GMAC Advisor

According to a recent GMAC survey, four in five students enrolled in a business school report that their graduate management education prepares them for leadership positions. Looking at the data from the lens of gender, program, and regional diversity, we gain additional insights into enrolled students’ confidence in leadership preparation. The findings indicate that the value proposition of a graduate management education as a ground for preparing leadership talent remains strong among students even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nine in ten alumni report a positive return-on-investment (ROI) from their graduate business education, according to the 4,658 respondents to the recent GMAC survey snapshot. A Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 30 shows that most alumni are likely to recommend their graduate business school to a friend or colleague. This data indicates that the value proposition of a graduate management education is strong; alumni report a high level of satisfaction with their educational outcomes, in line with their career ambitions.

Nine in ten corporate recruiters expect the demand for business school graduates to increase or remain stable in the next five years, according to the 2021 Corporate Recruiters Survey. This annual GMAC survey provides vital data for employers and business schools in understanding trends and insights about hiring, salaries, and skills for MBA and business master’s graduates.

A new GMAC survey snapshot of nearly 1,800 respondents shows that more than half of prospective students believe that admissions exams improve reliability, fairness, and transparency in evaluating graduate business school candidates. The data collected through mba.com Prospective Students Survey also highlights the diversity of candidates as their perceptions vary by region of citizenship and by preferred study destination (domestic or international). This data addresses questions raised by schools in the Information Needs Survey released earlier this year. It also provides insights to inform schools as they shape their global recruitment strategy.

International students comprise nearly two in three students enrolled in master’s level business programs at British business schools. As a result, Brexit uncertainties coupled with COVID-19 travel restrictions have been particularly severe for many business schools in the UK as international student mobility faced more disruption. Yet, data shows that demand for pursuing graduate business programs in the UK remains strong among international candidates.

A new GMAC research report based on the data collected through mba.com Prospective Students Survey provides insights into the diverse choices and preferences of prospective students planning to pursue graduate management education (GME) in 2021. The findings suggest that demand for GME continues to accelerate as the concerns about the impact of COVID-19 wane. The report identifies at least three notable growth drivers for GME related to employability, flexibility, and regional mobility.

Over the years, women are increasingly pursuing graduate business education and assuming management and leadership roles. Findings from the GMAC™ snapshot survey of prospective female students show variations in decision-making processes by program types (MBA vs. business master’s) and study destinations (domestic vs. international). This suggests that sustaining the momentum of enrolling women in graduate management education would require a deeper understanding of their diverse career aspirations and journeys.

Findings from the GMAC snapshot survey of prospective students who are considering business master’s programs show that the journeys of domestic and international candidates vary in the context of pandemic-induced uncertainty. This suggests that business schools need to design data-informed strategies to balance growth in applications with the quality and diversity of enrolled students.

Findings from GMAC™ snapshot survey of prospective students considering full-time MBA programs shows that candidate journeys are shifting in the context of pandemic-induced uncertainty. This suggests that a sustainable future of full-time MBA programs would require business schools to understand the nature and direction of evolving candidate journeys and engage the best-fit, diverse prospects for better enrollment yield.

GMAC’s annual Application Trends Survey of over 1,000 programs worldwide uncovered nuances in the demand for graduate management education and identified growth variations by regions, schools, and candidates. A combination of factors—including regional contexts, barriers faced by candidates, and strategies adopted by business schools— influenced the enrollment outcomes. Looking ahead, a survey snapshot of prospective students suggests business schools need to continue to innovate and adapt to the candidates’ shifting journeys.