AMBA-accredited MBAs demonstrate resilience and renewed progress in global market

Drawing on data from 96 per cent of AMBA-accredited business schools worldwide the report provides one of the most comprehensive snapshots of global MBA demand and delivery available.

While global application volumes moderated in 2024, AMBA-accredited schools are demonstrating strength in key areas including gender diversity, programme flexibility and student commitment.

Strong progress in gender diversity

One of the report’s most positive findings is the renewed growth in female participation.

Globally, women represented 41% of MBA applicants and 41% of enrolled students in 2024, marking a two-percentage-point increase year-on-year and pushing female representation back above the important 40% benchmark.

In China, women accounted for 51% of MBA enrolments, surpassing gender parity. India saw a particularly notable rise in female applications, up 16 percentage points year-on-year.

These results suggest that sustained efforts around inclusivity, targeted outreach and flexible study formats are delivering meaningful results across the AMBA network.

Flexibility remains central to MBA provision

AMBA-accredited schools continue to evolve their programme portfolios to meet the needs of working professionals.

Globally, 64% of MBA programmes were delivered part-time in 2024, with a further 14% offered in modular formats. This sustained emphasis on flexible delivery highlights the sector’s responsiveness to changing learner expectations.

The report also shows that classroom learning remains central to the MBA experience. In 2024, 70% of programmes were taught primarily in-person, demonstrating a strong return to campus-based learning alongside blended and online innovation.

Stable enrolment and strong student commitment

Although global applications saw a moderation compared with 2023, enrolment declines were less pronounced, suggesting continued strong conversion and commitment from admitted candidates.

The global average yield rate – the percentage of admitted students who enrol – remained robust at 69%, underlining the sustained attractiveness of AMBA-accredited MBA programmes.

Acceptance rates rose slightly, reflecting a market adjusting to shifting application volumes while maintaining rigorous admissions standards.

A resilient and evolving sector

Andrew Main Wilson, CEO of AMBA & BGA, said:

“The global MBA market is evolving, and this year’s findings show a sector that is adapting with confidence. While application volumes have moderated in some regions, we are seeing strong progress in gender diversity, continued demand in key markets and sustained student commitment.

AMBA-accredited schools remain at the forefront of innovation, delivering flexible, high-quality programmes that respond to global economic and geopolitical shifts. The return to growth in female representation is particularly encouraging and reflects the sector’s long-term commitment to widening access and strengthening leadership diversity.”

The 2025 report includes a like-for-like analysis of 237 schools that submitted data in both 2023 and 2024, alongside a broader profile of 256 MBA-offering AMBA-accredited institutions in 2024.

Key findings

CHANGES TO MBA DEMAND AND PROVISION: LIKE-FOR-LIKE ANALYSIS, 2023-2023 (BASED ON ONLY SCHOOLS WHO SUBMITTED DATA BOTH YEARS)

How courses are taught

· The part-time MBA remained the most popular format on offer in 2024, among AMBA-accredited business schools.

· Globally, 62 per cent of all programmes were taught part time in 2024, reflecting only a marginal change from the equivalent proportion in 2023.

Applications and enrolments

· Globally, there was a 10 per cent decrease in the average number of applications received by each business school between 2023 and 2024.

· There was also a nine percent decrease, on average, in the number of applications to individual programmes.

Diversity in MBA programmes

· Globally, the proportion of women applying to MBA programmes was 41 per cent in 2024 on average, an increase of two percentage points on the equivalent figure from 2023.

· The proportion of women enrolling in MBA programmes also rose by two percentage points globally, to reach 41 per cent.

MBA APPLICATION AND ENROLMENT IN 2024: OVERVIEW OF AMBA-ACCREDITED SCHOOLS

Programme formats

· Globally, 64 per cent of MBA programmes were delivered in a part-time format in 2024, with 22 per cent delivered full time and 14 per cent delivered in a modular format.

Acceptance and yield rate

· Globally, the average acceptance rate onto AMBA-accredited MBA programmes was 41 per cent and the global average yield for AMBA-accredited business schools was 70 per cent.

Diversity

· In 2024, women represented 41 per cent of applicants to MBA programmes offered by AMBA-accredited business schools across the world, as well as 41 per cent of those enrolled in these programmes.