MBA & Master Glossary
Opportunity Costs (MBA)
Definition
Opportunity costs are the forgone benefit of the best alternative not chosen. For an MBA these are mainly the salary lost during a full-time programme, missed promotions and pension or bonus entitlements. For a two-year full-time programme, opportunity costs can exceed tuition itself. Part-time and executive formats reduce this item considerably but cost free time and demand high resilience – a central factor in any serious ROI calculation.
Example: "A full-time MBA creates opportunity costs equal to one annual salary."
Why this matters for your MBA
"Opportunity Costs (MBA)" is one of the terms you will come across when comparing MBA and Executive MBA programmes in Germany, Austria and Switzerland — in admission requirements, accreditation details or programme descriptions. On mba.de you can check how individual business schools handle it and compare programmes independently.
Source: mba.de – independent comparison portal since 2003.