-world problems and develop skills to tackle these issues. Students can pursue several different concentrations from asset management to innovation for sustainability to supply chain management. They can develop industry expertise and deepen technical skills through Darden’s unique management science specialization. The latter is for students who want to add a quantitative/analytical focus to the general management curriculum. This specialization carries a STEM designation, giving international students with F-1 status who meet certain requirements the possibility of 36 months of work authorization in the US after graduation.
Darden also teaches how to navigate the global environment, understand different cultures and develop an appreciation for how business is done through Darden Worldwide Courses.
Charlottesville, a small but vibrant college town, surrounds Darden students with the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a temperate climate, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, and high concentration of restaurants serving food and wine from the region’s abundant farmlands.
Strengths and Specializations
General management, management science, corporate social responsibility and ethical leadership
Graduating Class of 2025
Number of Applicants: 2834
MBA Class Size: 350
Avg. Work Experience: 5.9 years
Avg. Age: 28
Avg. GPA: 3.51
Avg. GMAT: 716
International Students: 41%
Female Students: 37%
Tuition: $37,189
Post-MBA Careers (class of 2023)
Career Sector: Consulting 46%; Financial Services 26%; Technology 11%; Healthcare 7%; CGP 7%; Starting Own Business 1%
Top Recruiters: Accenture, Alvarez and Marsal, Amazon, Bain, BCG, Bank of America, Barclays, Bayers, Citi, Dell Technologies, Deloitte, Evercore, EY Parthenon, General Motors, JP Morgan, LEK, McKinsey, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Strategy&, UBS, Walmart, Wells Fargo
Avg. Base Salary: $167,899; Salary Increase: 142% (source: FT Rankings 2024)
Employment offered within 3 months of graduation: 96%
Darden Rankings
Admissions
Deadlines for 2023-2024: R1: Oct 1, 2023, R2: Jan 04, 2024, R3: Apr 3, 2024
Essays
Essay 1) What would you want your classmates to know about you that is not on your resume? (100 word limit)
Essay 2) Please describe a tangible example that illuminates your experience promoting an inclusive environment and what you would bring to creating a welcoming, global community at Darden. (300 word limit)
Essay 3) At this time how would you describe your short-term, post-MBA goal in terms of industry, function, geography, company size and/or mission and how does it align with the long-term vision you have for your career? (200 word limit)
Reapplicant Essay) What have you done to improve your candidacy since you last applied? (100 word limit)
Read our Tips for Writing the Darden Essays.