Earning degrees or buying time: Why Gen Z in US are racing back to law schools and MBA classrooms

When jobs dry up, classrooms fill up. That old saying has never felt truer than it does in 2025. Across America, law schools and MBA programmes are seeing a surge in applications, not from starry-eyed students, but from anxious young professionals who no longer trust the job market to reward their effort. According to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), applications to American Bar Association-accredited law schools are up by a staggering 33% compared to last year. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) reports a 7% rise in graduate management education applications this year, following a 12% increase in 2024. In a world where algorithms can outthink interns and layoffs strike faster than promotions, higher education has become less of a choice and more of a refuge. Gen