Poets&Quants Reveals Top 100 MBAs of 2025, Highlighting Innovation and Diversity

Poets&Quants has unveiled its 11th annual Best & Brightest MBAs list, featuring 100 outstanding full-time MBA graduates who represent a new generation of business leaders characterized by innovation, diversity, and transformative ambition.

The 2025 class reflects significant shifts in graduate business education, with women comprising 60% of the selected students and 54 students hailing from outside the United States. The selected MBAs represent a departure from traditional career trajectories, demonstrating a commitment to creating new opportunities and driving meaningful change.

Notable honorees include Simi Shah from the Wharton School, a twice White House-invited entrepreneur featured in Forbes' '30 Under 30' list, and Amanda Golden from the University of Virginia's Darden School, who transitioned from political journalism to venture capitalism. Other remarkable candidates include military-trained professionals like Mark O'Connell from the University of Michigan, who helped redesign combat training curricula.

The selection process involved soliciting nominations from 82 top graduate business schools worldwide, with candidates evaluated on extracurricular involvement, academic and professional achievements, and faculty recommendations. Out of 220 total nominations, 100 students were ultimately selected, representing elite institutions such as INSEAD and the University of Chicago's Booth School.

The Boston Consulting Group emerged as the top employer, hiring eight Best & Brightest MBAs from the Class of 2025. This trend underscores the high caliber of talent emerging from top business programs and the continued relevance of MBA education in developing innovative business leaders.

The Best & Brightest MBAs list is part of a broader series by Poets&Quants that recognizes exceptional business students across various academic levels, including undergraduate, executive, and online MBA programs. By highlighting these talented individuals, the publication provides insights into the evolving landscape of business education and the emerging leaders who will shape future industries.