The Anderson MBA – University of California at Los Angeles
The Anderson School of Management was founded in 1935 and belongs to UCLA. It offers a two-year MBA program, with key strengths in entrepreneurship, finance, tech, communications and entertainment. The program is mid-size and tuition costs are lower compared to other programs.

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Average Age
Class size
Acceptance Rate
Average GMAT
Average GPA
FT Ranking
Percent of Hires in Each Industry:
- Technology 22.5%
- Consulting 26.2%
- Financial 13.1%
Median Starting Salary per industry:
- Consulting – $183K
- Financial – $175K
- Technology – $143K
- Consumer – $120K
- Health Care – $133K
- Energy – $128K
- Real Estate – $133K
- Media – $133K
- Retail – $130K
- Because of strength in entrepreneurship, good to discuss your own entrepreneurial spirit/ambitions, and how school’s resources will help you reach them.
- School has a relatively low yield (percentage of students accepted who enter) – therefore good to show strong interest in, and intimate knowledge of, the program.
- School asks if you have visited the campus.
- Show interest in Applied Management Research project and in general, in applied and hands-on learning.
- Have strong emphasis on getting to know applicant through essays – essays ask how family or community influenced applicant and about important life experiences.
- Looking for authentic, genuine and introspective essays – don’t be overly verbose.
- Have many student leadership positions and looking for people who will get involved with campus life.
- All students must have a demonstrated knowledge of algebra and differential calculus before beginning the program.
Trait | Importance |
---|---|
Leader/Manager | 4 |
Team Player/Relationship Builder | 3 |
Smart | 3 |
Initiates | 3 |
International/Cultural | 2 |
Creative | 2 |
Presentation Skills | 1 |
Persuasion Skills | 1 |
Community/Society | 2.5 |
Risk Taker | 1 |
Business Skills | 1 |
Source of career plan/prog choice | 2 |
Promotions | 2 |
Credible Names | 1 |
Story is unique | 2 |
Learn more about the meaning of these traits and how they are reflected in your application.
ARINGO has developed this information through ARINGO employees who worked with the Anderson MBA admissions committee, thousands of hours of research, and by helping hundreds of applicants apply to UCLA. ARINGO knows UCLA, and we can help your strengths shine through your application. Contact us today.
Entrepreneurship, (Finance)
The curriculum combines case-method teaching, experiential learning and working in groups. The program has 10 core courses and 12 electives, and its unique characteristic is a research project of applied management, which students complete in their second year, working in teams on strategic projects for real companies.
The school’s location is convenient for students’ spouses and partners.
In terms of the admissions process, the school is unique in allowing applicants to submit an audio or video clip in response to one of the essay questions.
Alumni include the following individuals, with current or past positions in parentheses: Brian Becker (CEO of Clear Channel Entertainment), Eric Ellenbogen (President & CEO of Marvel Enterprises, Inc.), Susan Wojcicki (CEO of YouTube), Larry Fink (Chairman and CEO of BlackRock), Bill Gross (Co-Founder and Chief Investor Officer at PIMCO), Leonard Washington (President of Paramount Pictures) and Mitchell Kupchak (General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers).
- High-level academic program and faculty.
- Strong emphasis on social enterprise.
- Many student organizations and leadership positions.
- LA – culture, diverse business community, weather and beach.
- School has relationships with relatively broad range of recruiting companies outside of banking/consulting, such as consumer goods, biotech, high tech etc.
- Employment on the West Coast – Anderson is a Top 3 school in California and employment competition is less intense than in the East.
- During second year, students take part in Applied Management Research Project, where spend 20 weeks in small teams working on projects for a real company – centerpiece of school’s applied learning focus.
- Someone with entrepreneurial interests.
- Location may make it convenient place for spouse/ significant other.
- $80,000
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- $140,000
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- $140,000
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- $112,000
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- $35,000
- $20,000
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- $30,000