News International

Chartered ABS launches International Students Taskforce

The Chartered ABS has launched its International Students Taskforce, which will explore the challenges UK business schools face in attracting international students and highlighting their contribution to the economy and society.

30th May 2025
Research & Analysis Learning & Teaching

Analysis of Postgraduate Qualifications in Business & Administrative Studies

18th October 2019

This first of a kind report provides detailed insights into postgraduate provision within the fields of Business and Management. Using national data on Master’s degrees, MBAs and Doctorates we have provided analysis on the graduate numbers from a range of business fields, including emerging specialist and niche subjects. The report also provides data on graduates by domicile, specifically from the UK, EU and non-EU countries.

We find that a total of 61,560 students obtained a postgraduate qualification in Business & Administrative Studies in 2017/18, more than for any other academic subject and accounting for more than a quarter of all postgraduate qualifications. Master's degrees were overwhelmingly the most popular, with nearly 141,000 students obtaining this form of qualification from UK business schools over the last three years; however, contrary to popular belief, MBA graduates only accounted for 11% of these cohorts.

The report also provides data on graduates by domicile, specifically from the UK, EU and non-EU countries. It highlights how non-EU international students accounted for 69% of total graduates over the last three years across all Master’s degrees in Business & Administrative Studies, and that around one-quarter of all graduates in this time period graduated with a Master’s degree that had an international focus.

You can download the full report here.