In Massive Shift, 2024 MBA Applicants Said ‘No’ To The UK, ‘Yes’ To France

Perhaps Brexit is to blame. Whatever the reason, something is pushing MBA applicants away from the United Kingdom.

Instead, they are turning to Britain’s oldest rival: France.

Applications to French business schools showed strong growth in 2024, with 74% of programs reporting an increase, according to data from the Applications Trends Survey published last fall by the Graduate Management Admission Council. Contrast that with a nearly 45% decline in domestic MBA apps at the UK’s B-schools and a nearly 12% drop in international applications.

40% OF NEW APPLICANTS TO FRENCH B-SCHOOLS WERE WOMEN

GMAC’s 2024 Application Trends Survey is based on data from over 1,000 programs at 297 institutions worldwide, and reflects significant demand shifts and evolving preferences among business school applicants.

Sixty-nine percent of European business programs experienced growth in applications. In France, average total applications per program stood at 419, with three applications per seat and an average acceptance rate of 35%. Forty percent of applicants were women, marking an increase in female applications compared to the previous year.

“While the 2024 Application Trends Survey highlights strong growth for French business schools, it also presents an opportunity for further innovation,” says Nalisha Patel, director for the Americas and Europe at GMAC. “The surge in applications offers French institutions a chance to capitalize on emerging trends in business education, such as the integration of AI, ensuring they remain competitive on the global stage.”

MORE THAN HALF OF EUROPEAN PROGRAMS SAW APP INCREASES

UK business school programs experienced a nearly polar opposite effect, reporting a 44.8% decline in domestic applications and an 11.6% drop in international applications, year-to-year.

The stands in sharp contrast to Europe as a whole: 54% of European programs saw a relative year-to-year increase in applications, with 59% seeing the same for international applications. In the United States, business programs saw a 53% increase in applications, powered by a surge in domestic applications over the last two years. However, the average percentage of women applicants remained stagnant in the U.S. at 40%.

Globally, international applications presented mixed results, with East and Southeast Asia and parts of Europe seeing increased demand, while certain regions, like India, solidified their positions as competitive hubs for business education.

Download GMAC’s report here.

DON’T MISS POETS&QUANTS’ SPECIAL REPORT: WHY STUDY BUSINESS IN FRANCE? and BOOM: APPLICATIONS SKYROCKET AT THE WORLD’S MBA PROGRAMS