To MBA or not to MBA

Question

Masters degrees cost an arm and a leg, and even with scholarships they take a lot of time. I saw a post on linkedin today about how a lot of colleges are investing on their online programs because the in person MBA does not fit most people's lifestyles. Not to mention, millennials aren't buying homes (I seriously see an article about this everyday) and this can be tied to the fact that they are sitting under massive debt.

Is the MBA worth it? Also, what do you think about students loans?

SybilCoffey · Accepted Answer

An MBA can be worth it if you want to change careers or locations, there are a lot of factors to consider:
What schools can you get in to?
What job do you want on the other side of b-school?
Can you (reasonably) make that jump without an MBA?
Does your desired industry/company recruit at that school?
If you're at a school without a big banking alumni network and you're not one of the two IB hires your school produces, what are the likely career outcomes?
Will you rack up $200K of debt and get a job with a starting salary of $80K?

Not all student debt is created equal: $200K of debt is complet

ironman32 · Answer

MBAs should really be pursued for the network you get. Meaning, if you go to a M7, that's worth its weight if you're trying to get into banking; whereas, some random school in PA probably isn't worth the cost.

Most people believe an MBA to be the golden ticket, but think, will you still have to network after to get the job you want? If so, just start the networking now.

On student loans, definitely out of control. Cost of education has compounded more than anything else over the ~20 years (I think, don't have the stats).

Big_BulgerBrand · Answer

Would an employer treat someone with an online MBA the same as someone with an in person brick and mortar experience? Or does it all come down to the prestige of the schools giving the degree?

SybilCoffey · Answer

That seems right, but keep in mind that brick and mortar is not seen as superior because the education is just inherently better. The regular MBA professors teach the online courses as well, so the reason it's considered superior is that it is harder to get into a full-time program than a part-time or online program.

If we're being honest, the classroom education of a top MBA is not all that different from any state school.

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To MBA or not to MBA

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To MBA or not to MBA

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