There are many reasons to consider pursuing an executive MBA: Promotion, a salary bump, and building an impressive executive network. Not to mention the personal and professional self-reflection many candidates at top programs claim to be among the most valuable aspects of the experience.
There are also several factors the benefits must be weighed against, including the hefty price tags.
The average cost of the prestige programs ranked in the top 5 of our latest EMBA ranking of the best U.S. programs is more than $210,000. Even the least expensive programs from our ranking will set you back $40K and more.
You can see how the top 10 programs from our annual composite ranking compare by total cost in the chart below.
Total Costs of P&Q’s Top 10 EMBA Programs |
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| A comparison of total program costs for the top 10 Executive MBA programs as ranked by Poets&Quants for 2023-2024.. Total costs represent tuition and fees for the complete program, as reported on the schools’ program websites. | ||
P&Q Rank |
School |
Total Cost |
| 1 | Chicago (Booth) | $204,450 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania (Wharton) | $223,500 |
| 3 | MIT (Sloan) | $197,000 |
| 4 | Northwestern (Kellogg) | $231,174 |
| 5 (tie) | New York (Stern) | $219,500 |
| 5 (tie) | UCLA (Anderson) | $183,552 |
| 7 | Michigan (Ross) | $178,500 |
| 8 | Duke (Fuqua) | $166,900 |
| 9 | Yale SOM | $208,500 |
| 10 | Texas-Austin (McCombs) | $154,950 |
MOST EXPENSIVE EMBAs BY TOTAL COST
If you’re considering an Executive MBA in 2024, Poets&Quants for Execs has scoured school websites to find the total program cost for more than 60 schools on our 2023 Executive MBA ranking. (Total cost is tuition and required fees for the entire program, as reported on the school websites.)
Not surprisingly, several of the top-ranked programs are among the most expensive. Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management (ranked No. 4 overall), for example, costs $231,174 while University of Pennsylvania’s The Wharton School (No. 2) will set your back $223,500.
But those aren’t even the most expensive. That honor goes to Columbia Business School (tied for No. 15 in our ranking) at a whopping $239,880 for its 20-month program. NYU Stern (tied for No. 5), Cornell Johnson (No. 18), Yale School of Management (No. 9), and UC-Berkeley Haas (tied for 15th) all cost more than $200,000.
10 Most Expensive P&Q Ranked EMBAs |
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2023 P&Q Rank |
School |
Total cost |
| 15 (tie) | Columbia Business School | $239,880 |
| 4 | Northwestern (Kellogg) | $231,174 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania (Wharton) | $223,500 |
| 18 | Cornell (Johnson) | $219,688 |
| 5 (tie) | New York (Stern) | $219,500 |
| 9 | Yale SOM | $208,500 |
| 15 (tie) | UC-Berkeley (Haas) | $205,897 |
| 1 | Chicago (Booth) | $204,450 |
| 3 | MIT (Sloan) | $197,000 |
| 5 (tie) | UCLA (Anderson) | $183,552 |
Of course, the sticker prices at preferred EMBA programs aren’t necessarily the price students will pay. Many schools offer scholarships – some more generous than others – and several will help prospective students reach out to their employers for tuition assistance.
Some employers value continuing education for its professionals in order to train them for the business challenges in the evolving future-of-work. That is especially true for employees who have shown a commitment to their firms and plan to use their EMBA degrees to advance their careers within their current organizations. It never hurts to ask.
The degree should also be looked at as an investment. The career coaching, professional networks, and resume boosts an EMBA brings can lead to significant career advancements in future years. The Executive MBA Council (EMBAC) found that 17.7% of students exiting an EMBA program in 2022 reported getting a raise by the time they exited the program. Students reported that their average compensation rose from $231,143 at the start of their executive MBA programs to $272,160 at the end. Further, 41% of students reported receiving a promotion.
HUNTING FOR EMBA BARGAINS
If cost is an important consideration, you can find some bargains on our ranking list. Of course, this disregards all other factors like location, program focus, and tuition support.
The EMBA at Ohio’s Kent State University (ranked No. 64) is the least expensive on our list at a total cost of $43,900. Other EMBA bargains include South Florida University’s Muma College of Business (No. 50) at $47,500 and BYU’s Marriott School (No 52) at $53,042.
Fourteen programs from our ranking are priced under $80,000. That includes No. 26 Marquette University at $79,500. Its strong rank and relatively low price tag make it one of the best bargains on the list.
Other bargains include Xavier Williams (ranked 27th) at $72,500 and Georgia State Robinson (No. 30) at $77,000.
14 EMBAs Under $80K |
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P&Q Rank |
School |
Total cost |
| 26 | Marquette | $79,500 |
| 30 | Georgia State (Robinson) | $77,000 |
| 63 | University of Arizona (Eller) | $77,000 |
| 41 | Georgia (Terry) | $74,750 |
| 53 | Houston (Bauer) | $74,700 |
| 27 | Xavier (Williams) | $72,200 |
| 33 (tie) | St. Joesph’s (Haub) | $71,040 |
| 55 | Auburn (Harbert) | $69,810 |
| 54 | Alabama (Manderson | $63,000 |
| 60 | Florida (Warrington) | $62,808 |
| 42 | Boise State University | $54,900 |
| 52 | Brigham Young (Marriott) | $53,042 |
| 50 | South Florida (Muma) | $47,500 |
| 64 | Kent State | $43,900 |
NEXT PAGE: Total Cost at P&Q Ranked EMBA programs for 2023-2024
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