<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="1" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> STEM-designated. Tar Heel ROI. No compromises. </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA is designed for experienced professionals looking to take their career to the next level. Students have access to lifelong career benefits and a global network of 51,000+ business school alumni. Earn your MBA online in as few as 18 months or up to three years. MBA Fellowships Available.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-1" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-1" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNC2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class="" alt=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="71" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> The Online MBA From Rice Business </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Rethink Your Approach to Business </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>GMAT waivers are available for the online MBA from Rice Business, ranked a Top-20 Online MBA by U.S. News & World Report. Ranked #1 in graduate entrepreneurship in the U.S. by the Princeton Review for 2024, aspiring entrepreneurs can earn their MBA in as few as 24 months.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-71" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-71" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinebusiness.rice.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rice2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class="" alt=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinebusiness.rice.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="2" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> STEM-designated. Tar Heel ROI. No compromises. </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA is designed for experienced professionals looking to take their career to the next level. Students have access to lifelong career benefits and a global network of 51,000+ business school alumni. Earn your MBA online in as few as 18 months or up to three years. MBA Fellowships Available.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-2" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-2" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Visit Website</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNC2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class="" alt=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Visit Website</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

ad_Business

cat_Graduate

Low Intent

ptype_Explainer

Rich Griset

<p>Maybe you’ve always wanted to pursue an MBA but never had the time. Maybe you’re a career professional who feels stalled on the corporate ladder. Or maybe you’re simply someone with a burning desire to learn more about business.</p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>If these scenarios feel familiar, attending a <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-executive-mba-programs/">top-ranked executive MBA</a> program may be right for you. In contrast with <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-mba-programs/">traditional MBA programs</a>, EMBA programs are designed for people who wish to attend school while also working full-time.</p>



<p>“The difference is primarily in the audience being served,” explains Michael Desiderio, executive director of the Executive MBA Council (EMBAC), an academic association that represents the industry. “Executive MBA programs are tailored for working professionals.”</p>



<p>Still, EMBA programs can be time-consuming, expensive, and present difficulties to someone already juggling a career and a busy personal life. Attending one of the best executive MBA programs could set you back more than $200,000. On the other hand, an EMBA can impart important business skills, increase earning potential, and expand professional networks.</p>



<p>If you’re debating whether an executive MBA is worthwhile, we’ve outlined some of the benefits that draw thousands of students to these programs each year. Here’s what you need to know.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-an-emba-and-who-is-it-for">What is an EMBA and who is it for?</h2>



<p>Most <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2021/09/07/understanding-the-basics-of-an-executive-mba/">EMBA programs</a> generally last about two years and require some in-person attendance on campus. Some programs meet once a month for four days, some meet biweekly. What’s important for prospective students to understand is that EMBA formats differ from a traditional MBA where students spend five days a week on campus.</p>



<p>“They’re aimed usually at the individual who wants to <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/yes-you-can-change-careers-after-getting-an-executive-mba-it-just-wont-be-easy/">change their career path</a>,” says Caryn L. Beck-Dudley, president and CEO of AACSB International, a business school accreditor and nonprofit association. “They might be a biologist, or they might be an engineer and they want to get into management, etc. They would go into the executive MBA program to learn a lot more about what businesses do, what they’re about. How to read financial statements, how to make decisions based upon statistics, analytics, etc.”</p>



<p>EMBA students, on average, are nearly 39 years old with 14-plus years of work experience and more than nine years of management experience, according to a 2022 EMBAC survey. By comparison, students in full-time MBA programs usually have three to seven years of experience in the workforce prior to returning to school.</p>



<p>EMBA programs pull applicants from a wide variety of fields, including pharmaceutical, biotech, <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/health-care-experts-evaluate-the-pros-and-cons-of-a-specialized-mba/">health care</a>, <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/whats-the-best-mba-for-tech-jobs-in-2021/">technology</a>, manufacturing, and<a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/want-to-pay-off-your-mba-faster-concentrate-in-finance/"> financial services</a> industries. Sometimes these applicants want to gain new skills by pursuing an EMBA; sometimes they want to switch jobs or career paths. </p>



