Why get an MBA?

Business is evolving rapidly, but one thing has remained remarkably consistent: Employers continue to value professionals who can combine strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and cross-functional business expertise. For many ambitious individuals, an MBA remains one of the clearest paths toward greater responsibility, broader career opportunities, and long-term career growth.

Wherever you look, you'll find evidence for the enduring value of an advanced business education. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) declares the MBA is "the most sought-after graduate management degree."¹ Information from the U.S. Department of Education suggests that the MBA has been the most popular master's degree in the USA since 2010.^2,3 The GMAC 2025 Corporate Recruiters Survey noted that MBA graduates enjoy much higher average starting salaries, at $125,000 per year, than professionals with other graduate management education degrees. No other degree in the GMAC survey averaged around $100,000 in post-graduation starting salaries.⁴

The benefits of an MBA aren't only reflected in salary statistics. Whether you're looking to move into leadership, switch industries, or expand your professional influence, an MBA can help position you for the next stage of your career. This article explores the benefits an MBA degree can offer both professionals and employers, helping you evaluate whether it aligns with your career goals and ambitions.

What Are the Benefits of an MBA in Today's Market?

The benefits of an MBA degree tend to center on career change or advancement. It's a proven way to equip yourself with the most up-to-date skills, differentiate yourself in a competitive job market, and secure more senior roles. A typical MBA program provides a broad understanding of all the major business functions, from accounting and finance to marketing and operations.

The possibility of increased earning potential is another main draw. The GMAC cites Financial Times data showing that post-graduation salaries for MBA graduates "commonly" exceed 100% of their pre-MBA compensation within three years of degree completion.⁵

While a salary bump is a likely outcome of a degree from a strong MBA program, increased compensation is just one of many reasons to get the degree. Beyond career advancement, an MBA offers opportunities to build an influential professional network, develop advanced leadership capabilities, and gain a broader understanding of how organizations operate.

Expanding Your Professional Network

The value of an advanced business education should extend well beyond coursework and textbooks. While you'll acquire essential knowledge, an MBA program is also about the people you meet. Your peers in the program will be as influential as your professors, as they share their experience and understanding in the context of the projects and case studies you explore together.

A good program also offers the opportunity to meet industry experts and experienced professionals. Further, it should have an active and engaged alumni network that will also be a source of expertise, advice, and professional connections. These relationships can continue long after graduation, opening doors to mentorship opportunities, business partnerships, and new career paths.

Enhancing Leadership and Strategic Skills

MBA curricula offer strong opportunities to hone the hard and soft skills essential for effective leadership. Students will develop their strategic thinking and decision-making expertise, learn how to use the latest data analysis to drive business decisions, and improve their overall communication and teamwork.⁶

Just as importantly, MBA students learn to evaluate complex challenges from multiple perspectives: a critical skill for professionals expected to lead teams, manage change, and influence organizational strategy. They also gain exposure to the cross-functional thinking required to align financial, operational, and organizational priorities in support of business goals.

Why Obtain an MBA for Career Advancement?

Why obtain an MBA if you're looking to pivot to a new industry or secure a promotion? The combination of hard and soft skills and professional networking opportunities makes the MBA a potent tool for overcoming career plateaus and accessing higher-level management positions.

Those seeking to pivot industries might take the opportunity to develop connections in new fields, using alumni networks and the exposure to industry experts that MBAs provide. Select MBA programs offer students the chance to declare a concentration, taking courses that provide a deeper dive into a particular area, such as marketing, finance, or entrepreneurship.

For professionals who feel ready for greater responsibility but need additional business expertise or leadership credentials, an MBA can help bridge that gap. The degree signals commitment, initiative, and a broader understanding of how organizations operate: qualities many employers value when evaluating candidates for management and executive-track positions.

MBA graduates typically earn higher average starting salaries than graduates of other business master's programs because the degree develops leadership skills alongside broad business knowledge, opening doors to high-paying roles across a wide range of industries and business functions.

The Strategic Benefits of an MBA Degree to a Company

For companies, hiring MBA graduates or sponsoring employees to complete an MBA can deliver an almost immediate return. MBA graduates typically bring a broad understanding of how major business functions—including finance, operations, marketing, and strategy—work together to support organizational goals.

In addition to this cross-functional perspective, MBA graduates are trained to analyze complex business challenges, evaluate competing priorities, and make decisions based on both data and long-term strategic objectives. These skills can be especially valuable during periods of growth, change, or uncertainty.

MBA graduates also often bring expanded professional networks and exposure to a wide range of industries, business models, and leadership approaches. Combined with advanced business training, these assets can help organizations identify opportunities, improve collaboration, and respond more effectively to evolving market conditions.

Online MBA Benefits: Flexibility Without Compromise

Online MBA programs offer an increasingly popular option for working professionals who want to retain their career momentum while advancing their education. A typical online MBA program gives students the opportunity to work at their own pace and pursue coursework on their own schedule, instead of requiring that they attend regular classes on campus.

That flexibility is perhaps the most important reason to pursue an MBA online, but there are other benefits. Students who are working while earning their degrees can often put new concepts into practice immediately, applying their new learning to real-world business challenges as they encounter them.

For many professionals, the ability to continue earning, building experience, and expanding their responsibilities while pursuing a graduate degree makes an online MBA especially appealing. Rather than stepping away from their careers, they can continue moving forward on multiple fronts at once.

Take the Next Step Toward Leadership

An MBA can provide far more than a credential. It can help you expand your network, strengthen your leadership abilities, increase your career options, and position yourself for opportunities that align with your long-term goals.

The Online MBA program in the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University provides flexible, customizable learning for working professionals. This includes five specialized degree options and two in-person residency weekends to meet with peers, faculty, and industry innovators.

SCU's educational tradition is informed by its history as a Jesuit institution. In the Online MBA program, this manifests as an emphasis on leadership with conscience, preparing the next generation of ethics-driven leadership for business.

Whether you're seeking advancement within your current field or preparing for a new professional direction, Santa Clara University's Online MBA can help you develop the expertise, perspective, and connections you need to move forward with confidence.

To learn how SCU can help you build a career defined by principled leadership, strategic influence, and long-term growth, contact us directly or schedule a call with an admissions outreach advisor.