THP:

Interesting find -- just a word of warning. Calculators based on averages, are just that -- average. It's a fun exercise to do, but how can you value "I hate my current job and want to move into a different career field?" or "I love the rush of NYC, want to be a banker and am tired of living in sub-Saharan Africa in the Peace Corps?"

Think about your reasons -- do they warrant an MBA? Only you can truly answer that.

Just my $0.02.

-Brian

ivyctor2010 wrote:An MBA is generally a long term investment in your career and your career path sometimes take an entirely unexpected turn, not sure how can anyone quantify that?

I don't think anyone would disagree with you there -- but there is value in doing the math, recognizing that every situation is different, and that not all MBAs are created equal.

For example -- if your company is willing to pay for you to go, and you like your current job/career, but you'll 'owe' them four years afterwards -- is that a better/worse investment than quitting and paying for it yourself? The biggest watch-out I can offer for folks to consider is that I don't believe the decision to go get an MBA cannot be quantified solely through an objective formula such as this. These calculators provide a helpful data point -- but it's just one data point, not something on which an entire decision should be made.

Just my $0.02.

-Brian