What factors defined graduate management education (GME) in 2025, and how will they shape your decision-making in 2026?
At our recent Year in Review webinar, we counted down the top 10 business school trends from the past year of GMAC research. Check out which insights about degree and modality preferences; geographic mobility; skills and artificial intelligence (AI); and the value of GME topped the list.
10. Prospective students want to be back in the classroom.
After years of declining interest, prospective students reversed course in 2025 and showed renewed preference for full-time, in-person programs as favorability of hybrid and flexible delivery waned.
Candidate interest translated to actual applications, with full-time formats driving application growth for the 2025-2026 academic year.
For more, see: Connecting With Working Professionals
9. Prospective students prefer business master’s degrees more than before.
Business master’s programs were a standout growth story in 2025.
Though MBA programs remain the most preferred GME degree among global candidates, interest among candidates surged—along with actual applications to business master’s degrees (with the exception of the Master of Business Analytics).
For more, see: Who Wants a Business Master’s Degree
8. Though the population of 18-year-olds is projected to drop by 2038 in most countries, the population aged 25 and older is expected to increase.
While much attention has focused on declining youth populations in some countries—affecting the overall supply of talent seeking undergraduate and eventually graduate studies—the global picture is more nuanced. For example, Africa is projected to see significant growth among younger populations, and the United States’ population of 18-year-olds is expected to rebound in the next decade.
Perhaps more importantly, the population aged 25 and older is expected to grow in key markets. Global aging patterns and longer working lives are reshaping demand for upskilling and reskilling in ways that favor lifelong learning. What role will graduate business schools play?
For more, see: Demand for Graduate Management Education
7. International applications shifted away from traditional English-speaking hubs and toward markets seeking to expand their international reach.
International applications to GME programs in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States declined in 2025 but increased in other parts of Europe and Asia.
Though domestic applications grew in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, it was not enough to offset the declines seen from candidates applying from abroad, driving down total applications—especially in Canada, and to a lesser extent in the United Kingdom and nominally in the United States.
For more, see: Application Trends Survey
6. Visa policy, geopolitics, and economic changes are (re)shaping geographic mobility patterns.
“Push,” “pull,” and “stay” factors are affecting where candidates are considering pursuing GME.
Caps on international student visas, restrictions on post-study work, and geopolitical uncertainty are pushing students away from traditional English-speaking hubs of GME. Meanwhile, countries offering more favorable student visa policies, affordability, English-taught programs, and work opportunities are pulling students in.
For some candidates—especially in India, parts of Africa, and to a lesser extent Greater China—economic factors and currency pressures are reducing purchasing power abroad and increasing interest in studying closer to home.
For more, see our forthcoming white paper on geographic mobility.
5. Employers’ most valued skills of today and tomorrow are still problem-solving and strategic thinking.
When employers were asked which skills they consider in their hiring decisions—both now and in the next five years—problem-solving and strategic thinking still top the lists.
The good news for business schools is that candidates are aligned, with problem-solving and strategic thinking topping the list of skills they want to cultivate in business school, too.
While strategy and problem-solving anchor the skills landscape, AI-related competencies are gaining importance quickly. Employers increasingly value skills in using AI tools, technology, and data analysis, and candidates expect these capabilities to be embedded in their programs.
In the next five years, AI fluency is expected to move from a differentiator to a baseline expectation.
For more, see: Corporate Recruiters Survey
4. Employers, candidates, and programs are aligned on the curricular approach to AI.
By 2025, the vast majority of business schools had integrated AI into their classrooms as candidate and employer interest has ballooned over time.
Importantly, candidates, employers, and programs are aligned on how AI should be taught: through hands-on applications, business simulations, and strategic decision-making.
In other words, AI competency is valued for its role in developing core skills like problem-solving and strategic thinking rather than an outcome in and of itself.
For more, see: AI in Business Education: Current Practices and Future Potential
3. Business schools have integrated AI with both top-down and bottom-up approaches.
With the rise of generative AI, business schools have been scoping, piloting, and scaling AI projects into their classrooms and administrative processes.
These early movers have found success through several different methods—including “top-down” approaches that rally resources and attention around one big project as well as “bottom-up” frameworks that support experimentation before refining and scaling.
For more, see: AI in Business School hub
2. Employers remain very confident in GME, but macro-level economic and geopolitical factors are anticipated to influence hiring of GME talent.
Ninety-nine percent of employers say they are confident in business schools’ ability to develop talent to be successful in their organizations. They also say business school skills are even more important in today’s context as organizations adopt new technologies and hybrid work modalities.
However, a Q3 pulse survey of career services professionals and recruiters of U.S. MBA graduates reported less favorable hiring outcomes compared to their January 2025 projections. As they look ahead to future hiring, it appears employers’ overall confidence in GME will bump up against their concerns around recession risk, country leaders, and their organizations’ financial status.
For more, see: U.S. MBA Hiring: Predictions vs. Reality
1. Return on investment (ROI) is increasingly the most important factor that candidates consider when researching business school.
When researching GME, prospective students reported that ROI is still their most important factor to consider—and at even greater rates than last year.
Yet candidates’ motivations extend beyond income. Many pursue GME for personal growth, fulfillment, and the ability to make a positive impact through their careers. The most compelling program narratives address both outcomes and purpose.
For more, see: GMAC Prospective Students Survey
Want to learn more? Visit www.gmac.com/research to read GMAC’s latest market intelligence about prospective students’ preferences, employer perspectives, and business school experiences.
