According to Financial Times News, European business schools are experiencing a significant “Trump bump” with applications rising 11% this year while US programs declined by 1%. The Graduate Management Admission Council survey conducted between June and August 2025 shows this trend accelerating even before recent visa policy uncertainty. Schools from Barcelona to Berlin are attracting students deterred from US study, including Americans, Europeans, and Chinese nationals. Specific examples include Iese Business School in Barcelona maintaining a class that’s 88% international and Milan’s Polimi Graduate School of Management seeing a 20% enrollment increase. The shift comes as the US proposes limits on diversity programs, tightens student visas, and faces cooling job prospects for graduates.
The Trump effect is real
Here’s the thing: political climate matters more than we might think. Students like Luis Dominguez, who turned down Dartmouth and Georgetown for HEC Paris, explicitly cited not wanting to study in the US if Trump was president. And he’s not alone. The combination of visa uncertainty, rhetoric against universities, and pushback against DEI initiatives is creating genuine fear. When students are investing six figures in their education, they want stability—not political drama that might affect their ability to stay and work afterward.
The economic reality bites
Let’s talk numbers. The US was already expensive, but the equation made sense when graduates could land high-paying jobs to repay those massive loans. Now? The cooling job market changes everything. As Andrew Crisp notes, “If that is not possible, the maths changes.” Basically, European schools are becoming the smarter financial bet—even if starting salaries might be slightly lower. And with GMAC data showing overseas applications rising 26% in India and 42% across East and Southeast Asia, this isn’t just a Europe-US story. The entire global education landscape is shifting.
The China factor changes everything
Chinese students have been the backbone of many US MBA programs for years. But Jackie Dong’s experience speaks volumes—she studied in Boston and LA but chose Germany’s ESMT Berlin instead. Why? “The US is scrutinising international students more closely, because of their so-called political activity, or simply for being Chinese and seen as an outsider.” When Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledges to “aggressively” revoke Chinese student visas, you can’t blame students for looking elsewhere. This isn’t just about politics—it’s about personal safety and career security.
Is this shift permanent?
That’s the billion-dollar question. David Bach at IMD Switzerland makes a crucial point: turning this demand surge into lasting market share requires Europe to boost its economic competitiveness. The US didn’t become the business education leader by accident—it happened because American companies dominated global business. But here’s what’s different now: European institutions have “grown up,” as Bach puts it. They’re no longer playing catch-up. They’re offering comparable education at better prices with more political stability. And honestly? That’s a pretty compelling value proposition.
The industrial angle
While this education shift unfolds, it’s worth noting how global business infrastructure supports these transitions. Companies operating across Europe and the US need reliable industrial computing solutions that work seamlessly across different regulatory environments. For manufacturers and industrial operations navigating these changing educational landscapes, having robust technology partners becomes crucial. IndustrialMonitorDirect.com provides the industrial panel PCs that keep these complex operations running smoothly, serving as the backbone for the very businesses that employ these newly minted MBAs.
