IMD, established in 1990 through the merger of Geneva’s CEI and Lausanne’s IMEDE, is nestled by Lake Geneva, Switzerland, and expanded to Singapore in 2015 with an Executive Learning Center. It offers an MBA program for professionals with at least 2 years of experience and an EMBA for those with over 10 years of experience, supported by their companies, focusing on cultivating leadership and management skills.
The tuition for IMD’s MBA program is CHF 80,000 per year with additional fees of CHF 17,500. This does not include cost of living.
The average GMAT score for the incoming class at IMD is 680. IMD tells candidates to aim for a score above 630.
Yes. The IMD MBA program accepts the GRE and GMAT Focus.
IMD requires a minimum of 2 years of work experience.
The average number of years of work experience among students in IMD's MBA program is 6, while the average age is 29.
The average salary for IMD MBA graduates is $111,675, while the average salary before enrolling in the MBA was $56,021.
IMD offers a one-year MBA program.
For the January intake, IMD's MBA program has application deadlines on January 15, February 15, April 15, June 15, August 15, September 15, and October 15.
The percentage of the class at IMD that are women is 37%.
IMD maintains a small class size of 100-120 students annually, and the Class of 2024 is comprised of 103. Women make up 37% of the class, and 44 different nationalities are represented. The average GMAT score for IMD lands at 680. The Class of 2024 matriculated with an average of six years of work experience.
For the class of 2024, students’ professional backgrounds prior to enrolling in the MBA program spanned a diverse range of industries, as follows:
IMD provides a series of ten admission rounds for prospective students, running from January 15 to October 15 each year. These include seven regular application rounds and three rounds designated for Assessment Challenges, allowing candidates multiple opportunities to apply and demonstrate their qualifications throughout the year.
The application process requires:
Additionally, applicants are expected to submit GRE or GMAT scores, with an average accepted score of about 680. IMD recommends aiming for a minimum score of 630 on the GMAT for a competitive application.
GMAT waivers are available for certain candidates, such as those with a CFA Level 2, CPA, CA, or PhD, professionals working in quantitative or analytical fields, or those holding a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a quantitative subject. Deadlines for these application rounds typically fall on the 15th of each month from January 15 to October 15.
Prospective applicants who have not yet taken the GMAT/GRE or the GMAT Focus Edition test but intend to do so can still apply. It is important for these candidates to ensure that their test scores are made available in time for the selection process.
After the initial application, qualified candidates are invited for an on- or off-campus assessment day, during which IMD will evaluate each candidate’s English-language abilities. (Note: Phone interviews are not an option.) In its applicants, IMD seeks individuals with leadership potential, international perspective, strong interpersonal skills, steady career growth, academic ability, and strong values and integrity.
The following essay topic analysis examines IMD’s MBA admissions essays for 2025 entry. You can also review essay topic analyses for all other leading MBA programs as well as general Essay Tips to further aid you in developing your admissions… Read More Read more
We know it’s a bit unnerving to ask someone for a recommendation without knowing what they’ll be asked. Luckily, we’ve done all the legwork for you and have gathered all of this admissions cycle’s MBA recommendation questions from the top business schools in one central spot. Usually each school’s… Read More Read more
For this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A, we visit Lausanne, Switzerland, to meet Paola Eicher, Associate Director of Recruitment and Admissions at IMD Business School. Paola holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in International Hospitality Management from Ecole… Read More Read more
Director of MBA Recruitment and Admissions at IMD, Anna Farrus, joins us for this installment of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Anna started at IMD business school in 2018. She oversees MBA recruitment and admissions and, earlier this year, took on the additional role… Read More Read more
Anna Farrus, Director of MBA Recruitment & Admissions at IMD In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we take a trip to Switzerland to learn all about IMD from Anna Farrus, the Director of MBA Recruitment and Admissions there. Anna has… Read More Read more
Interview and assessment day went super well. Follow-up from admission contact confirming I was rejected because my GRE quant score was too low. 156Q, 165V.
Waitlisted at IMD Round: Round 1 Received via email March 25, 2024 Program Type: One Year Program Post MBA Career Name: Healthcare Application Location: Boston Accepted to IMD Round: Round 1 Received via phone on February 29, 2024 Program Type: One Year Program Post MBA Career Name: General Management Application Location: HoustonApplied on January 12th.
