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M7 MBA programs are among the best-ranked in the world, dominating top MBA rankings tables, but they’re also the most expensive.
So how much does an M7 MBA cost?
M7 MBA: Overall Cost
According to our BusinessBecause Cost of MBA Report 2022, the average total cost for an M7 MBA program is around $230,000, far higher than the global average for top MBA programs at around $189,000.
The Wharton MBA costs an estimated $165,748 in tuition fees for the two years, while the Stanford MBA costs $153,900. The Harvard MBA costs the least in terms of tuition fees out of the M7, at around $146,880, however the total cost of an MBA goes beyond tuition fees alone.
Our Cost of MBA Report considers MBA tuition fees alongside factors like living costs, the cost of materials, and healthcare cover, to estimate the total cost of the world’s top MBA programs.
The table below shows the overall cost breakdown across the M7 business schools. In terms of overall cost, MIT Sloan is the world's most expensive MBA program, and most expensive M7 MBA, while Kellogg offers the most affordable M7 MBA program.
M7 MBA Cost Breakdown
Most Expensive M7 MBA Programs
1. MIT Sloan School of Management
Total Cost: $239,990
MIT Sloan has a history of producing world leading talent, including MIT notable alumni like Brian Halligan, CEO and co-founder of HubSpot, and John W Thompson, former chairman of Microsoft.
But to earn a place among the brightest and best, you’ll have to pay a huge amount of money; the MIT MBA costs around $240,000 in total. This is largely down to the program’s tuition fees— above $160,000 for two years—and the sky high costs of living and healthcare.
For the price, you can expect to earn a salary of around $193,000 on average within three years of graduation, according to the latest Financial Times data.
MIT MBA Class Profile | Breakdown
2. The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School
Total Cost: $237,136
Wharton charges the highest tuition fees of all the M7 business schools, at around $166,000 for the two years.
Although Wharton's healthcare cover is the lowest of the M7 and the school has the cheapest cost of living. In total, the Wharton MBA costs $237,136.
Wharton MBA grads see strong return on their investment, with an average salary increase of 115%. In 2021, former students earned the highest average income average salaries of $238,000 three years after graduation, according to the FT.
Wharton MBA Class Profile | Breakdown
3. Stanford Business School
Total Cost: $231,606
The world's hardest MBA program to get into, the Stanford MBA costs just under $232,000 in terms of total cost.
While the school has the third lowest tuition fees among the M7, the cost of living at Stanford is around $10,000 higher than anywhere else.
But Elise Smith, a Stanford MBA alum, thinks the cost is worth it. “While it was clear to me that every MBA program would offer finance and accounting, no other school focused so clearly on the soft skills that make the best leaders,” she says.
Stanford MBA Jobs & Salary Review
Download our Cost of MBA Report 2022
4. Columbia Business School
Total Cost: $230,408
New York City-based Columbia Business School is one of the world’s top MBA programs for investment banking. Columbia is also one of the schools where the Big Three consulting firms recruit the most MBA graduates.
The Columbia MBA has the M7’s second highest tuition fees, at around $160,000. However, the Columbia MBA sits in the middle of the M7 schools in terms of overall cost; the Columbia MBA costs around $230,000 in terms of total cost.
Columbia Business School MBA Jobs & Salary Review
5. Harvard Business School
Total Cost: $225,528
Harvard is arguably the most famous business school in the world. It was ranked first by the Financial Times in 2020, and its graduates earn more than $207,000 three years after graduation.
But Harvard also has the lowest MBA tuition fees among the M7. At $146,880, Harvard tuition is below the average cost of tuition across all top US MBA programs, which stands at $155,305.
The Harvard MBA cost of living is the second highest behind Stanford at $63,000. In total, the Harvard MBA costs around $226,000. But for this price, you get to study at one of the world’s most iconic business schools, where the first ever MBA degree began.
“It changed my perspectives on everything,” says Chris Riley, a Harvard MBA alum and founder of Guzman Energy, a clean energy startup. “I was in a room of tremendously smart people of different backgrounds, seeing a new range of perspectives as to how to solve problems.”
Harvard Business School MBA Jobs & Salary Review
6. The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Total Cost: $224,849
Chicago Booth is another top producer of world leading talent, including Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, and James M Kilts, former CEO of The Gillette Company.
Chicago Booth MBA graduates can expect salaries of around $199,000 three years after graduation, according to the FT.
Booth’s tuition fees are around the US average for top MBAs at just under $156,000, while cost of living and materials are also relatively low. In total, the Booth MBA costs around $225,000.
There are many great things about studying at the school, thinks Eric Gene, a Booth alum; “beginning with the great cohort and faculty that Chicago Booth allows us to work with,” he says.
7. Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
Total Cost: $218,220
Kellogg offers the cheapest M7 MBA program. At around $218,000 in total, Kellogg’s MBA costs almost $30,000 less than the MIT MBA.
Kellogg’s affordability is partly due to the school’s affordable cost of living. Kellogg has the second cheapest living costs and healthcare of all the M7 schools.
Kellogg also offers a uniquely diverse experience to its students, says Tandra Bidyanda, a former Kellogg MBA. The cohort is comprised of 36% international students, 49% of students are female, and 23% are US underrepresented minorities. As many as 40% of students go on two or more global trips during the program.
“Throughout my whole life I’ve enjoyed understanding a different culture or different perspective in the context of business,” she says. “I think I’m now the person in the room who comes in with an experience that is uniquely different from what people are used to today.”
Kellogg MBA Jobs & Salary Review
How to pay for your M7 MBA
There are ways to make paying the substantial cost of an MBA easier, including loans and MBA scholarships offered by schools and independent organizations.
“Cost is a very valid concern almost everyone I know has at the beginning of the process,” says Chris Abkarians, Harvard MBA graduate and co-founder of loans company Juno, “but most people don’t actually pay the sticker price.”
After being admitted into an M7 MBA, you can submit a financial aid request telling you how much aid you’re eligible for based on your income, assets, and liabilities. In some cases you can also negotiate with schools over the amount of financial aid you are allotted, says Chris.
“After that, you have to finance it in a way that’s best for you, through savings and loans. Most people spend a lot of time thinking about that and comparing options,” he explains.
His company Juno has secured over $490 million in low-interest loans for MBA students since it was founded in 2018. The company uses group buying power to negotiate better student loan rates for MBA participants
Ultimately, the financial support available means you shouldn’t let cost put off applying to an M7. With M7 graduates among the highest earning MBAs in the world, you can expect a strong return on your investment.
Download our BusinessBecause Cost of MBA Report 2022
Images in this article have been sourced from business school Facebook pages.
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