Influence of the U.S. Presidential Election on Business School Application Plans

Overview

Graduate business school programs have become increasingly reliant on international students to fill their classrooms. Because the United States is a top destination for candidates looking to pursue graduate management education (GME) abroad, understanding their views of the U.S. political and policy environment is crucial for business schools as they continue to build qualified cohorts of talent. This research brief identifies how the U.S. election impacts the likelihood of prospective international candidates pursuing GME in the United States. It incorporates data from the GMAC Prospective Students Survey, as well as other related ad hoc research surveys conducted by GMAC.

Quick Facts

• International prospective GME students—regardless of gender, generation, or preferred candidate—are overwhelmingly neutral about the impact of the U.S. election on their study plans and at a much higher rate than previous years.
• During Donald Trump’s previous tenure, U.S. favorability abroad declined, the number of graduate students studying in the United States dipped, and the share of GME programs reporting declines in international student applications increased. Still, both Trump and Joseph Biden have unfavorable visa policies for students looking to study in the United States, which could partially explain why international students have grown increasingly neutral toward the outcome of the U.S. election.
• The majority of candidates across regions have generally been neutral about past election cycles, though some may look to Western Europe or Canada as alternative study destinations after 2024.