mba.com Prospective Students Survey Report 2014

Overview

This mba.com Prospective Students Survey Report 2014 explores the motivations, behaviors, program choices, and intended career outcomes of individuals who expressed a desire to further their education in a graduate business program. More than 12,000 prospective business school students who registered on mba.com between October 2012 and September 2013 shared their opinions, preferences, and experiences as they navigated through that process over the course of 2013. This report provides a portrait of these individuals in their efforts as they prepare to apply to graduate business school.

Survey data collected in 2013 are compared to earlier data collected from more than 71,000 prospective business school students who have responded to the mba.com registrants’ surveys over the past four years. With survey
responses available for all world regions as well as 15 specific countries, this is the largest data source of its kind.

Quick Facts

• MBA programs remain the dominant program type that prospective business school students consider when they think about pursuing graduate management education.
• Interest in master’s (non-MBA) degrees is on the rise, notably among citizens of Asia-Pacific Islands and Europe, with a slight increase in interest among US citizens as well.
• The reputation of a country’s educational system is the most important reason that prospective students cite for choosing a preferred study destination.
• MBA candidates expect to finance nearly half of their education through personal earnings or savings (25%) and loans (25%).