Key Diversity Statistics: African Americans

February 2018

Overview

This brief compiles data from GMAT examinees and the mba.com Prospective Students Survey to help U.S. graduate business schools plan and execute diversity recruitment initiatives.

Quick Facts

  • African Americans, with 4,980 unique GMAT examinees in testing year 2017 (TY2017), are the largest underrepresented population (URP) group in the U.S. graduate management education pipeline.
  • By U.S. region, the South has the largest percentage of unique African American GMAT examinees (33%). By U.S. metropolitan area, the largest market of unique African American GMAT examinees is New York (12%).
  • Most unique African American GMAT examinees have either one to three years’ experience (36%) or four to nine years’ experience (32%).
  • African American business school candidates are more likely than non-URP U.S. candidates to plan to use grants, fellowships, and scholarships and loans to finance their graduate management education.
  • Most African American business school candidates follow business and finance news, frequent online news sites, and use popular social media platforms. Their friends/peers and people in business are the most likely to influence their business school choices.