As any LGBTQIA+ community member is well aware, feeling welcome is not a given. Of course, that includes not just finding spaces that work to minimize discrimination and bias but also ones that actively promote community around the wide spectrum of sexual identities and orientations. If you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and looking to do an MBA, finding that welcoming space will surely be one of your priorities when determining which program is best for you.
MBA programs are known for valuing DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and actively seek to diversify their student body. In recent years, as more students feel comfortable self-identifying as LGBTQIA+, those numbers have risen on campuses across the globe. Simultaneously, many MBA programs are becoming more DEI-focused.
Nearly every elite MBA program worldwide has a club, community space, or student organization focused on PRIDE that functions as a central hub for students who identify. For example, Wharton (whose program features 7% of students who identify as LGBTQIA+) is home to Out for Business, which hosts numerous social events each year; and Kellogg School of Management is home to Pride@Kellogg as well as a specific Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pathway for professionals who aim to focus on making business more diverse.
Oftentimes those clubs also specifically target allies of the LGBTQIA+ community as well. This means that even if you do not self-identify, seeking out an MBA program with a proud and prominent PRIDE group could still be an important factor in your decision to apply to their program as you search for a community that shares your values and actively pushes back against marginalization.
How to identify PRIDE at top MBA programs
While we have highlighted some programs below that we feel particularly cater to LGBTQIA+ people, we still suggest you do your research before applying to each school you are considering to see if they feature a robust PRIDE network.
There are numerous aspects you can look into. Of course, clubs and organizations focused on PRIDE are a must-have. However, you may also consider checking out any research into LGBTQIA+-related issues your program may be conducting and if they offer extra psychological support systems for LGBTQIA+ students.
Some schools – such as MIT, UVA Darden, or Berkeley Haas – even ask MBA candidates directly about their experience with DEI when answering their application questions. Others, such as Emory Goizueta or Georgetown McDonough, feature specific classes and concentrations focused on DEI. Whether you are LGBTQIA+ yourself, are an ally, belong to any other marginalized group, or simply see diversity as one of your highest values, this is one way to know that these programs genuinely care about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Reaching Out
No matter which MBA program you end up attending, we highly recommend that LGBTQIA+ candidates and students contact Reaching Out.
Reaching Out is a cross-institutional group for LGBTQIA+ MBA students and alumni. They host 15+ annual regional and national events and feature a network of 2100+ community members from diverse MBA programs such as Ross, Yale, Wharton Business School, Berkeley Haas, USC Marshall, Texas McCombs, CMU Tepper, and Georgetown. This year, for example, you can already look forward to attending their annual ROMBA conference on October 5th through 7th in Chicago, Illinois.
Furthermore, Reaching Out offers a fellowship program to support future LGBTQIA+ business leaders. Each fellow receives a minimum of US$20,000 towards tuition and specific leadership programming support, such as participation in seminars and retreats.
Reaching Out also does research and collects data about international business schools. For example, you can read their 2021 inclusion study conducted throughout 23 business schools. Although schools and programs have been anonymized in the results, you can find the 2021 summary of their findings here.
Best MBA programs for LGBTQIA+ applicants – our top picks
While many MBA programs feature great PRIDE clubs and LGBTQIA+ organizations, a few stand out from the crowd. If you are an LGBTQIA+ MBA applicant, we especially recommend looking into the following programs, which we feel take extra care in cultivating and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies.
Columbia Business School
Columbia Business School – located at the heart of one of the most diverse cities in the world, New York City – takes particular care to prioritize DEI.
CBS is home to Cluster Q, their LGBTQIA+ & allies business association. The organization prides itself on being one of the world’s largest and most diverse PRIDE groups among elite business schools with the largest representation of straight allies.
Cluster Q hosts many annual events, such as Coming Out, Pride, and Ally Weeks. In particular, Cluster Q stands out for hosting several intersectional events with other affinity groups to support marginalized individuals across campus.
The group also often works together with admissions to host events for prospective students. In doing so, they hope to share student experiences with candidates and allow them to connect with Cluster Q leadership and the admissions office. In fact, their page even offers specific application tips for prospective LGBTQIA+ students.
If you want to stay up to date on what Cluster Q’s “Qties” are up to, we suggest checking out their Instagram as well.
MIT
We could never write this article without mentioning MIT – one of the first higher education institutions in the US to have a dedicated LGBTQIA+ resource center, LBGTQ+ Services, and a robust student group, G@MIT!
Diversity is clearly one of MIT’s highest values (one of their essay questions is even completely devoted to assessing candidates’ experience with DEI!), so it is no surprise that LBGTQ+ Services’ mission statement underlines this mindset:
“MIT’s educational mission supports and embraces all of our diverse individual identities including those with marginalized romantic/sexual orientations, gender identities, and intersex people. MIT is a diverse place where all aspects of people’s identities are welcomed and integrated into the fabric of MIT, where all members of the MIT community are taking steps to learn about various marginalized identities, and where all individuals are respected for who they are, free from any prejudice, harassment, or discrimination.”
