TL;DR: London Business School does not publish an official acceptance rate. The London Business School acceptance rate quoted most often is 20%, and GMAC notes that the figure dates from 2019. What LBS does publish is a class profile: the MBA2027 class has 514 students, 44% women and 66 nationalities, with an average GMAT of around 645 on the current scale and a typical range of 555 to 805. Tuition for the 2026 intake is £123,950. For the August 2027 intake, Round 2 closes January 6, 2027 and Round 3 closes March 22, 2027 (Sources: London Business School MBA class profile, FAQs and application calendar; GMAC review of MBA acceptance rates, July 2026). If you are weighing LBS against US programs and want a clear read on where your profile stands, Oriel Admissions builds MBA application strategy on this data: schedule a consultation.
What Is the London Business School Acceptance Rate?
London Business School does not print an acceptance rate on its MBA pages. The school publishes the size and makeup of each class, but it does not publish how many people applied, so you cannot compute an admit rate or even an enrollment ratio from official LBS data.
The number you will see most often is 20%. That figure appears in the GMAC review of acceptance rates at the top ten schools in the 2026 Financial Times Global MBA Ranking, published in July 2026, and GMAC marks it as accurate as of 2019. The same review states that business schools outside the United States either do not publish official figures or have not released any since 2019, and that estimates for leading European schools range from 20% to 30%.
Treat any precise, current London Business School acceptance rate as an estimate of a number the school does not state. What you can verify is the class profile, and that is the better planning tool.
| What LBS publishes | MBA2027 class |
|---|---|
| Class size | 514 students |
| Women | 44% |
| Nationalities | 66 |
| Average GMAT | Around 645 (typical range 555 to 805) |
| Average work experience | 5.5 years |
| Applications received | Not published |
| Acceptance rate | Not published |
How Does the London Business School Acceptance Rate Compare With Other Top Schools?
The GMAC review is the most recent side by side comparison, and it shows why the comparison needs care. US schools updated their figures in 2026. The European figures are older or unofficial.
| School | Acceptance rate in the GMAC review | Status of the figure |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford GSB | 6.8% | Updated in 2026; outside the FT top ten |
| Harvard Business School | 11.2% | Updated in 2026 |
| HEC Paris | 18% | Unofficial or not updated since 2019 |
| Wharton | 18.6% | Updated in 2026 |
| MIT Sloan | 18.8% | Updated in 2026 |
| London Business School | 20% | Dates from 2019 |
| Esade | 20% | Dates from 2019 |
| Berkeley Haas | 21.4% | Updated in 2026 |
| IESE | 26% | Unofficial or not updated since 2019 |
| INSEAD | 30% | Unofficial or not updated since 2019 |
| CEIBS | Around 30% | Unofficial or not updated since 2019 |
Two points follow. First, a 20% London Business School acceptance rate from 2019 tells you little about the 2026-2027 cycle. Second, a higher admit rate than Harvard or Stanford does not mean a lower bar. Acceptance rates measure how many people applied as much as how strong the class is. For the US side of the comparison, our guide to what the M7 schools publish works from the application and enrollment counts each school reports.
What GMAT or GRE Score Do You Need for London Business School?
LBS states in its MBA FAQs that the average GMAT score for the class is around 645, with a typical class range of 555 to 805. The 805 ceiling shows that these scores are on the current GMAT scale, so a 645 is not comparable to a 645 on the former 800 point exam.
The school adds that the minimum score it will accept is usually around 555, that it has no preference between the GMAT and the GRE, and that for the GRE it prefers scores above 160 in both the verbal and quantitative sections. Scores must be less than five years old. The Admissions Committee may ask you to retake the test before it makes an offer if it considers your score too low, and LBS notes that some employers may ask for a GMAT score even if you applied with the GRE.
If your score sits below the class average, a retake is the most direct fix. Our GMAT prep guide covers how to plan one around a round deadline.
Who Gets Into the London Business School MBA?
The MBA2027 class profile shows 514 students, 44% women and 66 nationalities. No single region dominates the class.
| Region | Share of the MBA2027 class |
|---|---|
| Central and South America | 20% |
| North America | 17% |
| South East and East Asia | 15% |
| South Asia | 15% |
| Europe (excluding the UK) | 11% |
| United Kingdom | 9% |
| Middle East | 6% |
| Oceania | 4% |
| Africa | 3% |
For a US applicant, the point to note is that North America is the second largest group at 17%. You are not a rare profile at LBS, and you will be read against other North American candidates with similar backgrounds in consulting, finance and technology.
