Some Master of Business Administration (MBA) program admissions allow students to waive the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score requirements in certain circumstances. For instance, Lamar University waives the GMAT score requirement for online MBA programs if applicants hold an undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher. Yet, for many, taking the GMAT is still a necessary part of the path toward earning an MBA.
The percentage of graduate management education (GME) students and GMAT test takers who are women has grown steadily for decades. Yet the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) reports the number of GMAT tests taken by women dropped substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic (as did the total number of GMAT tests taken). Women represented over 44% of GMAT exams taken in 2022 (globally), a slight drop from 47% in 2019 (an all-time high). While the upward trend in women taking the GMAT tapered somewhat during the pandemic, women’s involvement will keep improving as the push for gender parity in GME continues.
Global Trends
In certain countries, women make up the majority of GMAT test takers. According to GMAC, women accounted for 66% of 2022 GMAT tests taken in China, 60% in Taiwan and 57% in Thailand. However, in most countries, the majority of GMAT test takers are still men. As women close the gap throughout the next decade, however, this may change significantly.
How Are Women Using the GMAT?
For the most part, women take the test in order to pursue an MBA. According to GMAC survey data from 2023, women cite outcomes like increased salaries and improved international career opportunities as motivating factors for earning a graduate degree in business. Interestingly, GMAC reports that women interested in GME programs “are more likely [than men] to welcome flexibility in program delivery” — the kind of flexibility that online MBA programs can provide.
Looking Forward
Women accounted for 61% of postbaccalaureate students in the U.S. in 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Yet women are still in the minority of students at graduate business schools. Over the last decade, many business schools made significant efforts to recruit more female candidates, and GMAC reports 55% of schools saw an increase in female applicants in 2021. Women interested in on-campus or online MBA programs should take advantage of these recruitment opportunities through each business school’s enrollment efforts.
Learn about the Lamar University online MBA programs.
