The Table: Do Top US Business Schools Charge Too Much for an MBA?

The 2013/14  QS Global 200 Business Schools Report shows that 12 of the employers’ top 25 business schools in the US, where MBA programs are largely of the two-year variety, charge more for (total) tuition than the average salaries earned by full-time MBAs who graduated in 2012-2013.

Conversely, in Europe, where most MBA programs are typically one year in length, only one school from the employers’ top 25 European business schools has a higher tuition than expected first year salary.

Of course an MBA is not a short-term investment, but something with an ROI that should play out over the rest of a person's professional career. Even at schools where the cost of tuition outstrips first-year salaries, the vast majority of MBA graduates will most likely be earning first-year salaries that are still a good deal more than their pre-MBA earnings. Still, as with any good investment, keeping tabs on expenses and knowing what to expect is always a good idea.