The average amount of work experience is 5.5 years. LBS says it may admit candidates with less than three years of experience if they can show superior academic credentials and outstanding evidence of leadership. The school states no preference for any undergraduate degree subject.
How Much Does the London Business School MBA Cost?
Tuition for the 2026 MBA intake is £123,950. That fee covers the full length of the program, which runs 15 to 21 months depending on the exit point you choose, and it does not change with the exit point. It excludes program related travel, and there is a Student Association fee of £400. The application fee is £200.
If you receive an offer, you pay a commitment fee to reserve your place, and the balance can be paid in installments at the start of each term. LBS offers scholarships and loan options, and both are worth researching before you apply, not after.
What Are the London Business School MBA Deadlines for the August 2027 Intake?
LBS runs three rounds a year. The application calendar for the August 2027 intake is below. All deadlines are 17:00 UK time.
| Round | Application deadline | Interview decision | Admission decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | September 3, 2026 | October 8, 2026 | November 26, 2026 |
| Round 2 | January 6, 2027 | February 9, 2027 | April 1, 2027 |
| Round 3 | March 22, 2027 | April 15, 2027 | June 3, 2027 |
The application asks for two essays: 500 words on your post-MBA goals and how your experience and the LBS program contribute to them, and 200 words on what makes you unique. A third essay of up to 500 words is optional. You also submit a one page CV, the details of one referee, a GMAT or GRE score, transcripts and, where required, proof of English language ability. Selected applicants are interviewed by alumni or senior admissions staff, usually in the region where they live.
After the interview, the outcome is an offer, a rejection or a place on the waitlist. LBS says that some waitlisted applicants are later offered a place each year.
Because the essay count is small, each one carries weight. Our guides to the core pillars of an MBA application and the one page MBA resume cover both documents, and our guide to building an MBA school list covers how a London program fits beside US options.
Frequently Asked Questions About the London Business School Acceptance Rate
London Business School does not publish an official acceptance rate. The figure quoted most often is 20 percent, which GMAC lists in its July 2026 review and marks as accurate as of 2019. LBS publishes a class profile and not an application count, so no current admit rate can be computed from official data.
No. The MBA pages publish class size, the share of women, the number of nationalities, average work experience and an average GMAT score. They do not publish applications received or offers made. GMAC notes that schools outside the United States either do not publish official figures or have not released any since 2019.
LBS states that the average GMAT score for the MBA class is around 645 on the current scale, with a typical class range of 555 to 805. The minimum score the school will accept is usually around 555. For the GRE, LBS prefers scores above 160 in both the verbal and quantitative sections.
The MBA2027 class has 514 students. Women make up 44 percent of the class, and the class represents 66 nationalities. North America accounts for 17 percent of the class, the second largest regional group after Central and South America at 20 percent.
Tuition for the 2026 MBA intake is 123,950 pounds. The fee covers the full 15 to 21 month program and does not change with the exit point you choose. It excludes program related travel. There is also a Student Association fee of 400 pounds and an application fee of 200 pounds.
For the August 2027 intake, Round 1 closed on September 3, 2026, Round 2 closes on January 6, 2027 and Round 3 closes on March 22, 2027. All deadlines are 17:00 UK time. Admission decisions are sent on November 26, 2026, April 1, 2027 and June 3, 2027.
The average is 5.5 years. LBS says it may admit candidates with less than three years of work experience if they show superior academic credentials and outstanding evidence of leadership through professional and personal experience.
The published figures point that way, but they are not measured on the same basis. GMAC lists Stanford at 6.8 percent and Harvard at 11.2 percent for 2026, against a 20 percent figure for LBS that dates from 2019. A higher admit rate does not mean a weaker class. LBS draws a global pool, and its class average GMAT is around 645 on the current scale.
Sources: London Business School, MBA Who Attends and MBA2027 Class Profile; London Business School, MBA Application and Application Calendar; London Business School, MBA FAQs; GMAC, Review of Acceptance Rates at the Top Ten Business Schools (July 2026).
About Oriel Admissions
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