<p>“These are people that have substantive work experience, but they walk out of these programs with a new level of confidence,” says Desiderio of EMBA seekers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-benefits-of-an-emba">What are the benefits of an EMBA?</h2>



<p>It’s not unusual for a recent EMBA graduate to see a jump in job title. A person who was previously a manager or general manager may become a vice president or senior director after graduating.</p>



<p>“It’s usually a step up in the hierarchy,” says Beck-Dudley of receiving an EMBA.</p>



<p>On average, Beck-Dudley says, people see a salary bump of $10,000 to $15,000 per year after obtaining an EMBA. According to Desiderio, 2021 data reveals that workers see a 14.7% increase in compensation, which includes both salary and bonuses.</p>



<p>While obtaining an EMBA has potential financial benefits, Desiderio says that student surveys reveal that money isn’t the primary motivator for most in pursuing the degree. Other <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/whats-an-emba-worth-to-former-b-school-grads/">goals for EMBA seekers</a> include the desire to gain new perspectives, leadership skills, and business knowledge. </p>



<p>Beck-Dudley stresses that pursuing an EMBA can also help grow your<a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/the-best-mba-alumni-networks/"> professional network</a>.</p>



<p>“Most executive MBAs have a lot of networking with their past alumni. It allows current students and future students to rely on a network of people,” she says. </p>



<p>Desiderio says that EMBA students often gain a more global perspective from members of their cohort.</p>



<p>“Where do you get an opportunity to be immersed in a peer group that has that much work experience?” Desiderio says. “You’re discussing real world business problems. Now you’re hearing it from all those different angles.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-factors-to-consider-when-contemplating-an-emba">Factors to consider when contemplating an EMBA</h2>



<p>For all the benefits of an EMBA, there’s also a hefty price tag. The top 10 schools on <em>Fortune’s</em> ranking of the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-executive-mba-programs/">best EMBA programs</a> have an <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/what-does-an-executive-mba-cost/">average cost</a> of roughly $200,000, though some programs cost less than $50,000. On average, Desiderio says attending an EMBA program costs nearly $90,000.</p>



<p>There’s also the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/the-real-time-commitment-in-earning-an-executive-mba/">time commitment</a> to consider. Doing the required readings, attending classes, and completing assignments are all tasks that students have to juggle with their regular life and workday. </p>



<p>“To invest every Friday and Saturday night is asking a lot,” Beck-Dudley says. “You have to be very, very organized.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-decide-if-an-emba-is-worthwhile">How to decide if an EMBA is worthwhile</h2>



<p>Prospective students should consider the above factors, along with anything else that’s more personally relevant, when deciding whether it’s worthwhile to pursue an executive MBA degree.</p>



<p>“You’re going to have to weigh that for yourself,” Desiderio says. “Are the salary gains, from that standpoint, going to be worth it? The averages show that they are, but it’s more than that.”</p>



<p>Additionally, simply holding an EMBA isn’t a guarantee of success on its own.</p>



<p>“We do hear that people get more responses, promotions, but you’ve got to leverage it like everything else,” Desiderio says. “It’s not a magic bullet. It gives you more tools in the toolbox, which hopefully makes you more valuable to your employer.”</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity">



<p><em>Check out all of </em>Fortune’<em>s <a href="https://fortune.com/education/">rankings of degree programs</a>, and learn more about specific <a href="https://fortune.com/education/careers/">career paths</a>.</em></p>



<div class="wp-block-group pro-tip-box-widget"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading pro-tip-box-heading">Read more</h3>



<li>Choose from our rankings of the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-mba-programs/">best MBA programs</a> to find the next phase of your educational journey.</li>
<li>This list helps those looking for <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-mba-programs/no-gmat-gre-required/">MBA program options that do not require submission of test scores</a> to apply.</li>
<li>Our directory of the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/most-affordable-online-mba-programs/">most affordable online MBA programs</a> can help you find the school that best fits your budget.</li>
<li>You can work towards your career goals on your own time by selecting from our list of the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-parttime-mba-programs/">best part time MBA programs</a>.</li>
<li>To help you pick the program that’s the best fit for you, we made this list of the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-executive-mba-programs/">best executive MBA programs</a>.</li>
<li>Interested in earning your MBA online? Here’s our ranking of the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-online-mba-programs/">best online MBA programs</a>.</li>
</div></div>
</div>

On average, people see a salary bump of $10,000 to $15,000 per year after completing an executive MBA—and the degree can open up more career opportunities.

