An Exploratory Analysis of the Impact of Price on the Search and Selection Process for Executive MBA Programs

The purpose of this research is to determine the role of price (tuition costs) and its impact for prospective students during the Executive MBA search and selection process. To determine this information, a survey was recently distributed and completed by current Executive MBA students enrolled in programs in the Northeast United States in which the students were asked to rate various attributes, in terms of importance, while they were searching and selecting a program. The main findings of this study indicate that price took on an increasingly important role during the program selection process, as opposed to the search process, however was not the sole driver impacting enrollment decisions. The conclusions of this study indicate that students are willing to pay the current market tuition rate and even a premium price so long as the academic institution has a powerful brand and offers a program format that is convenient and desirable for today’s busy executive. The results of this exploratory study can have significant implications on pricing strategies for academic institutions as well as resource allocation for brand building and program development