GMAC Prospective Students Survey

Gain insights into candidate decision-making for applying to business schools

For 15 years, the GMAC Prospective Students Survey has provided the world’s graduate business schools with critical insights into the decision-making processes of people currently considering applying to a graduate management education (GME) program. Its questions – covering a diverse range of topics that impact prospective students’ application and enrollment decisions – provide school professionals with timely, relevant, and reliable market intelligence to inform how they engage with candidates to build their incoming classes.
 
This year’s report continues to explore trends in the candidate pipeline, program preferences, mobility considerations, and career goals. It builds on previous year’s results about candidate interest in social impact, leveraging the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, and focusing on new questions added to this year’s survey about candidate demand for equity and inclusion, sustainability, and health and well-being in their academic experiences. The report also considers surging interest in artificial intelligence (AI); evolutions in candidate expectations for flexibility; motivations behind candidate mobility from key markets; trends in certifications and micro-credentials; and the ongoing patterns in candidate career preparation and upskilling.

2024 Summary Reports and Resources

2024 Interactive Report

School professionals at GMAT-accepting institutions have exclusive access to the 2024 Interactive Report, which allows you to explore the survey question-by-question and filter the data by a variety of characteristics of prospective business school students.

Access the interactive tool

2024 Data Reports 

Overview Reports

Regional Reports

Program Reports

Past Reports

20232022 | 2021 Degree Demand, 2021 Career Aspirations | 2020 Degree Demand, 2020 Career Aspirations | 2019 Degree Demand, 2019 Career Aspirations | 2018 Degree Demand, 2018 Career Aspirations | 2017 | 2016

For more past reports, explore our Research Library.