MBA Apps To Columbia Were Down Big Again In 2022-2023

Columbia Business School’s MBA program has seen a 15.4% decline in application volume since the MBA Class of 2022 enrolled at the height of the coronavirus pandemic

For the third straight year, applications to Columbia Business School‘s MBA program dropped significantly. After years of pandemic-fueled growth, app volume to the CBS MBA is now at 2019 levels.

Apps were down 4.6% year over year to 5,895, Columbia’s lowest total in four years and just 19 apps more than the B-school received for the MBA class that enrolled in August and January of 2019-2020. Since Columbia (along with just about every other B-school in the world) saw an admissions explosion during its all-virtual period in 2020-2021, its apps have dropped by more than 15%.

But the news for Columbia is not all grim. In response to the decline in applications, CBS this year enrolled a much bigger class — which allowed the school to match a record for women’s enrollment from a year ago and set a new benchmark for the enrollment of minorities.

COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL BY THE NUMBERS: 2019-2023

SOMEONE WITH A 610 GMAT GOT INTO COLUMBIA THIS YEAR

Even as apps have declined, class size has remained fairly stable at Columbia — until this year. Different from most of its peer schools, CBS has two intakes per year, in August and January. The former had gradually grown over the previous four years, from 551 in 2019 to 571 in 2020, 614 in 2021, and 629 in 2022, but ballooned to 681 this year; the latter was also on the upswing for three straight intakes, from 203 in 2020 to 211 in 2021 to 233 in 2022, but was capped at 215 for January 2023. In January 2024 it will rise again, to 219.

The end result is the biggest MBA class in Columbia history: 900 students, up 6.6% from a year ago and up nearly 20% since 2019. Such a large class certainly helped Columbia hit its diversity targets, including the enrollment of women, who comprise 44% of the class, matching last year’s school record; and minorities, who comprise 43%, setting a new one. CBS’s women’s enrollment is up 6 percentage points since 2019, and its minority enrollment is up 10 points since 2020. One-quarter of the new class identifies as Asian American, while Black students comprise 10% and Hispanic/Latinx 9%. International enrollment — long a strength for a school based in the heart of world capital New York City — is 47%, down slightly from last year’s high of 51%, but still among the leaders of all U.S. B-schools.

A big class also helped Columbia hit a new record Graduate Management Admission Test score average of 730, up 1 point from the last two years. Interestingly, the range of GMAT scores indicates that someone gained admission with a 610, which according to the Graduate Management Admission Council is around the 50th percentile of all test-takers.

COLUMBIA MBA MINORITY ENROLLMENT

NO MAJOR SHIFTS IN MAJORS & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS

In 2021, the largest group of Columbia students came from the financial services sector, accounting for 31% of the entering students — hardly a surprise since Columbia sits in the middle of Wall Street. Consulting backgrounds made up 22% of that class, while marketing and media represented another 12%. Students from the tech industry made up 9% of the class, while those with healthcare backgrounds represented 5%. Last year, finance ticked downward to 29%, and consulting, marketing/media, tech, and healthcare all were flat at 22%, 12%, 9%, and 5%, respectively.

This year, financial services was flat at 29%, consulting dropped a point to 21%, marketing/media was flat at 12%, and tech gained 2 points to 11%. Healthcare was flat at 5%, matched by military/government.

For class undergraduate majors, in 2021, business was the runaway leader at 37%, followed by economics (18%), engineering (15%), social sciences (13%), sciences (7%), humanities (6%), and tech (2%). Last year, business dropped slightly to a third of the class (33%), while economics grew to 20% and engineering to 16%.

This year, business rebounded to 35%, economics was unchanged at 20%, and engineering ticked upward to 17%. Social sciences accounted for 11% of the new class, followed by sciences (8%), humanities (6%), and tech (2%).

“At Columbia Business School, we’ve been shaping leaders for over a century,” Clare Norton, senior associate dean, tells Poets&Quants. “What makes us unique? Well, we blend management fundamentals with data science and real-time business intelligence, giving our students unmatched insights in areas like the digital future, entrepreneurship, finance, climate, and more. Our cutting-edge curriculum keeps evolving with the industry, ensuring you get both core concepts and specialized knowledge. Our professors are top-notch, bringing research-based insights and real-world experience to the classroom. Plus, we’re located in the center of global business and our global alumni network of 50,000+ is out there changing the world.

“So, if you want a business school that’s ahead of the curve and focused on your success, Columbia Business School is the place to be.”

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