Women have outpaced men in applications to full-time MBA programmes, marking a significant shift in global graduate management education. According to the latest Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) 2025 Application Trends Survey, women now represent a larger share of applicants in several MBA formats.The survey shows that the number of women applying to full-time, two-year MBA programmes increased by six percent in 2025, surpassing the nominal one-percent increase in applications from men. This trend is especially visible in traditional, full-time programmes and online MBA formats, highlighting changing patterns in business school applications.Growth in full-time and online MBA applicationsAmong full-time, two-year MBA programmes, 63 percent of programmes reported an increase in applications from women. Online MBA programmes also saw growth, with total applications from women rising by seven percent. Flexible MBA programmes reported similar trends, with more than half of programmes noting increases in female applicants.Despite the overall growth, executive MBA, flex MBA, and part-time MBA programmes experienced declines in total applications from both men and women. However, decreases were less pronounced among female applicants, indicating continued interest in flexible programme formats.Representation in business master’s programmesIn business master’s programmes, women continue to make up just over 40 percent of applicants globally, a proportion that has remained steady for more than a decade. In 2025, there was a nominal one-percentage-point increase in the median share of women applying.Applications from women grew most notably in Master of Accounting programmes, with 53 percent of programmes reporting growth. Women also accounted for roughly half of applicants to Master of Accounting and Master in Management programmes. In Master of Marketing programmes, women comprised approximately two-thirds of the applicant pool.Conversely, women remain underrepresented in Master of Finance programmes, making up only one-third of applicants in 2025. This represents a continued decline from nearly half of the applications in 2016.Comparing MBA and business master’s applicationsWomen generally have higher representation in more flexible programme formats compared to full-time or executive programmes. The median share of women in full-time, two-year MBA applications remains below parity at 41 percent, where it has hovered for the past decade.
Source: GMAC 2025 Application Trends SurveyTrends in programme formatsWomen are better represented in MBA programmes offered in non-full-time or online formats. While full-time, in-person programmes attracted more applications from women in 2025, the rate of growth was lower than that for male applicants. Online and flexible programmes experienced smaller declines among women compared to men, and some even recorded slight increases.The GMAC 2025 Application Trends Survey highlights continued growth in women’s participation in MBA and business master’s programmes. Full-time, two-year and online MBA programmes are leading in attracting female applicants, while women remain underrepresented in executive MBA and finance-focused master’s programmes. Across all programme types, flexible and online formats continue to see higher female representation, reflecting broader trends in graduate management education.
