Each year more than 300,000 potential business students register on mba.com. This monthly survey of those registrants is designed to:
- Gather information on why students pursue graduate management education
- Understand their school selection process
- Assess the effectiveness of various school promotional materials
Findings are meant to help schools answer critical questions, including—
- Whom can my program recruit?
- When and how do prospective students make decisions?
- Which programs compete for their attention?
Major Findings in 2010
- Nearly half a million individuals registered on the GMAC website for prospective students in 2009 and the vast majority of respondents to the survey were still intent on pursuing a graduate business education three months after they registered.
- One out of eight prospective students indicated they had no reservations about pursuing their graduate education; however, the majority did have reservations regarding financial aspects of their education and the likelihood of incurring large debts.
- Prospective students were most likely to consider a two-year full-time MBA program, followed by a one-year full-time MBA program, a part-time MBA program, and an MS in management program.
Our Latest Public Reports
New! GMAC Interactive Reports for Schools
GMAC Research has created interactive data reports for you to explore the most recent survey findings about prospective student characteristics. If one or more programs at your school require GMAT scores for application, you are eligible to use this valuable service. Click here to view these interactive reports (login to gmac.com required).
New! Special Reports for Member Schools
GMAC research has created a series of reports about prospective students by region. Visit the Prospective Student Views from Across the Globe page for full details.
Previous Reports
For a complete listing of survey reports and related research products released by GMAC, visit the New! GMAC Research Library>>
For More Information
If you have questions about the mba.com Registrants Survey or any other GMAC surveys, please contact Sabeen Sheikh at +1-703-245-4366 or research@gmac.com.
Who Uses These Survey Results?
Graduate business school professionals use the results to better understand their target audience, build their messages and brands, and determine resource allocation.
Prospective students use the results to better understand their options and to develop strategies to increase their chances of admission.