Is an executive MBA worth it?

F-Search

Education

Education Articles

Jasmine Suarez

Business

Fortune earns a commission for purchases made from affiliate partners via some links on our site; other links are not affiliate partner links. <a href='/affiliate-disclosure/'>Click here</a> to read the full Fortune advertiser disclosure and how we earn commissions.

We have independently evaluated the products and services below. We may earn affiliate revenue from links in the content.

Fortune Editors

Fortune Education is designed to be your guide to navigating this new, rich and somewhat overwhelming world of education. Our team of experienced editors is committed to scouring the universe of online offerings in order to rank, rate, provide comparisons and recommend the right solutions for you and your career.

Fortune Education

Uncategorized

homepage

articles

Articles Hub

By Region

By State

By Cost

Career Hub

Health and Wellness

Tech

EDUCATION

IS AN EXECUTIVE MBA WORTH IT?

Is an executive MBA worth it? | Fortune Education

Preston Fore

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

https://fortune.com/education/articles/real-estate-school-review-aceableagent/?itm_source=parsely-api

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

https://fortune.com/education/articles/free-data-analytics-courses/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brad Haft

Best health coach certifications for 2024

https://fortune.com/education/articles/best-health-coach-certifications/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brit Morse

A law associate making $300,000 a year at Skadden Arps quit over the firm’s deal with Donald Trump

/article/rachel-cohen-making-300k-year-law-associate-skadden-arps-quit-protest-firms-deal-trump/

Get ready to pay more than $2,000 for a new iPhone: Experts say Trump’s 125% tariff on China is a ‘complete disaster for Apple’ akin to ‘Armageddon’

/2025/04/10/apple-iphone-16-price-complete-disaster-china-trump-tariffs/

It’s about to get a lot harder for job seekers as tariffs are set to make the hiring landscape even more daunting

/2025/04/07/trump-tariffs-labor-market-more-challenging-job-seekers-economists-say/

This company does peer performance reviews—And then lets everyone read each other’s evaluations

/2025/03/24/performance-review-process-company-allows-all-workers-read-garner-health-workplace-culture/

2024 health coach certification review: Catalyst Coaching Institute

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-catalyst-coaching-institute/

A guide to a nurse’s salary: Broken down by all 50 states and industry type

/education/careers/nurse-salary/

2024 health coach certification review: Institute for Integrative Nutrition

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-institute-for-integrative-nutrition/

10 high-paying public health jobs right now

/education/careers/public-health-jobs/

Jason Del Rey

Is eBay actually sexy again as the ecommerce old-timer’s stock surges to an all-time high?

/2025/07/31/ebay-earnings-live-sports-cards-trading-pokemon/

Erik German

Meet the CIA-backed venture fund behind Palantir, Anduril—and a spy tool that might be on your phone

/2025/07/29/in-q-tel-cia-venture-capital-palantir-anduril/

Dana Hull

Kiel Porter

Bloomberg

Tesla engineering VP Moravy says company in ‘big swing moment’

/2025/07/27/tesla-engineering-vp-lars-moravy-big-swing-moment-musk-robotaxi-optimus-semi/

Christiaan Hetzner

Volkswagen seeks audience with Trump, dangling more than $10 billion in U.S. investments in exchange for tariff exemptions

/2025/07/25/volkswagen-trump-tariffs-exemptions/

Whether you’ve just completed your undergraduate degree or you are a professional with years of experience, Fortune is here to guide you on the next step of your educational journey.

Is an executive MBA worth it?

About the Contributors

Top Articles

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

Best health coach certifications for 2024

UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA