New Data: Apps Down, Enrollment Up At International Schools

AMBA

In other findings in the new AMBA study:

• The classroom remains the most dominant method of delivery with more than four in five (82%) programs conducted in a physical building. Blended delivery appears to have become an increasingly more available delivery method, given that its proportion has increased by six percentage points (to 16%, compared with 10% in 2016).

• Across the globe, just over a third (36%) of applicants come from outside the country in which the institution is based. Meanwhile, almost one in three (28%) of enrollments were international (up slightly, from 27% in 2016). The highest proportion of international applications was for UK programs (79%), followed by other European schools, excluding the UK (53% — markedly down from 66% in 2016) and programs in North America and the Caribbean (47%).

• Almost three fifths (57%) of programs across the globe were conducted part-time, while more than a fifth (22%) were conducted full-time. A further 21% were conducted in a modular format. There was an increase in the share of modular programs (+4 percentage points versus 2016) and a decrease in the proportion of full-time programs (-4 percentage points vs. 2016).

• The highest average number of applications per program was in China and Hong Kong, both at a school (1,230) and program (430) level. This was also followed by applications in North America and the Caribbean (1,112 per school and 309 per program). India had the next highest average per program (247 applications), but Latin America had marginally more applications per school (406 versus 401 in India). This reflects the greater range of different programs available in Latin America. In India, fewer programs yield roughly the same number of applications as the entire roster of programs available at schools in Latin America.

SCHOOLS ARE ‘ABLE TO ADAPT TO THE NEEDS OF FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS’

In total, 35,002 individuals graduated from AMBA-accredited programs in 2017, compared with 34,675 in 2016. The largest graduation volumes were seen in Europe (31% of all graduations), China and Hong Kong (23%), and the UK (15%).

‘Our findings further demonstrate the resilience of the top business schools to attract students from across the world onto their MBA programs,” says Will Dawes, research and insight manager at AMBA and BGA. “Pleasingly, we are also seeing further progress in terms of gender diversity, illustrating that the MBA can make strides on promoting inclusivity, while maintaining overall demand for programs.

“The growth in programs offered by AMBA-accredited schools suggests that they are able to adapt to the needs of future business leaders, providing a more open opportunity for talented individuals to progress within business management.”

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