GMAC Prospective Students Survey – 2025 Deans Summary

Overview

This Deans Summary highlights the key themes and insights of the GMAC Prospective Students Survey 2025 Report, which continues to explore trends in the candidate pipeline, program preferences, mobility considerations, and career goals.

Quick Facts

• What’s New in 2025: Candidates are more interested in hands-on AI classroom experiences, gaining strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, and an employer’s stance on ethical and sustainable practices when entering the job market.
• Communicating with Candidates: Candidates are becoming less concerned with rankings as their research about GME’s return on investment increases.
• Financing Plans: The average GME candidate now plans to fund their degree with more financial aid and less support from their parents compared to pre-pandemic levels.
• Degree and Delivery Preferences: Candidate interest in hybrid and flexible programs declined as preference for both full-time and part-time in-person programs increased.
• Geographic Mobility: The United States and Western Europe remain top study destinations, with candidates in India and Greater China increasingly considering programs at home.
• Career Goals: Consulting, financial services, and technology still top the list of preferred industries to work in following graduation, though there has been a small but statistically significant dip in candidate interest in the tech sector.