Kellogg Ends Forté Partnership, Omits Gender & Diversity Data In 2027 MBA Profile

The Kellogg Global Hub in Evanston. This year’s Class of 2027 profile highlights the largest cohort in five years and strong academics, but omits diversity data reported in previous cycles.

A year ago, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management became the second M7 school to enroll 50% women in its full-time MBA program. This year? Well, we don’t know.

Kellogg’s MBA Class of 2027 profile, released last week, does not report the percentage of women. Nor does it report several diversity metrics that have traditionally been included in its class profiles, as well as on the profiles of the majority of its peer schools.

Kellogg is also no longer a member of the Forté Foundation, a school spokesperson confirmed to Poets&Quants, but it is unclear when the partnership ended.

While Kellogg enrolled its second-biggest MBA class in seven years at 534 students and tied its record GMAT score of 733 set by the Class of 2026, the story of this year’s class profile may be what the school chose not to publish.

NORTHWESTERN KELLOGG MBA CLASSES 2021-2027: BY THE NUMBERS

WHAT KELLOGG DOESN’T REPORT

The diversity omissions in Kellogg’s 2027 MBA Class Profile are a notable departure from last year. The profile for the 2026 class included data on U.S. students of color, underrepresented minorities, LGBTQ+ students, and first-generation students, even though such diversity metrics declined from previous classes after race-based admissions mandates were eliminated. Many of its peer schools posted similar declines for the 2026 class.

Last year, underrepresented U.S. minority (URM) enrollment dropped from 22% to 7%. Black student representation fell from 7% to 2% while Hispanic student representation fell from 10% to 5%. The mix of all U.S. students of color, which includes those of Asian descent, fell from 42% to 28%, mirroring national challenges in the wake of the 2023 Supreme Court decision on affirmative action.

The Class of 2027 profile includes none of those metrics. Neither does it include the percent of women in its class which it has included for the last six years. Omitting the data doesn’t necessarily point to a decline in any particular metric, but may point more to the evolving DEI climate colleges and universities now operate.

In response to a P&Q request for the diversity data, Kellogg spokesperson wrote: “Gender and race/ethnicity data are not considered in Kellogg’s admissions decisions, and we have chosen to report publicly only information that is used in our application review.

“We’re pleased that applications for the Class of 2027 were exceptionally strong and increased over the prior year. The incoming class represents a group of talented, high-achieving individuals who will contribute a range of perspectives and experiences to our community.”

The school later added: “While we are not reporting the specific data, we can tell you that some factors are up (like URM), while others are down (women).”

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The omission in diversity stats comes on the heels of a turbulent summer in the wake of the Trump administration’s war on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), particularly at U.S. colleges and universities. The administration has sued several universities, threatened others, and frozen billions in research grants and other funding. On July 29, the U.S. Department of Justice issued formal guidance warning that even well-intentioned DEI programs may violate federal civil rights laws. Though not technically law, the guidance applies to all ”entities receiving federal funds” which could include almost every university, public or private, that accepts federal research dollars, Pell grants, or federal student aid programs.

Kellogg is one of four U.S. business schools that ended their partnerships with The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management this summer, along with University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, and University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. The Consortium is a network of top U.S. MBA programs and companies working to elevate the number of underrepresented minorities in business education and corporate leadership the scholarships, professional development, and MBA fellowships.

Kellogg is also no longer listed on the MBA member schools page at the Forté Foundation (though the joint Kellogg-Schulich and Kellogg-WHU Executive MBAs are listed on Forté’s page for EMBA member schools). Kellogg was an MBA member as of last fall, according to Forté’s annual report on gender equity in business schools.

Forté works to expand access to business education for women, including through fellowships to top MBA programs for women and all genders who support its mission. This summer, UVA Darden and The Wharton School ended their partnerships with Forté.

OTHER CLASS OF 2027 STATS

In other metrics, Kellogg’s MBA Class of 2027 maintains its status as a member of the so-called Magnificent 7.

The incoming students posted an average GPA of 3.68, an average 733 on the legacy GMAT (matching last year’s record), and a 687 average on the newer test version, GMAT Focus. The class arrived with an average 5.1 years of work experience, nearly identical to the 62-month average reported for Kellogg’s Class of 2026.

Kellogg reports that 9% of the new class served in the military, a record high and a 3 percentage-point increase from last year, according to a school blog post on the class.

“This follows the announcement of the Matt Caldwell Veterans Program, which will support former military members in their transition to business leadership. Resources for veterans at Kellogg include scholarship support, career education, networking with other veterans, job interview preparation and more,” writes Emily Haydon, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid.

International enrollment dipped slightly, from 40% in the Class of 2026 to 37% for the current class. While higher than pre-pandemic norms, it is consistent with the softening international demand several schools have reported.

In terms of work experience, students come with backgrounds spanning consulting (32%), tech and communications (15%), health/bio (6%), and other fields. Some 24% worked in financial services, the largest share since 2021. The class also includes a record-high 41% of students with STEM undergraduate degrees.

See Kellogg’s full 2027 MBA Class Profile here. 

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