RESTON, Va., April 11 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — People thinking about going back to business schools are more interested in enriching their lives than increasing their incomes, according to a survey of prospective students of graduate management education (GME) released by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a global association representing leading business schools. Seventy-nine percent of prospective students worldwide are motivated to pursue GME to better their lives and develop their potential—15 percentage points more than the next-best motivator, increasing income.
Furthermore, women, millennials, underrepresented U.S. candidates, and first-generation prospective students are all statistically more likely to indicate post-GME career preference for the government or nonprofit sector, which tends to be more stable and socially engaged though less lucrative than the private sector. Gen Z, on the other hand, are most interested in entering the finance and accounting industry, and about 10 percentage points more likely to cite increasing their incomes and expanding their networks as top motivators for pursuing GME than their older counterparts.