Top MBA Application Trends in 2025
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) surveys thousands of aspiring graduate business students each year to better understand their goals, preferences, and expectations. The newly released 2025 Prospective Students Survey offers a clear window into current MBA application trends. It confirms what many admissions consultants and business schools have already sensed: the mindset of today’s MBA applicant is not just evolving, but doing so strategically and with a forward-thinking approach.
Here are the essential takeaways from the 2025 report that should inform how candidates and admissions professionals think about the MBA landscape this year and beyond.
ROI Is the New Ranking
Prestige still matters, but it’s no longer the end-all, be-all. The survey reveals that today’s candidates look beyond brand names and rankings. Instead, they’re laser-focused on career outcomes, skill development, and return on investment.
That means applicants compare programs based on employment rates, post-MBA salary growth, and alignment with personal career goals. They want to know: Will this degree help me grow into the leader I want to become—and will it pay off?
AI Is Now an MBA Must-Have
Business education is catching up with the AI revolution. Nearly half of the candidates surveyed said that artificial intelligence coursework is a must-have in their chosen programs. And they’re not just looking for tech buzzwords.
Wharton Launches MBA in Artificial Intelligence for Business
Applicants expect schools to offer relevant, hands-on applications of AI in leadership, operations, and decision-making. That includes coursework that helps them understand how to apply AI tools in real business settings responsibly.
In-Person Learning Is Back in Style
The pendulum is swinging back toward in-person MBA programs. Seventy-three percent of respondents now prefer full-time, on-campus learning. That’s a big jump from pandemic-era preferences for hybrid or online options.
For many, the value of an MBA lies in its immersive experience—the network, the culture, and the hands-on leadership development that comes from being physically present.
Ethics and Sustainability Are Career Drivers
Today’s MBA hopefuls are asking harder questions about the companies they plan to join. Nearly 70% say they care whether an employer acts ethically and embraces sustainability.
Business schools should note that prospective students also expect institutions to model those same values in curriculum and campus life.
Financial Aid Is a Make-or-Break Factor
Cost remains a significant barrier, and applicants are getting more strategic about how they plan to pay for school. The average candidate expects to cover about 30% of their expenses through scholarships and grants—up from 25% in 2019.
There’s also a trend away from relying on parental support, especially among first-generation applicants and millennials. Schools that offer transparent, accessible financial aid information will stand out.
Consulting and Finance Remain Popular Career Goals
Interest in careers in finance and consulting remains strong among prospective MBA students. In contrast, fewer candidates are prioritizing tech industry roles than in previous years.
This shift suggests that many applicants are gravitating toward sectors they perceive as offering greater long-term stability and clearer professional development pathways.
The Bottom Line for MBA Application Trends in 2025
Planning to apply to business school in the upcoming cycle? This year’s GMAC survey captures key MBA application trends in 2025, including a renewed focus on value, ethical leadership, practical skill-building, and the kind of community you only get on campus.
For MBA programs, the message is just as clear. Delivering a high-ROI experience with modern tech integration and values-driven leadership training is no longer optional—it’s what today’s most competitive applicants expect.
If you’re thinking seriously about applying, our team can help you turn these trends into a tailored admissions strategy. Whether it’s refining your goals, strengthening your story, or mapping out the right school list, we’re here to guide you through it. Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×
Dana
Dana served as Assistant Director of Admissions at Columbia Business School for the Full-Time MBA program and has over 10 years of experience working in higher education. Known as a scrupulous file reader, Dana reviewed countless applications and assisted in rendering final decisions for the Admissions Committee at CBS. While leading information sessions at Columbia and on the road, Dana met and advised myriad applicants� ...
×Holly
Holly worked as a member of the NYU Stern MBA Admissions team for seven years and holds an MBA from NYU Stern. In her tenure as Director of NYU MBA Admissions, Holly worked closely with admissions teams from Columbia, Michigan Ross, UVA Darden, Cornell Johnson, Berkeley Haas, Yale SOM, and Duke Fuqua on recruiting events domestically and internationally. On the NYU Stern admissions committee, Holly conducted interviews, planned and hosted events, and trained staff on reading and interviewi ...
×Mark
Mark has been working in global higher education for nearly ten years, focusing on MBA Admissions at European programs including Oxford Said Business School and London Business School (LBS). At the University of Oxford’s Said Business School, Mark was the Associate Director of MBA Recruitment, leading the recruitment of all applicants to the Oxford MBA and 1+1 MBA programs. In this role, Mark advised countless MBA applic ...
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