Report: Alumni Crave Lifelong Learning, But Few Plan A Return To B-School

Marc Ethier

Mon, Mar 24, 2025, 7:29 AM 3 min read

Despite beardown request for lifelong learning among concern schoolhouse graduates, astir alumni are looking beyond their alma maters to conscionable those needs, according to a caller planetary study.

The Alumni Matters report, released by acquisition consultancy CarringtonCrisp successful concern with EFMD, surveyed 2,130 alumni crossed 87 countries. It recovered that portion astir fractional (46%) of respondents are anxious for much learning opportunities, lone 30% program to instrumentality to their concern schoolhouse for further education.

Instead, alumni are calling for much tailored enactment from their erstwhile institutions. Seven successful 10 (70%) privation concern schools to make circumstantial learning programs for alumni, portion 64% are seeking online entree to module contented and 61% are looking for preferential rates for further study.

“Lifelong learning is 1 of the priorities for alumni, and determination is simply a wide denotation that they expect favorable rates and entree from their concern schools,” says Andrew Crisp, co-founder of CarringtonCrisp and writer of the report, successful a quality merchandise accompanying it. “If they are not capable to get this, they are precise consenting to spell elsewhere.”

The findings suggest a missed accidental for concern schools but besides constituent to a imaginable way forward. Crisp says that institutions could make partnerships with outer providers to broaden their lifelong learning offerings.

More than fractional of respondents (51%) expressed involvement successful pursuing different full-time degree, specified arsenic an MBA, EMBA, oregon different master’s. Postgraduate certificates oregon diplomas (45%) and abbreviated non-degree enforcement acquisition courses (43%) were besides popular. A bulk (51%) preferred either afloat online oregon blended learning formats.

Beyond world learning, alumni are seeking deeper engagement with their concern schools. Nearly fractional (45%) would similar to be yearly assemblage events combining networking and learning. Others expressed a tendency to lend to pupil vocation improvement (42%) and program plan (41%). Some 39% are funny successful collaborating with chap alumni connected charitable oregon NGO projects.

Career enactment remains a apical priority. Just nether fractional (48%) of respondents privation improved alumni vocation services, with 46% asking for easier ways to link with chap graduates and the aforesaid fig requesting much learning opportunities.

Entrepreneurship besides emerged arsenic a large theme. Four successful 10 alumni (41%) privation enactment for starting a business. Among this group, 62% are looking to put successful caller ventures, 52% are successful the aboriginal readying stages of launching a business, and 45% are already founders seeking a stronger entrepreneurial network.