Key Diversity Statistics: U.S. Underrepresented Population Candidates

Overview

This research brief compiles data from GMAT examinees and mba.com Prospective Students Survey respondents who identify as a part of an underrepresented population to help U.S. graduate business schools plan and execute diversity recruitment initiatives.

Quick Facts

• GMAT examinees who identify as a part of an underrepresented population (URP), totaling 9,993 individuals in testing year 2018, account for 18 percent of unique U.S. citizen examinees.
• By U.S. region, the South has the largest percentage of unique URP GMAT examinees (26%). Other U.S. regions with large representations of URP examinees include the West (19%) and Southwest (18%).
• Most unique URP GMAT examinees have either one to three years’ experience (36%) or four to nine years’ experience (30%).
• URP 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 URP business school candidates follow business and finance news, frequent online news sites, and use popular social media platforms. People in business and their friends/peers are the most likely to influence their business school choices.