Are Elite B-Schools Worth the Money?

This is really a great question and you are going to get a lot of very interesting responses.

In short, I believe that an MBA degree from a top program is still worth the investment. Based upon calculations that our Chairman (a Columbia PhD), he estimates that your personal value increases about $2 million if you attend a premier program. I am pretty sure that his assessment would include the increased opportunities that will become available much further along in your career (not just your few few post-MBA years). Based on personal observations of people I graduated with from Wharton, most have and continue been presented with a wide variety of diverse career opportunities (many which they never could have imagined when they enrolled in school). My friends who attended lower tier schools also experienced a lot of career success, but they have not been presented with as many nor as diverse experiences and have usually stayed pretty much focused on the same function and the same industry. Also, when these people did try to make a move (whether industry, function or geographic), most have experienced resistance.

In short, I still believe that the investment is worth it.

Manhattan Review