Google Trends gives us insight into the search demand for various keywords. We have collected data for Top 5 MBA Programs to learn how the MBA programs are measuring up against each other in online search space, and the general demand for these MBA programs from Feb 2004 to Sep 2016.
The top 5 searched MBA programs in Google are:
1. Harvard
2. Stanford
3. Wharton
4. Columbia
5. MIT
Here is the screenshot of the search demand for these five MBA programs (Click the Image for a larger screenshot)
As you would have noticed, interest in Wharton MBA peaks whenever there is a fluctuation in the Economy. Finance professionals consider Wharton MBA as a go to jail program whenever the job markets are down.
So has the demand gone down?
From the highs of 2004, the demand for top MBA programs have gone down, but from 2012, the demand has stabilized, but we noticed an increased search volumes for Booth MBA.
Booth MBA (Search Demand Spike after Nov 2008)
So if you are applying to the top six MBA programs, keep in mind of the competition correlated from the search volume.
Conclusion
1) The demand for MBA programs has high correlation with the Economy.
2) Business Schools and MBA program teams who have customized their curriculum by adapting to the changing job market, and supported the students with a vibrant Career Service support have thrived.
3) Older MBA Applicants (30 to 32) have become realistic about their chances, and are looking at 1-Year MBA program, part-time MBA, and programs in their region to achieve career goals.
About the Author
I am Atul Jose, Founding Consultant of F1GMAT, an MBA admissions consultancy that has worked with applicants since 2009.
For the past 15 years I have edited the application files of admits to the M7 programs: Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Wharton School, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Kellogg School of Management, and Columbia Business School, together with admits to Berkeley Haas, Yale School of Management, NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua, Darden, Tuck, IMD, London Business School, INSEAD, SDA Bocconi, IESE Business School, HEC Paris, McCombs, and Tepper, plus other programs inside the global top 30.
My work covers the full MBA application deliverable: career planning and profile evaluation, application essay editing, recommendation letter editing, mock interviews and interview preparation, scholarship and fellowship essay editing, and cover letter editing for funding applications. Full bio with credentials and admit history is here.
I am the author of the Winning MBA Essay Guide, the best-selling essay guide covering M7 MBA programs. I have written and updated the guide annually since 2013, which makes the 2026 edition the thirteenth.
The reason I still write and edit essays every cycle: a good MBA essay carries a real applicant's voice. Writing essays for F1GMAT's Books and Editing essays weekly is how I stay calibrated to what current admissions committees respond to.
Contact me for school selection, career planning, essay strategy, narrative development, essay editing, interview preparation, scholarship essay editing, or guidance documents for recommendation letters.