2013 Application Trends Survey Report (Abstract)

2013 Application Trends Survey Report

2013 Application Trends Survey Report Cover

September 23, 2013

This year’s GMAC Application Trends Survey—the 14th since 2000—included participants from 683 programs that represent 328 business schools and faculties around the globe.

Overview

Data relate to applications for graduate business and management programs in the 2013–2014 entrance cycle. Participating programs represent 42 countries worldwide and 44 states, including the District of Columbia, in the United States. By program type, survey respondents include 482 MBA programs, 187 specialized master’s programs, 13 doctoral programs in business, and one joint-degree program in business and management fields. Two-thirds (65%) of participating schools were located in the United States; however, more than a third (35%) located elsewhere in the world are also represented in these findings.

The GMAC Application Trends Survey is the industry source for comprehensive statistics and timely insights into the demand for graduate management education worldwide. Since 2000, this survey of admission professionals has provided information on application volume trends, applicant pool composition, recruitment strategies, acceptance and enrollment rates, and incoming class size.

Quick Facts

Overall trends for applications to management programs in 2013 show the following:

  • More full-time MBA programs are seeing increases in applications.
  • Sixty-one percent (61%) of management programs report rising volumes, yet other programs, such as accounting and finance, are seeing lower rates of growth. Finance programs remain the most competitive, however, based on acceptance rates.
  • Admissions professionals expect that 43 percent of full-time two-year MBA students will receive tuition assistance.