Women’s enrollment in US MBA programs is a record

Although gender inequality persists in MBA programs in the United States, it is average Female enrollment in business courses Face-to-face and full-time Achieved in the 2021 academic year.

Women are represented on average Of the 55 U.S. business schools, 41% of incoming classes were 38.5% last year. According to a survey released this Friday by the Forté Foundation, a non – profit organization that promotes gender equality in business. In 2011, only 31.8% of those enrolled in 39 schools were women.

Eliza Sangster, managing director of the Ford Foundation, said the numbers represent a “big step” in achieving gender equality in MBA programs. He suspects that some of these women, like many Americans, are leaving.

“A little bit of reflection time never hurts – it’s time to really stop and think and understand what your priorities are for the future,” Sangster said. “Epidemic gave me this opportunity.”

Vaccines are not yet available and with many preschools closed, the number could be higher this year as there has been a delay in adoption since 2020, he said.

An MBA is one of the most lucrative graduate programs. Although women make up the majority of undergraduate and graduate students in the United States, they are still lagging behind on paths leading to higher paying and more powerful jobs, including math and science courses.

Only five schools have a majority of girls in this year’s Bloomberg Business Week Best B-School Diversity Index. Less than 10% of S&P 500 CEOs are women.

“There is still work to be done to put women in these important leadership roles,” Sangster said. But increasing women’s enrollment is the “first lever” to achieve this goal.