以每 1 美元自付成本可换得多少净 ROI 美元来衡量，University of Georgia 的 Terry College of Business 居首。其总成本中位数仅 46,198 美元，而净 10 年 ROI 为 559,423 美元，相当于每花 1 美元回收 12.11 美元，几乎是 Stanford 的 4.05 美元的 3 倍。Terry 在 68 所课程中排名第 23、属第 2 五分位，并在多种 ROI 对成本比率下都符合 Pareto efficient；只有 Stanford 与 University of Michigan 的 Ross School of Business 也同时达标。
但这些便宜而稳健的选项主要对入学前薪酬较低者更有利。若假设入学前薪酬为 100,000 美元，而非 Terry 的中位数 61,554 美元，Terry 的每成本美元 ROI 会降至 3.20，美国 Stanford 与 Marriott 则分别为 5.58 与 5.07；Terry 只有在年薪低于约 64,500 美元时才保有优势。分析亦指出，学费是 MBA 总成本的最大驱动因素，生活成本影响较小，16 至 24 个月的修业时间几乎不影响 ROI，因此奖学金与学费谈判至关重要。
Bloomberg Businessweek’s analysis of two-year US MBA programs shows that the strongest net 10-year ROI is not necessarily the best bargain. Stanford ranks No. 1 in the US and posts a net 10-year ROI of a little over $1 million, but the median student expense reported by graduates from the classes of 2023 to 2025 is also $257,956; its Silicon Valley location has a cost of living 18% above the US average.
Measured by how many net ROI dollars each $1 of out-of-pocket cost produces, the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business leads. Its median total cost is only $46,198, while its net 10-year ROI is $559,423, equal to $12.11 returned per $1 spent, almost 3 times Stanford’s $4.05. Terry ranks No. 23 out of 68 programs, in the second quintile, and remains Pareto efficient under multiple ROI-to-cost ratios; only Stanford and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business also qualify on all of them.
However, these cheaper but solid options mainly favor applicants with lower pre-MBA pay. If pre-MBA compensation is assumed to be $100,000 instead of Terry’s median $61,554, Terry’s ROI per cost dollar falls to $3.20, while Stanford and Marriott reach $5.58 and $5.07; Terry keeps its edge only below about $64,500 a year. The analysis also finds that tuition is the largest driver of total MBA cost, cost of living matters less, and program length of 16 to 24 months matters very little for ROI, making scholarships and tuition negotiation crucial.