The Truth About Women and MBA Degrees

It's a Woman's Business THE TRUTH ABOUT WOMEN AND MBA DEGREES Despite huge strides in gender equality in recent decades- particularly in education-women are less likely to pursue an MBA than their male counterparts. What factors are behind this trend? Learn about what's being done to ensure more women can take a seat at the boardroom table. An Inherent Imbalance Women are getting MBAS, but to a much lesser degree. Despite matching or exceeding men in both college attendance and graduation rates, women are less likely to pursue a master's degree in business administration. The number of U.S. women in higher education in 2015 reveals a distinct imbalance.' In the past 5 years, the number of female applicants for full-time MBA programs has plateaued.? FEMALE MBA PROGRAM APPLICANTS, 2012-2016 60% 57% of graduate degrees - FULL-TIME 2-YEAR MBA FULL-TIME 1-YEAR MBA of bachelor's degrees 36% 50% of MBA degrees 40% 30% 20% 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Mismatched Math No single reason is responsible for the trend, but women consider a variety of factors when deciding whether to pursue an MBA. Much of the decision depends on how well a program fits their educational, professional, and personal goals. HITTING FINANCIAL OBSTACLES GROWING WAGE GAPS Obtaining business school funding for is a top challenge for:3 Even with an MBA, women could earn an average of 80 cents for every dollar a man makes.4 1 1 30% 9% of women of men UNEVEN EARNINGS 6-8 YEARS POST-MBA $175,000 IMMEDIATELY POST-MBA $140,000° $105,000 $98,000 EXPLORING OTHER PROGRAMS Women who find that the traditional MBA program doesn't fit into their personal or professional plans may gravitate toward more flexible options. Gender parity exists across other master's programs-with far more women earning the following degrees:? 65% 61% 52% Master of marketing Master of accounting Master of management Making Progress Toward Parity Diversifying our MBA programs starts with removing the most common barriers to entry. Schools and businesses that have made efforts to include women and broaden their class offerings have seen a marked increase in female MBA applicants. OFFER MORE OPTIONS Online programs and other flexible offerings are gaining popularity across a variety of master's programs, including new MBA formats- attracting a higher percentage of female applicants than traditional full-time programs. 2016 FEMALE MBA APPLICANTS, BY PROGRAM TYPE? 44% 43% 41% Flexible Online Part-time 37% 36% 33% Full-time 2-year Executive Full-time 1-year REMODEL RECRUITMENT A 2015 worldwide survey of graduate management programs shows that many are actively changing their approaches to recruit female MBA applicants.5 67% 51% ... Full-time 2-year MBA Executive MBA 42% 41% Full-time 1-year MBA Part-time MBA PROMOTE DIVERSITY 5-YEAR CHANGE IN FEMALE Encouraging social accountability through mentoring programs and diversity task forces can increase female and minority representation in management. MANAGERIAL REPRESENTATIONS College recruitment for women Mentoring Diversity task forces 24% 24% 24% 23% 18% 16% 12% 10% 10% 9% 9% White Black Hispanic Asian women women women women BOLSTERING GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE STARTS WITH PROMOTING MORE PARITY IN BUSINESS SCHOOL. By better understanding potential female enrollees' interests and challenges, we can provide women with the necessary means to pursue the careers they want and achieve the business success they deserve. 1 "What Women Want: A Blueprint for Change in Business Education," 2017, GMAC 2 "Application Trends Survey Report," 2016, GMAC Concordia 3 "Global GME Segmentation Study," 2016, GMAC 4 "The Real Payoff From an MBA Is Different for Men and Women." 2015, Bloomberg Businessweek UNIVERSITY•SAINT PAUL 5 "Application Trends Survey Report," 2015, GMAC 6 "Why Diversity Programs Fail," 2016, Harvard Business Review