Is the US MBA worth it?

Question

Hi,

I have been planning to do my MBA in the US for quite some time now. Lately a friend of mine told me that it's a bad idea. He has people telling him that the job opportunities in US are not that great now (even more difficult for Indians to get a job)and has advised me against this decision of mine.

I am really confused since I always thought that I would definitely get placed in the US after my MBA. I am worried because the degree costs so much and I don't want to come back to India after spending so much for college.

Please advise.

Thanks.

bagdbmba · Answer

Hi nsamantha,
I'd say it's still worthy. However, the BIG QUESTION is whether it's WORTHY ENOUGH (especially, in terms of debt payback aspect and ROI) today as it was a few years ago, considering the current development in H1B Visa System.

I'm NO EXPERT, hence I wanted to have current students who're Internationals/Indians (and just graduated or in the second year of their MBA) and our in-house Admission Consulting Experts to chime in this  discussion .

In the mean time, this might give you some  thoughts .

MBAIvy · Answer

It is certainly worth it if you intend to stay and work in the U.S. post graduation. The level of internships you can get while in school will be incredibly valuable in terms of charting your course, post MBA.

[I'm a former Harvard interviewer and Harvard grad, and currently run the MBA consulting firm: MBA Ivy League!]

Jillian, President & Founder
MBA Ivy League
New York, NY

www.MBAIvyLeague.com

brandon432 · Answer

The answer to depends on which school you're talking about. There's is an ocean of difference between HBS and say, Pepperdine. There's no way to generalize about all US MBA programs.

nsamantha · Answer

Hi brandon432,

As you said, there is a difference between various B-Schools. But I am particularly interested in the Top 25 Schools.

What is the scenario like in these Schools? Is an MBA worth here?

Thanks.

brandon432 · Answer

It depends on a lot of factors. There are pretty significant differences in opportunities available even among top-25 schools and it's not as simple as saying "the top-xx are worth it and the rest aren't."

Let's unpack "worth" a little bit. Some factors to consider: What do you do now? How much do you make? What do you want to do after? Does a particular school have a strong recruiting pipeline to that industry? What are your odds of getting that job? How much will you make? What are your backup options? How much will it cost (direct and opportunity)? How do you value non-pecuniary benefits like education and network?

For me, the total economic cost of b-school is almost $350k. In qualitative terms, I figure 50% of that is justified by getting 1 of 12-15 jobs (consulting). Another 30% by getting 1 of 3 jobs (MBB). The final 20% is the value I place on education and the experience overall.

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Is the US MBA worth it?

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