AI skills more valuable than MBA, new survey suggests

Technology AI skills more valuable than MBA, new survey suggests Comments: by Andrew Dorn - 08/04/26 6:33 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Andrew Dorn - 08/04/26 6:33 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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(NewsNation) — Thinking about an MBA? Artificial intelligence skills may offer a bigger career boost.

A new PwC survey of more than 1,000 financial service executives found that 86 percent believe AI skills training is more valuable than an MBA for many new hires.

For some workers, that expertise is already paying off. Among the executives surveyed, 91 percent are increasing compensation for employees with AI skills, while 58 percent are willing to pay a premium for fluency in the emerging technology.

Getting an MBA and developing AI skills are not an either-or proposition, but PwC’s findings underscore the growing pressure on business schools to keep pace with changing employer and student expectations.

A master of business administration degree can cost more than $250,000 at top programs, but AI is raising fresh questions about an MBA’s return on investment.

In May, the Wall Street Journal declared “a fire sale on MBAs,” citing a slump in applications to U.S. business schools and a growing number offering discounts on specialized degrees.

AI was also a central theme in a recent report from the Graduate Management Admission Council, or GMAC, a nonprofit association of more than 225 business schools.

“The demand for AI-related skills grew faster than any other capability surveyed this year,” GMAC said in the report, based on its annual survey of corporate recruiters.

The survey projects the median starting salary for MBA degree holders will fall to $120,000 this year, down from $125,000 in 2025. Even so, that’s still well above the projected $72,000 starting salary for bachelor’s degree holders.

As AI reshapes the skills employers need, GMAC said business schools will need to pay attention to both what is taught and how students are prepared to apply it.

That shift is already underway, with business schools expanding their artificial intelligence course offerings and incorporating the technology across their programs.

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, for example, now offers a six-month executive leadership program in AI and analytics for about $20,000.

So far, AI hasn’t triggered the widespread job losses many feared. Still, PwC’s survey found that nearly eight in ten financial services executives expect their workforce to shrink by at least 20 percent over the next five years, with entry-level roles most vulnerable to AI disruption.

Outside the financial services sector, the outlook is more mixed. A recent ZipRecruiter survey found that 35 percent of employers expect AI to increase employment at their company over the next three to five years, compared with just 14 percent who expect it to decrease.

One thing employers appear to agree on is that AI skills are becoming increasingly valuable.

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