May 15, 2026
If you're considering getting an MBA, you're in a sticky situation.
The average cost of an MBA is $63,000, with programs at elite schools such as MIT, NYU and Dartmouth averaging well over $200,000 (1). A Bloomberg survey found that of the students who took out loans for MBA programs, the median debt was $59,891 (2).
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Not only is it expensive to earn an MBA, but careers in the private sector appear more intimidating than ever, as job listings include AI skills as a preferred or mandatory skill.
"Almost every job posting I've seen for internships or new graduates wants some kind of AI skills and expertise," Christien Wong, a business and computer sciences major at Washington University in St. Louis, told The Wall Street Journal (3).
A select handful of MBA programs have provided a temporary solution for these issues: discounted MBA tuition with a focus on teaching AI skills.
Types of MBA tuition discounts and scholarships
MBA discounts are typically for shorter programs in specialized degrees. The Wall Street Journal identified several top-tier schools offering discounts or scholarships for their MBA programs (3).
Purdue Mitch Daniels School of Business
Purdue is offering 40% off tuition for its 48-credit-hour online MBA program. For an out-of-state student, this knocks the total tuition down from over $60,000 (4) to just under $36,000 (5).
However, the discount only applies to military veterans, Purdue alumni and Purdue employees (6).
The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine
Starting fall 2026, the Paul Merage School of Business will reduce its MBA program fees by up to 38%. The school is cutting tuition for its Executive MBA program by up to $48,000. Tuition for its Flex MBA program, which offers evening and online classes and caters to working professionals (7), is decreasing by $30,000 (8).
Both programs' curricula have also been redesigned to focus on AI and other upcoming technologies (8).
The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School
The Carey Business School is offering a 50% tuition discount to students who graduate from a Maryland college or university in 2026. This scholarship applies to master's degrees in specialized fields such as finance, health care management, management, marketing and real estate and infrastructure (9).
Another perk of this scholarship is that most qualifying specialized programs only last nine months (9).
Washington University's Olin Business School in St. Louis
Olin Business School has introduced the $10,000 AI Workforce Transformation Scholarship for students enrolling in its new two-semester Master's in AI for Business program. Students can choose one of three industry tracks: finance, marketing, or technical (10).
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This degree is for both recent college graduates who want to prepare for the AI-driven workforce and for displaced professionals who want to learn new AI-related skills (10).
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What are the schools getting out of this deal?
The benefits of these discounts for students are clear: more affordable tuition and training to prepare them for the AI-driven workforce. But how do the schools benefit from charging less?
Demand has been slowing for business schools, specifically for two-year MBA programs. Many professionals are afraid that AI will replace them and they want to cling to their jobs for as long as they have them, replacing job-hopping with "job-hugging" (3). Fewer people want to switch jobs, so those who may have once pursued an MBA to make moves in their careers no longer see the benefit.
The political climate has also taken a toll on schools' applications from international students. Joe MacDonald, deputy dean of Olin Business School, told The Wall Street Journal that the school has been receiving more applications from domestic students but fewer from international ones (3).
Graduate schools are discounting tuition and providing AI training to increase their application numbers. However, experts understand that schools can't reduce these tuitions forever — they won't be able to stay afloat if they do (3).
What to consider before applying for a discounted MBA program
Tens of thousands of dollars off tuition? An MBA that provides you with enough AI training to prepare you for the "real world?"
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It's true, one of these programs could be right for you. But you should consider several factors before diving in.
First, ask yourself whether you can afford a given MBA program, even with the discount — especially if the allure of a low-cost education is one of your main driving factors for applying. For example, UC Irvine's Flex MBA may be reduced by $30,000, but tuition still costs $99,000 (8). Is that a bill you can handle in today's job climate? And there are no guarantees that your career will be secure on the other side of this degree.
It's also worth noting that, according to Zippia, the average salary for an MBA graduate is $120,000, so this should factor into your cost-benefit analysis as well (1).
It's no secret that MBAs from in-state public schools usually cost less (1). But if you want a degree from a prestigious university, you still have options. Some schools charge lower fees for their online degrees. For example, the two-year online MBA program from Boston University only costs $25,000 (11).
If you do want to pursue an MBA with a school offering a discount, you should apply sooner rather than later. None of the programs on the list above have committed to offering these discounts or scholarships long-term and financially, they can't. So, submit an application while you have the chance to take advantage of the price reduction.
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
Zippia (1); Bloomberg (2); The Wall Street Journal (3); Poets & Quants (4); Purdue University (5),(6); University of California, Irvine (7),(8); Johns Hopkins University (9); Washington University in St. Louis (10); Boston University (11)
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Laura Grace Tarpley is a contributing reporter for Moneywise who has been covering personal finance and working in digital media for 10 years. Her expertise spans banking, investing, retirement, loans, mortgages, and taxes.
