Examining the Value Added by Graduate Management Education

December 22, 2006

Overview

The value of getting an MBA degree has been the subject of ongoing debate. Some authors calculate a relatively quick payback period (Lavelle, 2006) while others assert that return on investment is paltry (Pfeffer & Fong, 2002). The purpose of the research reported herein is to directly address this controversy by using large datasets collected by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) (i.e., Global MBA Graduate Survey, MBA Alumni Perspectives Survey) to assess the return on investment for an MBA degree.