Assessment day invite on Jan 22nd.
Assessment day on February 5th.
Interview invite on February 8th and completed the interview on February 9th.
Accepted on March 1st. No scholarship this round but hopeful that it will change with time.
Work in oil and gas trading for 5.5 years. Have an undergraduate (India) and graduate degree (Duke) in mechanical engineering. Excited! Like the school’s focus on leadership and personal development. Any insights or opinions are greatly appreciated!
Rejected at IMD Round: Round 1 Received via email February 27, 2024 Program Type: January Intake Post MBA Career Name: Consulting Application Location: Chile Interview Invite to IMD Round: Round 1 Received via email February 22, 2024 Program Type: One Year Program Post MBA Career Name: Healthcare Application Location: BostonSubmitted without a test, but indicated the scheduled test date in my application.
Accepted to IMD Round: Round 3 Received via phone May 30, 2023 Program Type: One Year Program Interview Invite to IMD Round: Round 1 Received via email February 11, 2021 Post MBA Career Name: Entrepreneurship Application Location: India Waitlisted at IMD Round: Round 1 Received via email on March 29, 2020 Post MBA Career Name: Consulting Application Location: DubaiThis is for applicants who are applying directly from undergrad to an MBA program without "post-bachelor" work experience. It is tough but possible with perseverance.
Enrolled: Stanford GSB Admitted: U. Chicago Booth , Columbia $ , Harvard Business School $ , Michigan / Ross , Stanford GSB $Applied: Harvard Business School, UPenn / Wharton, Stanford GSB, Michigan / Ross, Columbia, U. Chicago Booth
Entering Year: 2024 Post MBA Career: UndecidedSelecting Stanford GSB for smaller class size and focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Enrolled: IESE Admitted: Cornell / Johnson , Duke / Fuqua , IESE , UPenn / Wharton , Yale SOMApplied: Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, IESE, Michigan / Ross, Northwestern / Kellogg, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM, Cornell / Johnson
Entering Year: 2024 Post MBA Career: EntrepreneurshipIMD’s 47 faculty members and dean balance teaching, research, and collaboration with international firms to keep current with the latest business trends. The faculty represent 25 different nationalities and teach across 13 disciplines, including strategy (the largest represented field), finance, innovation, interpersonal leadership, marketing, operations and more.
The IMD full-time MBA is a one-year program broken into three sections as well as a pre-program. The latter, called My MBA, runs from October to December and includes assessments and an immersion course. Business fundamentals are taught during the first section from January to June, covering business and society, operations, and strategy. Subsequently, from August to November, candidates study company engagement projects, join discovery expeditions, and build experience with international consulting projects (ICPs). The third and final section provides students with an opportunity to refine their career knowledge with electives.
MBA candidates are tasked with analyzing industries, marketing, and building business plans as well as conducting organization audits and considering new venture financing proposals. Throughout the year, assignments include group projects, integrative exercises, and individual exams. Meanwhile, the school’s corporate projects ensure direct client contact to understand current business issues and provide opportunities to network.
Students have a choice of five areas of electives to choose from: digital, finance, strategy, sustainability, and leadership & communications. Each group of electives are selected according to individualized interests, with courses designed for specific skill and knowledge development that fit each student’s immediate career targets. Through IMD’s personal and leadership building, MBA candidates will undergo peer reviews, classroom and off-campus interactions; meet with a psychoanalyst; and have time for individual reflection. These elements help shed light on issues such as group performance, navigating organizational scenarios, and how an individual’s own moral compass impacts decisions.
In addition to the one-year full-time MBA, IMD offers an Executive MBA over 15 months, or over a longer period of time depending on the student’s work commitments. No matter the course timeline, students will only be away from his or her office for nine weeks total. For the EMBA program, core business themes run across the entire program, including company assignments, leadership stream, discovery expeditions, and crisis management practice.
