Gen Z candidates are showing greater enthusiasm for finance masters — countering a wider downturn in business education. But this bright spot in a shrinking market presents a challenge for training providers, who must meet the evolving expectations of a cohort with different needs and values.

Some 27 per cent of Gen Z prospective students (born since 1997) are now -considering a masters in finance, compared with 13 per cent of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996), according to a survey carried out by the Graduate Management Admission Council, which runs the GMAT entrance exam.

And, in both 2022 and 2023, more than half of US finance masters programmes saw growth in applications, even as overall demand for business training dropped 3.4 per cent last year. Most applicants are from Gen Z, with the average age of GMAT test-takers being 25.