This latest report in the GMAC® Data-to-Go Series looks at differences in how prospective students expect to cover the costs of business school. The brief is based on five-year data (2009 and 2013) from the mba.com Prospective Students Survey, specifically analyzing changes in the financing mix to meet 100 percent of the costs of graduate management education. The financing mix varies quite a lot by citizenship, intended program type, age, gender, and whether people plan to study domestically or abroad.
This brief is a companion piece to two additional items: (1) “How Do I Pay for School?”- an interactive report that prospective students can use to see the financial mix for how people in their situation plan to pay for school. See results by citizenship, domestic or international study destination, the type of graduate management program considered, gender, and age group. And, (2) a slide presentation also titled “Paying for Business School.”
Overview
Five-year data from the mba.com Prospective Students Survey show that fewer prospective students have reservations about attending business school. Cost and debt remain the most common hesitations, but globally, the percentage of prospective students with these concerns has declined and is now less than 50 percent.
A shift in how prospective students expect to pay for school is seen when comparing results from 2009 and 2013. Globally, the financing mix indicated that loans will cover less and parents will contribute more – although this varies quite a lot by citizenship, intended program type, age, gender, and whether people plan to study domestically or abroad.