- Employers globally maintain strong confidence in MBA and business graduate degrees despite AI concerns
- Over 50% of recruiters say graduate business degrees gain importance with new tech and AI adoption
- 99% of employers in 2025 trust Graduate Management Education to prepare successful graduates
Despite concerns over whether artificial intelligence (AI) could impact business jobs, employers across the globe continue to have confidence in MBA and other graduate business degrees, according to a new report by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)
The report is based on an annual survey of global corporate recruiters conducted by GMAC, the organisation known for conducting the GMAT exam and representing leading business schools worldwide.
The survey found that more than half of employers believe a graduate business degree has become more important as companies adopt new technologies and AI-based tools.
Read Full GMAC Prospective Students Survey
The survey included responses from 621 recruiters and hiring managers across 39 countries, including professionals from some of the world's largest companies.
According to the report, employers continue to show strong confidence in Graduate Management Education (GME), which includes MBA programmes and specialised business master's courses in fields such as finance, management and data analytics.
"In 2025, 99 per cent of employers expressed at least some degree of confidence in GME's ability to prepare graduates to be successful in their organisations. In 2026, not one respondent indicated they have no confidence, revealing the enduring value that employers believe GME provides to industry," the report said.
Employers said MBA graduates are valued for their ability to handle complex business challenges in a changing global environment. The report noted that nearly three-fourths of respondents appreciated GME graduates' ability to work effectively amid global complexity.
The report also highlighted that while AI can generate content, analyse data and automate routine work, human skills such as communication, adaptability and emotional intelligence remain important.
"In an era when AI can generate content, analyse data, and automate routine tasks, the distinctly human capabilities of communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence have become harder to replicate-and, therefore, more valuable," the report said.
However, the survey also pointed towards concerns over professionalism among new graduates. Employers reported a decline in confidence regarding qualities such as reliability, accountability and workplace behaviour compared with previous years.
The GMAC report said business schools now need to prepare graduates to combine AI knowledge with human judgement and leadership skills.
"Schools must prepare graduates to operate with confidence at the intersection of technological fluency and human judgment," it said.
The findings suggest that MBA programmes continue to hold importance for employers even as workplaces evolve with new technologies and AI adoption.
