Unpacking the Appeal of For-Profit Graduate Business Programs to US Underrepresented Populations. Market Intelligence

Graduate Management Admission Council. 11921 Freedom Drive Suite 300, Reston, VA 20190. Tel: 866-505-6559; Tel: 703-668-9600; Fax: 703-668-9601; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.gmac.com

N

36

Business Administration Education; Proprietary Schools; Graduate Study; Disproportionate Representation; Graduate Students; Educational Quality; Costs; Business Schools; Student Recruitment; Student Diversity

Tennessee; California (Berkeley)

An area of graduate management education (GME) that has excelled at attracting underrepresented populations (URPs) is the for-profit sector, including programs at nationally-known brands like the University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and Capella University. URP students in total accounted for half of for-profit GME degrees conferred in 2015-2016, including 37 percent among African Americans alone. The purpose of this paper is to detail a study conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), in partnership with marketing strategy firm globalsojourn, to learn more about the URP recruitment success of for-profit GME programs, URP candidates who consider and enroll in for-profit GME programs, aspects of for-profit GME URP candidates find most appealing, and what possible implications may be for nonprofit programs in their efforts to increase diversity in their applicant pools. Additionally, this paper highlights insights and examples from notable diversity initiatives at nonprofit GME programs and makes recommendations to inform nonprofits' strategies to grow diversity. [The following individuals at the Graduate Management Admission Council made significant contributions to the preparation of this report: Camille Coppock, Sabrina White, Tania Hernandez-Andersen, Betty Su, and Ethan Cebulash.]

ERIC

2019

ED593485