Women lead full-time MBA applications: Growth seen worldwide; flexible programmes rise

Women person outpaced men successful applications to full-time MBA programmes, marking a important displacement successful planetary postgraduate absorption education. According to the latest Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) 2025 Application Trends Survey, women present correspond a larger stock of applicants successful respective MBA formats.The survey shows that the fig of women applying to full-time, two-year MBA programmes accrued by six percent successful 2025, surpassing the nominal one-percent summation successful applications from men. This inclination is particularly disposable successful traditional, full-time programmes and online MBA formats, highlighting changing patterns successful concern schoolhouse applications.Growth successful full-time and online MBA applicationsAmong full-time, two-year MBA programmes, 63 percent of programmes reported an summation successful applications from women.

Online MBA programmes besides saw growth, with full applications from women rising by 7 percent. Flexible MBA programmes reported akin trends, with much than fractional of programmes noting increases successful pistillate applicants.Despite the wide growth, enforcement MBA, flex MBA, and part-time MBA programmes experienced declines successful full applications from some men and women. However, decreases were little pronounced among pistillate applicants, indicating continued involvement successful flexible programme formats.

Representation successful concern master’s programmesIn concern master’s programmes, women proceed to marque up conscionable implicit 40 percent of applicants globally, a proportionality that has remained dependable for much than a decade. In 2025, determination was a nominal one-percentage-point summation successful the median stock of women applying.Applications from women grew astir notably successful Master of Accounting programmes, with 53 percent of programmes reporting growth.

Women besides accounted for astir fractional of applicants to Master of Accounting and Master successful Management programmes. In Master of Marketing programmes, women comprised astir two-thirds of the applicant pool.Conversely, women stay underrepresented successful Master of Finance programmes, making up lone one-third of applicants successful 2025. This represents a continued diminution from astir fractional of the applications successful 2016.Comparing MBA and concern master’s applicationsWomen mostly person higher practice successful much flexible programme formats compared to full-time oregon enforcement programmes. The median stock of women successful full-time, two-year MBA applications remains beneath parity astatine 41 percent, wherever it has hovered for the past decade.

Source: GMAC 2025 Application Trends SurveyTrends successful programme formatsWomen are amended represented successful MBA programmes offered successful non-full-time oregon online formats.

While full-time, in-person programmes attracted much applications from women successful 2025, the complaint of maturation was little than that for antheral applicants. Online and flexible programmes experienced smaller declines among women compared to men, and immoderate adjacent recorded flimsy increases.The GMAC 2025 Application Trends Survey highlights continued maturation successful women’s information successful MBA and concern master’s programmes. Full-time, two-year and online MBA programmes are starring successful attracting pistillate applicants, portion women stay underrepresented successful enforcement MBA and finance-focused master’s programmes. Across each programme types, flexible and online formats proceed to spot higher pistillate representation, reflecting broader trends successful postgraduate absorption education.