Think 2025 might be the year you finally enroll for that Executive MBA you’ve been putting off? Be prepared to shell out big bucks.
The top five programs in Poets&Quants for Execs’ latest ranking of the best U.S. EMBA programs average nearly $218,000, with some pushing close to a quarter-million dollars. Even the least expensive options on our list will set you back tens of thousands.
Cost isn’t the whole story, of course. Many programs offer scholarships, and employer sponsorships can help offset the price. Here’s a look at how the most expensive EMBA programs stack up and where to find the best bargains.
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 2024-2025. Total costs represent tuition and fees for the complete program, as reported on the schools’ program websites. In-state resident tuition is displayed and may be higher for out-of-state students at select schools. | ||
2024 P&Q rank |
School |
Total Cost |
1 | University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) | $230,100 |
2 | Northwestern (Kellogg) | $236,958 |
3 | University of Chicago (Booth) | $210,500 |
4 | New York (Stern) | $226,100 |
5 | University of Michigan (Ross) | $186,000 |
6 | UCLA (Anderson) | $192,720 |
7 | Yale SOM | $224,500 |
8 | Texas-Austin (McCombs) | $162,000 |
9 | Cornell (Johnson) | $186,510 |
10 | Fordham (Gabelli) | $114,000 |
MOST EXPENSIVE EMBAs BY TOTAL COST
If you’re considering an Executive MBA in 2025, Poets&Quants for Execs has scoured school websites to find the total program cost for more than 60 schools on our 2024 Executive MBA composite 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. 2 overall), for example, costs $236,958 while University of Pennsylvania’s The Wharton School (No. 1) will set your back $$230,100.
NYU Stern (No. 4), Yale School of Management (No. 7), UC-Berkeley Haas (No. 27), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) (No. 11) all cost more than $200,000.
Those aren’t even the most expensive. That honor goes to Columbia Business School (tied for No. 14 in our ranking) at a whopping $239,880 for its 20-month program.
10 Most Expensive P&Q Ranked EMBAs |
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2024 P&Q rank |
School |
Total Cost |
14 | Columbia Business School | $239,880 |
2 | Northwestern (Kellogg) | $236,958 |
1 | University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) | $230,100 |
4 | New York (Stern) | $226,100 |
7 | Yale SOM | $224,500 |
27 | UC-Berkeley (Haas) | $212,000 |
3 | University of Chicago (Booth) | $210,500 |
11 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) | $208,300 |
6 | UCLA (Anderson) | $192,720 |
9 | Cornell (Johnson) | $186,510 |
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 Executive MBA Council (EMBAC) found that 29.4% of EMBA students received partial employer sponsorship while 16.1% got full-sponsorship. More than 67% of EMBA programs offered scholarships and fellowships at average award of $14,319.
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 23.9% of students exiting an EMBA program in 2023 reported getting a raise by the time they exited the program. 42% reported getting a promotion during the program.
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 University of North Carolina (Cameron) (ranked No. 63) is the least expensive on our list at a total cost of $22,502. Other EMBA bargains include No. 23 Xavier University (Williams) at $72,000 and No. 25 Saint Joseph’s University (Haub) at $72,450.
Seventeen programs from our ranking are priced under $80,000.
17 EMBAs Under $80K |
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2024 P&Q rank |
School |
Total Cost |
48 | Marquette University | $79,500 |
44 | Rochester Institute of Technology (Saunders) | $78,000 |
28 | Vanderbilt University: Owen | $77,576 |
55 | University of Arizona (Eller) | $77,000 |
36 | University of Georgia (Terry) | $76,619 |
50 | University of Houston (Bauer) | $74,700 |
25 | Saint Joseph’s (Haub) | $72,450 |
23 | Xavier (Williams) | $72,000 |
43 | Virginia Commonwealth University | $65,000 |
61 | Hult International Business School | $65,000 |
49 | University of Florida (Warrington) | $62,808 |
58 | Kennesaw State University (Coles) | $57,500 |
37 | Boise State University | $54,900 |
42 | Brigham Young University | $54,608 |
35 | University of South Florida (Muma) | $47,500 |
53 | Florida Atlantic University | $38,600 |
63 | University of North Carolina (Cameron) | $22,502 |
NEXT PAGE: Total Cost at P&Q Ranked EMBA programs for 2024-2025