ADVERTISEMENTs

More students turn from US, UK, Canada to Asia and Europe for business education

GMAC survey finds growing preference for programs in India, East Asia, and continental Europe.

Representative image / Pexels

Applications to business schools in Asia and Europe have risen sharply this year as fewer students choose to study in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, according to the 2025 Application Trends Survey released by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). This was primarily due to tighter visa policies and labor market uncertainty which discouraged international applicants.

Global applications to graduate management education (GME) programs grew by 7 percent in 2025, continuing last year’s record increase. However, the survey shows that English-speaking countries are no longer the dominant destinations for management studies. In the US, applications fell slightly by one percentage point, while 84 percent of Canadian programs and two-thirds of UK programs reported declines.

ALSO READ: Indians lead drop in US university visas

In contrast, Asia and Europe (excluding the UK) recorded significant growth. India saw a 26 percent rise in applications, and East and Southeast Asia reported a 42 percent surge. GMAC said this shift reflects the growing reputation of business schools in these regions and the impact of more restrictive visa and labor policies in Western countries.

Joy Jones, CEO of GMAC, said the data reflects a period of transition in business education. “The next era of business education is being reshaped by changing student and employer expectations, challenging geopolitics, and new skill demand prompted by technologies like AI,” she said. She added that despite headwinds in some regions, “this year’s application growth gives strong evidence that business schools are quickly adapting through innovative curricula and industry-aligned experiences.”

Full-time, in-person MBA and business master’s programs—especially in accounting, finance, and marketing—saw the strongest demand. Meanwhile, applications to Master of Business Analytics programs continued to decline, with nearly two-thirds reporting drops for a second consecutive year.

Flexible programs such as executive, part-time, and online MBAs also saw decreased interest. GMAC linked this to changing candidate behavior following widespread return-to-office mandates, reversing the pandemic-era trend toward remote and flexible study formats.

The survey also found that business schools are rapidly integrating artificial intelligence into coursework. Only 16 percent of programs reported no AI integration in 2025, compared with 22 percent a year ago. More than half now teach AI as a tool for business strategy, decision-making, and social impact.

Sustainability education is also on the rise, with three-quarters of programs offering sustainability-related courses—most commonly through MBA curricula. Candidate demand is strong: 63 percent of prospective students said sustainability is important to their studies. Asian programs outside of Greater China and India were the most likely to require sustainability courses, while US programs were the least likely.

Globally, women continued to represent just over 40 percent of all business school applicants, a share that has remained stable for more than a decade. In 2025, women applied to MBA programs at a faster rate than men, while their representation among business master’s applicants remained just below parity.

 

 

Comments

Related