With its spectacular view of the Swiss mountains, Lausanne is both scenic and home to rich cultural and sports activities. IMD’s extracurricular opportunities span a variety of interests—professional, social, and educational. From there, student clusters can explore niche topics, and a social committee coordinates class outings like ski trips and summer barbecues. Group sporting events see students and spectators joining the annual MBA Regatta, weekly soccer matches, and marathons.
On campus, students can hear distinguished guest speakers’ latest insights and case studies as well as personal challenges they faced and strategically addressed. During the year, there are specific course-related projects to pursue, including startup projects that invite MBA candidates to help a new high-tech venture develop its business model or move to its next stage. Similarly, students can join company engagement projects at partner companies for up to five weeks during the summer, offering potential employers the opportunity to review candidates’ fit with their firms. For international consulting projects, students complete a strategy assessment and form recommendations for corporate clients and NGOs.
Moreover, several large-scale events bring together IMD students, top-ranking executives and speakers, faculty, and other global business leaders. For example, Orchestrating Winning Performance (OWD) is IMD’s five-day flagship program that’s comprised of at least 20 plenary sessions and topical streams that invite MBA candidates to explore business issues and present findings to a wider audience. Additionally, Discovery Expeditions invite students to take a 10-day trip to such destinations as Dubai, Singapore, China, Japan, Mexico, and the United States, where they can visit companies, join research projects, and engage in discussions on a range of topics.
With only a one-year program, the IMD alumni network grows stronger annually with new members who interact online every day, whether for networking, global collaborations, peer learning, or forums on business topics like entrepreneurship, leadership, healthcare, digital evolution, and more. Alumni clubs also host guest speakers and panel discussions across Switzerland and around the world.
Just blocks from Lake Geneva, IMD’s scenic campus is situated in one of the most picturesque urban areas in Europe. This region of Switzerland has swiftly become one of the world’s top science and technology hubs, and is home to blue-chip companies that interact on a global scale. The city and school offer unique access to executive networking and leadership building opportunities.
The campus includes six main buildings in Lausanne’s Ouchy district, including the landmark historic building La Résidence that serves as IMD’s reception hall and the president’s office. Since 2002, IMD has inaugurated the sleek Executive Learning Center building, the research-oriented Nestlé Building, and the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center, the main conference hall with a 350-seat auditorium. There is no housing available on campus, but the IMD team is available to assist with lodging for the school year.
In recent years, the school has placed specific emphasis on its Career Stream process. In working with recruiters, the dedicated career services team builds close, long-term relationships by understanding each company’s unique culture. For MBA students, the IMD team starts with career audit methodology that helps clarify an individual’s professional profile and transferable skills for switching to another industry, job function, or location. The Career Stream involves personal coaching, refining each student’s development goals, and shaping career plans and strategies. These career services include collaborations with IMD-affiliated internal and external career counselors; practice interviewing and negotiation; job search seminars; panels with global human-resources executives; MBA mentoring partnerships; career fairs; and year-round, off-campus networking events. IMD’s MBA program is regularly ranked among the world’s best, in part due to successful recruiting by companies who appreciate the school’s rigor with candidates, and relevance in the current global business climate.
Ninety percent of the 96-student Class of 2021 reported receiving job offers within 3 months of graduation. Consulting was the most popular industry for the Class of 2021, as 39% entered the field. Manufacturing was second, claiming 13% of the graduates. These fields were followed by healthcare at 11% and financial services at 10%. Eight percent pursued work in tech. The average salary landed at $126,236 with average signing bonuses of $25,162.
Sixty-nine percent of IMD students took job opportunities in Europe, by far the most popular destination. MENA was a distant second, taking in 10% of the Class of 2021. Seven percent headed to Asia and six percent to the Americas.
The cost of tuition is CHF 80,000 with additional fees of CHF 17,500. IMD structures its tuition and fees to include program and project-related expenses for the MBA year. This includes books; teaching materials; professional coaching and a partner advisor; weekday lunches at IMD; accommodation and travel expenses for IMD-organized projects; costs for executive-program, OWP participation, and off-campus teambuilding. IMD expects average housing and living expenses for a single person to be CHF 36,000.
IMD grants scholarships or loans to about half of its MBA students, and the maximum financial aid amount awarded per student is CHF 85,000. The school strongly advises all candidates to seek external financial-aid support.
