One other thing to consider - if he works for the government or in consulting, a masters degree in general might get him a higher salary. It can mean moving up a step or two on the GS scale for the government; for consulting, usually they can bill you out at a higher rate if you have the MBA or another masters degree. So if that's the case, that's an argument for getting it.

Post-MBA salary really depends on your field, though. A lot of folks I know are barely making low 100's or haven't cracked $100K yet because a lot of fields don't pay that much for MBA's. Obviously i-banking is different, and executive level positions at some companies are different.

Anonymous wrote:OP here... It's not a top 5 school that he's going to and he's 34. Work is paying a measly $10k of it, I shouldn't complain...but I still am.

Then no.

Anonymous wrote:At the top of most companies it is rare not to have a masters degree. MBA or something else doesn't matter though. In my company i have 11 VPs working for me, 9 masters degres (IT company) Is he planning on moving up the food chain? If he likes the mid management life, no need....

I never understood why people didn't want to move up.

At the top of most companies it is rare not to have a masters degree. MBA or something else doesn't matter though. In my company i have 11 VPs working for me, 9 masters degres (IT company) Is he planning on moving up the food chain? If he likes the mid management life, no need....

Anonymous wrote:Only if it's a top 5. Maybe top 10. Or you are making a big career change into finance, strategic consulting, etc.

+1
I work in IT consulting / business services and it would be a negative ROI for me, even at a top school, in my current company. However I think the ROI can be great if he has a specific career change in mind. Also the connections he makes will likely be valuable 10+ years on once his classmates move up in their organizations.