Business Schools Are Offering Up to 50% Off M.B.A. Tuition

There’s a nationwide sale going on for one of America’s most expensive graduate degrees. Business schools are offering up to 50% off as applications decline and students weigh whether an M.B.A. is worth it.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Purdue University’s Mitch Daniels School of Business is cutting tuition 40% this fall, dropping the cost of its 48-credit online M.B.A. from $60,000 to $36,000 for out-of-state students. The University of California, Irvine is slashing tuition as much as 38%—saving students between $30,000 and $48,000—on its Flex and Executive M.B.A. programs. Johns Hopkins Carey Business School is giving 50% scholarships to Maryland college graduates entering specialized master’s programs this fall.

The discounts come as demand for traditional two-year M.B.A.s softens. When the job market is strong, professionals stay put rather than stepping away for school. And with AI disrupting careers, many are “job hugging”—clinging to current positions instead of exploring graduate degrees.

Schools are betting that shorter, specialized programs with AI training will appeal to workers nervous about staying competitive. But experts warn the discounting model may not be sustainable in the long term.

There’s a nationwide sale going on for one of America’s most expensive graduate degrees. Business schools are offering up to 50% off as applications decline and students weigh whether an M.B.A. is worth it.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Purdue University’s Mitch Daniels School of Business is cutting tuition 40% this fall, dropping the cost of its 48-credit online M.B.A. from $60,000 to $36,000 for out-of-state students. The University of California, Irvine is slashing tuition as much as 38%—saving students between $30,000 and $48,000—on its Flex and Executive M.B.A. programs. Johns Hopkins Carey Business School is giving 50% scholarships to Maryland college graduates entering specialized master’s programs this fall.

The discounts come as demand for traditional two-year M.B.A.s softens. When the job market is strong, professionals stay put rather than stepping away for school. And with AI disrupting careers, many are “job hugging”—clinging to current positions instead of exploring graduate degrees.

Schools are betting that shorter, specialized programs with AI training will appeal to workers nervous about staying competitive. But experts warn the discounting model may not be sustainable in the long term.