The U.S. MBA Programs With The Most International Students

International student enrollment bounced back in 2021 at most of the top-ranked U.S. MBA programs

According to the Graduate Management Admission Council’s 2022 Prospective Students Survey, more candidates from traditionally mobile markets are opting to study closer to home than they did before the pandemic, which could be a temporary phenomenon — the residual effect of steep pandemic travel restrictions — or it could mean the rebound described on the previous page was only a brief respite before a further plunge. Among Central and South Asian candidates, the percentage who prefer to study internationally declined from 89% to 73% between 2019 and 2021, GMAC reports; among East and Southeast Asian candidates, preference to study internationally also declined, from 92% to 87% between 2020 and 2021.

Among international candidates whose preferred study destination differs from their country of citizenship, “virtually the same proportion said in 2021 that the United States and Western Europe is their preferred destination (39%, respectively),” GMAC reports. “Among international MBA candidates specifically, the U.S. is the preferred destination of half (50%), expanding its lead over second-place Western Europe (28%) between 2019 and 2021. In the meantime, Western Europe remains the preferred destination of more than half of international business master’s candidates.”