Globally, candidate preference for hybrid learning continues to increase at the expense of in-person learning, while interest in predominantly online learning remains flat. This increase is evident across regions and demographic groups, with overall preference highest among candidates who have traditionally demonstrated the most interest: women, older (Gen X and millennial) candidates, first-generation and U.S. underrepresented candidates, and prospective students in North America and Africa. This growing candidate interest appears to have translated to actual applications in the past year, with increasing shares of hybrid and online programs reporting application growth in 2023. However, predominantly online business master's programs were the exception, with a majority of these programs experiencing year-over-year application declines. Meanwhile, employers continue to have doubts about how the quality of online programs stack up to in-person programs with regard to their abilities to impart communication, leadership, and technical skills to their students. This concern is most pronounced in Asia and the consulting industry, while U.S. and technology sector employers appear the most open to the skills-building capabilities of online programs.