Number applying to University of Michigan MBA program down 17 percent

Posted on Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 4:50 p.m.

Number applying to University of Michigan MBA program down 17 percent

By Cindy Heflin

The number of people applying to the two-year MBA program at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business dropped 17 percent this year compared to the previous year, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The Ross School of Business

File photo | AnnArbor.com

The drop mirrored a worldwide trend: The median number of applications fell 22 percent worldwide, the newspaper reported. It was the fourth consecutive year of declines, but for some schools, the drop follows years of gains fueled by fewer employment opportunities during the financial crisis.

While some top schools saw sharp declines in the number of applications, others, such as the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles, enjoyed an increase.

The statistics were compiled from the Graduate Management Admission Council, which administers the Graduate Management Admission Test.

Read the Wall Street Journal article.

Comments

walker101

Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 12:32 p.m.

Whether or not an MBA really helps is up for debate and in today's business market, it's tough to say. What you should take away from this article is that getting an MBA won't hurt. You'll save more money by going directly into the workforce, but you'll be more marketable with an MBA. Only problem, with this economy you may have to take a lower salary just to get employed, too many highly qualified applicants competing for the same position. This is part of the change.

smokeblwr

Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 1:49 a.m.

Whatwith South University, ITT Tech, and U of Phoenix is there no need for Brick and Mortar degree factories anymore? Let the Free Market decide and let them go out of business! Any MBA would understand that and not want a government intervention.

Lovaduck

Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 3:04 a.m.

I hope this is a failed attempt at humor!

Arborcomment

Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 1:24 a.m.

Previously, MBA applications go up during a recession as students "wait it out" via a grad degree. Since this one was "officially over" after the stimulus and those "shovel ready" jobs kicked in, MBA grads have found out differently about this recession - it is still very real and ongoing. Now, they have no job and more staggering student debt - and they've told their friends, siblings, and younger acquaintances not to follow the same path.

braggslaw

Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 11:29 p.m.

MBA = Master of Barely Anything. It is a networking opportunity.

Michigan Man

Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 10:57 p.m.

My oldest son graduated with academic honors in 2006 from the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University. Lives and works in Chicago. Choose not to apply to Michigan, Northwestern, University of Chicago. He is a part time MBA student (more than 50% done now) at DePaul University here in Chicago. He just did not want to park his life and current very good business job making good money to become unemployed and poor by being a full time MBA student. One of many reasons why admission applications are down.

Angry Moderate

Tue, Sep 18, 2012 : 2:10 a.m.

Northwestern Kellogg and Chicago Booth both have part-time programs, and excellent employment opportunities because they are among the "M7" top business schools. Kind of rude to insult their students as "poor and unemployed" when they have much higher admissions standards.

RedSchwinn

Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 9:29 p.m.

Hallelujah! There may be hope for us and the economy yet. Any way we can work on decommissioning and rehumanizing the existing MBAs?

RedSchwinn

Mon, Sep 17, 2012 : 9:44 p.m.

BTW - What do you call 5000 MBAs at the bottom of the ocean? A good start, but we hope we can do better next quarter.