The group was initially named the Student Homophile League when it was created in 1969. Check out their detailed timeline of their 50-year history, which not only features the group’s wins and successes in becoming an established part of the MIT community but also commemorates injustices and violence suffered by LGBTQIA+ community members on and near campus.
Today, you can take advantage of their support and educational resources as a student or by visiting this page. On campus, you can also go ahead and visit their community space, the MIT Rainbow Lounge!
But it doesn’t end there! In addition to G@MIT, Sloan also features an LGBTQIA+ student group, Sloan Pride. The group strives to promote open environments for students, faculty, staff, partners, and community members, as well as positive images of the LGBTQIA+ community to foster personal and professional growth. Take a look at their welcoming Instagram page here!
INSEAD
INSEAD is clearly a school that prioritizes and promotes diversity. With campuses on four continents and admittance to no more than 12% of students from a single country, it is clear that INSEAD cares about ensuring their campuses are diverse and actively promoting DEI.
However, as a top-tier business school with a campus in Singapore – where LGBTQIA+ rights are budding at best – the program’s commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community is worth mentioning.
As phrased by Outright International, “Singapore has made progress on LGBTIQ issues over the last decade; however, there are still barriers to full LGBTIQ equality.” Surrounded by countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Myanmar – countries in which LGBTQIA+ rights and protections practically do not exist – Singapore feels like a safer haven for LGBTQIA+ community members to be openly out in South East Asia.
While same-sex marriage is still illegal, parenting rights for LGBTQIA+ couples remain sketchy, and surveys suggest that the majority of Singaporeans do not support same-sex marriage, homosexually was officially fully decriminalized in 2022, legal protections against anti-gay discrimination exist, transgender people can access gender-affirming health services and change their legal gender, and public acceptance has increased in recent years. These circumstances make Singapore one of the safest and most open locations in South East Asia – behind Thailand and Taiwan – for LGBTQIA+ community members.
Amidst these turbulent and tragic circumstances, INSEAD’s commitment to diversity – and to the LGBTQIA+ community – remains steadfast. OUTSEAD, the institution’s student pride group, is active in Singapore as well as Paris and San Francisco. Like other top MBA programs, OUTSEAD actively supports its members and their allies via conferences, social events, LGBT-specific recruiting events with top firms, and an extensive alumni community.
While maybe not the most liberal option, if you are LGBTQIA+ and committed to earning your MBA in Asia, INSEAD and OUTSEAD provide a platform to support your authentic personal and professional self in Singapore.
Berkeley Haas
Last but not least, we could not leave Berkeley Haas off of this list. The program features a whopping 16% of enrolled students who self-identify as LGBTQIA+, a true outlier when it comes to top-tier MBA programs.
Berkeley – located in a historical US heart of pride in California’s Bay Area – prides itself on their inclusive, welcoming environment for diverse individuals of all kinds who question the status quo.
The program openly calls for Haas community members to live their truth:
“Berkeley Haas values an open and inclusive environment. We hope that this culture will allow you to feel comfortable showing up to Haas as your full self every day, whether as a member of our vibrant LGBTQ+ student community, or in our active ally culture.”
Through the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership, as well as the LGBTQIA+ student group Q@Haas, the program facilitates LGBTQIA+ activities, career and academic opportunities, visibility, awareness, and thought leadership on campus and throughout the wider community.
Today Q@Haas – one of Haas’ largest and most active clubs – features over 450 members and sponsors social events, educational panels, mentoring programs, workshops, networking opportunities, and recruiting events, among other activities for Haas students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Their website also offers an admissions webinar focused on “Q life” at Haas as well as an FAQ for prospective students.
Check out Q@Haas’ vibrant Instagram page here!
MBA Pride
While we feel like the programs mentioned above deserve a special shout-out, we wanted to reiterate that diversity, equity, and inclusion remains a top priority for all world-class MBA programs. So, whether you plan on applying to one of the programs highlighted here or not, be sure to contact your program’s LGBTQIA+ organization if you are part of the community or interested in showing your support as an ally.
At Ellin Lolis Consulting, we encourage and support all MBA candidates, students, and alumni – LGBTQIA+ or not – in being their authentic selves. We can help you tell your story and write about your experiences with DEI in your application materials so that you can showcase your identity and commitment to DEI through our personalized approach and tailored MBA consulting services.
Our diverse team – including our LGBTQIA+ team members – has years of experience helping LGBTQIA+ candidates who feel comfortable sharing their stories with the admission committee craft narratives that really showcase their journey. We know how and are eager to help you tell your authentic story.
Ready to start your MBA application journey? Apply to work with us today!
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
