Education · Facts & sources
5 sourced facts about the MBA degree, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answer1908, at Harvard
Harvard's Graduate School of Business Administration opened with a faculty of 15 as industrializing America needed formally trained managers.
Source: Harvard Business School, History (2024) hbs.edu
Answer23% (205,800 of 880,200)
Business is the single most common master's field in the U.S.; this count covers the 2021–22 academic year.
Source: NCES, Condition of Education: Graduate Degree Fields (2022) nces.ed.gov
Answerabout 26%
Another 46% planned to hire the same number of MBA graduates as in 2024.
Source: GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey 2025, via BestColleges (2025) bestcolleges.com
Answer80 (33 regular, 47 special)
The 1908 class had 33 regular students and 47 special students, taught by 15 faculty members.
Source: Harvard Business School, History (2024) hbs.edu
Answerrose 25%
Applications fell in the U.S. (down 1%), UK (down 4%) and Canada (down 35%) as demand shifted toward Asia and Europe.
Source: GMAC, Application Trends Survey 2025 (2025) gmac.com