2012 Application Trends Survey Report

2012 Application Trends Survey Report Image

This year’s GMAC Application Trends Survey—the thirteenth since 2000—included more participants than ever before: A record-breaking 744 programs were represented in the survey from 359 business schools and faculties, 44 percent of which submitted data for more than one program type.

Overview

Participating programs are located in 46 countries, 42 states, and the District of Columbia in the United States. By program type, survey respondents include 527 MBA programs, 193 specialized master’s programs, and 24 doctoral programs in business. Two-thirds (66%) of participating schools were located in the United States; however, a record percentage of programs (34%) from elsewhere in the world are represented in these findings.

The GMAC Application Trends Survey is the industry source for comprehensive statistics and timely insights into the demand for graduate management education worldwide. Since 2000, this survey of admission professionals has provided information on application volume trends, applicant pool composition, recruitment strategies, acceptance and enrollment rates, and incoming class size.

Quick Facts

Overall trends for applications to management programs in 2012 show the following:

  • Demand for graduate management education is healthy.
  • Women and foreign citizens are deepening the applicant pool.
  • Candidate recruitment across program types is global and diverse.