Key Diversity Statistics: African Americans

Overview

This brief compiles data from GMAT examinees and the mba.com Prospective Students Survey to help U.S. graduate business schools plan and execute diversity recruitment initiatives.

Quick Facts

• African Americans, with 4,980 unique GMAT examinees in testing year 2017 (TY2017), are the largest underrepresented population (URP) group in the U.S. graduate management education pipeline.
• By U.S. region, the South has the largest percentage of unique African American GMAT examinees (33%). By U.S. metropolitan area, the largest market of unique African American GMAT examinees is New York (12%).
• Most unique African American GMAT examinees have either one to three years’ experience (36%) or four to nine years’ experience (32%).
• African American business school candidates are more likely than non-URP U.S. candidates to plan to use grants, fellowships, and scholarships and loans to finance their graduate management education.
• Most African American business school candidates follow business and finance news, frequent online news sites, and use popular social media platforms. Their friends/peers and people in business are the most likely to influence their business school choices.