Not even an MBA can save Gen Z and they know it—now U.S. business school applications have plunged 25% as job prospects dim
Source: Fortune ·
Business school is becoming a tougher sell for Gen Z, even as graduates of top MBA programs land jobs with median base salaries of at least $175,000.
From the source
Gen Z is staring down an AI-driven job market with fewer guarantees—and even business school is looking less like a lifeline. Applications to U.S. graduate business programs plunged 25% in 2026, marking the steepest decline in nearly a decade. According to the data released Tuesday by the Graduate Management Admission Council, the drop reverses two consecutive years of application growth. A perfect storm of factors—including economic uncertainty, shifting visa policies, and geopolitical tensions—is weighing on demand. But the economy stands out as the biggest drag: 90% of graduate business programs surveyed said economic changes, including recession fears, layoffs, and shifts in the job market, affected application volumes, while 73% reported a major or moderate impact, the highest share of any factor. That’s a shift from the usual pattern: When jobs are scarce, people often turn to school to improve their prospects. But this time, economic uncertainty is making prospective Gen Z…