The value of an MBA

A survey of the employment and career progression of business school graduates

Business school alumni earn increased compensation, exercise enhanced purchasing power, consistently climb to the executive ranks, and give high marks to the value of their education in driving their professional success, according to new research findings from more than 12,000 graduate business school alumni surveyed by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).

The results of the 2015 Alumni Perspectives Survey Report offer a global snapshot of employment and career progression for graduate business school alumni from 1959 to 2014. Graduates also gave positive reviews to their business school’s alumni association, with a majority saying their engagement with these associations has contributed to their success.

Conducted in October and November, 2014, the survey represents alumni from more than 230 graduate business programmes at 71 universities in 16 locations across the globe. It is the latest in GMAC’s survey report series to provide data showing that an MBA or other graduate management degree, such as a Master’s in Management, Accounting or Finance, is a strong educational investment available to students in today’s highly competitive career marketplace.

In the survey, 95 per cent of alumni rated their management education as of good to outstanding value, and 93 per cent would recommend their graduate business programme to others.

Key findings

90 per cent of alumni credit graduate management education with increasing their earning power.

Business school alumni career trajectories show consistency in reaching higher levels of their organisations regardless of graduation year.

B-school alumni rise fast in the workplace and have high levels of job satisfaction.

Keywords: business school, MBA