Corporate Recruiters Expect “Robust Demand” for MBA Graduates
Ninety percent of corporate recruiters expect demand for business school graduates to increase or remain the same during the next five years, according to researchers at the Graduate Management Admission Council. They’re also optimistic that salaries will return to pre-pandemic levels. “In 2020, the projected MBA median salary reached an all-time high of $115,000 before COVID-19 severely disrupted the global economy and caused it to drop down to $105,000 three months into the pandemic. However, the median MBA salary for 2021 is projected to recover to its pre-pandemic 2020 level of $115,000. At this rate, the median salary of MBA graduates is 77% more than those with a bachelor’s degree ($65,000) and 53% higher as compared to those hired directly from industry ($75,000).”
Source: Graduate Management Admission Council
COVID-19 Has Caused Most Schools to Change Their Priorities
Slightly more than half (53%) of higher ed leaders have reported that “the pivot to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic changed their institution’s priorities.” Although respondents represented more than 420 U.S. colleges and institutions, the “overall change in strategic priorities was consistent across all types of institutions (public, private, two-year, four-year) as well as institutions with varied involvement in online learning (low, mid-size or large online enrollment).” The most common changes of focus were expanding online course and program choices (33%) and supporting online learning (24%).
Source: Campus Technology
Most High School and College Students Say Higher Education Is Not Worth the Cost
Pollsters surveyed 200 high school seniors and more than 1,000 college students and found that almost two-thirds of respondents agreed with the statement, “higher education is not worth the cost to students anymore.” Overall, 65% of college students and 64% of high school seniors expressed that opinion. The majority of caregiving college students (63%), Black students (68%) and Latinx students (71%) felt the same way. In addition, “over half (53%) of college students believe that the worst is over when it comes to the pandemic, although both Black and Latinx students believe this at lower rates (38% and 48%, respectively).”
Source: Third Way.org
COVID-19 Has Changed Most High School Seniors’ College Plans
Two recent surveys make clear that the COVID-19 pandemic is a continuing cause for college uncertainty among most high school students. One of the surveys revealed that “78% of 11th and 12th graders felt COVID affected their postsecondary plans at least a little bit, while nearly one in five students felt their plans changed a great deal.” The other poll found that “70% of students experienced disruptions in their plans for future education. Of this group, 35% of respondents decided to do a less expensive program, 31% opted to be closer to home and 6% decided to not enroll in college anymore.” Among those abandoning their college plans, 39% cited anxiety and uncertainty as the reason, while 26% said financial pressure was to blame.
Source: Forbes