GMAC
Also called Graduate Management Admission Council · Graduate Management Admission Council™
No. AACSB, ACBSP, IACBE, AMBA, and EQUIS accredit. GMAC writes tests, score reports, and market research. A school can require the GMAT, appear in mba.com search, and still sit outside GMAC membership. Do not read a GMAT code as a quality mark.
GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) is the nonprofit association of graduate business schools that owns the GMAT and the Executive Assessment. Using the GMAT does not make a school a GMAC member. Membership is invitation-only and school-based. GMAC is not an accreditor (gmac.com).
Is GMAC an accreditor?
What GMAC does and does not do
| Function | GMAC? | Common mix-up | Source / date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Own GMAT / EA | Yes | “GMAC accredited” | gmac.com/about-us |
| School membership | Invitation, ~228 schools | Using the test ≠ member | Membership page |
| Accredit MBAs | No | Confusion with AACSB | AACSB vs GMAC |
| Set round dates | No; publishes guidance | Treating a blog date as a rule | GMAC round article |
| Report employment | No; that is CSEA | GMAC “outcomes” as placement | CSEA standards |
GMAC was founded in 1953 by nine U.S. schools to build a shared admissions test. The exam was later named the GMAT. Today thousands of programs use GMAC assessments; a few hundred schools sit on the membership roster. Those are different lists.
Example: School A is an AACSB-accredited public college that accepts the GMAT. School B is a GMAC member and AACSB-accredited. A tuition policy that says “GMAC member required” is unusual and would reject A. A policy that says “GMAT or GRE” accepts both. Write the actual rule.
Common errors
- Calling GMAC an accreditor
- Treating GMAT use as GMAC membership
- Using GMAC as a synonym for GMAT
- Citing GMAC for CSEA placement definitions
FAQ
Who owns the GMAT?
GMAC. ETS owns the GRE. Pearson and others have historically delivered tests; ownership of the GMAT is GMAC’s. Official scores come through mba.com / GMAC, not through the school.
Does GMAC membership mean a better MBA?
It means the school was invited into a council of graduate business schools. It is not AACSB, not a ranking, and not a placement standard. Judge the program on accreditation, employment report, and price.
Is mba.com the same as GMAC?
mba.com is GMAC’s candidate site for the GMAT and related tools. The council site is gmac.com. Same organization, different door.
Related terms
Sources
- About the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Nonprofit association of graduate business schools; owns the GMAT; 228 member institutions
- About GMAC membership Membership is school-based, invitation-only, and is not the same as using the GMAT
