RESTON, VA--(Marketwire - February 10, 2011) - Compensation packages for MBAs who graduated over the last decade are continuing to grow as the global economy appears to be on the mend, according to research conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), owner of the GMAT exam. The median base salary for business school alumni in the survey topped US$94,500 in 2010 -- well above the pre-recession level of US$89,000 recorded in 2007.
In another indication of the value of graduate management education, 93 percent of respondents to the most recent GMAC Alumni Perspectives Survey were employed. This was up from 90 percent of participants in the Council's 2009 alumni survey and just below the 95 percent mark seen in 2007.
"Employers around the world tell us they place great value on business school graduates -- and these strong compensation figures provide strong evidence to support that conclusion," said Dave Wilson, president and CEO of GMAC. "The message is clear: A quality management education positions people well to thrive in today's highly competitive, knowledge-driven job market."
GMAC's latest alumni survey, conducted in September 2010, drew responses from 3,490 business school graduates who earned their degrees between 2000 and 2010.
The new data reveal a continuing upward trend in compensation for business school graduates. Median base compensation among survey participants rose to US$94,542 in 2010, up from US$91,500 in the 2009 survey, US$90,000 in 2008 and US$89,000 in 2007. The median bonus in 2010 was US$17,565, compared with US$10,000 in 2007.
The 2011 GMAC Alumni Perspectives Survey Report and an interactive tool with data from the survey are available at www.gmac.com/AlumniPerspectivesSurvey.
About GMAC and the GMAT exam
The Graduate Management Admission Council (www.gmac.com) is a nonprofit education organization of leading graduate business schools and owner of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT® exam), used by almost 5,000 graduate business and management programs worldwide. GMAC is based in Reston, Virginia, and has regional offices in London, New Delhi and Hong Kong. The GMAT exam -- the only standardized test designed expressly for graduate business and management programs worldwide -- is continuously available at more than 530 test centers in over 110 countries. More information about the GMAT is available at www.mba.com.