An MBA costs between $30,000 and $200,000 depending on the program. The median salary for MBA graduates is $115,000 — but that number hides enormous variation.
We analyzed 84 MBA programs using College Scorecard earnings data, GMAT scores, acceptance rates, and tuition costs. The programs with the highest ROI aren’t always the most prestigious. Several public university MBA programs deliver returns that rival their Ivy League counterparts at a fraction of the cost.
The strongest predictor of MBA ROI isn’t the school’s ranking — it’s the debt-to-earnings ratio at graduation. Programs where graduates earn 2x or more their total cost within three years consistently produce the best long-term financial outcomes.