Application Trends Survey - 2025 Summary Report

Overview

Based on responses from over 1,170 graduate business school programs worldwide, the 2025 report covers changes in the volume of applications, including MBA and business master’s programs, along with examinations of today’s applicant pool and new business school offerings related to artificial intelligence (AI), sustainability, and non-degree credentials.

Quick Facts

• Despite reported concerns with economic and political volatility, applications to all GME programs continued to grow in 2025, driven by interest in full-time, in-person programs.
• Total international applications were largely steady in 2025—but flowing away from top global hubs like Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom and toward Asia and the rest of Europe.
• Aligning with candidate and employer preferences, more than half of global GME programs are teaching AI as a tool for decision-making and strategy development.
• Applications from women to MBA programs outpaced men in 2025, with women’s representation among business master’s applicants at levels just below parity—though declining for accounting and finance programs over the past decade.