The MBA isn't dying. The part critics attack was never the product.

Aug 04, 2026

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Everywhere you look, someone is declaring the MBA dead. The newest version: AI is automating the analytical work business graduates were trained to do, so why pay six figures for it?

Here's what that argument misses.

The education was never the primary value of the MBA.

Business knowledge has been commoditized for over a decade. You could learn finance, strategy, and operations on Coursera for a fraction of the price. If knowledge were the product, the MBA should have died years ago.

It didn't. Applications grew again last year, and the format that grew was the full-time, in-person, two-year MBA. The most immersive and most expensive version, while online formats declined.

People aren't buying education. They're buying the network, the access, the experiences, and the brand.

And here's the part almost nobody says out loud. AI makes knowledge abundant, but it does nothing to make a seat at Oxford, Harvard, or INSEAD less scarce.

Status doesn't depreciate when information does.

So the question isn't whether the MBA still teaches valuable things. It's whether you're buying the real product.

I break it all down in the full video:

Is the MBA Worth It in 2026? → HERE.

That’s it for this week.

Keep showing up, keep cheering each other on — and as always, happy applying! 💛

Caitlin Andersen

Admissions Coach & Oxford MBA

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The MBA isn't dying. The part critics attack was never the product.

That’s it for this week.

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For ambitious professionals and students navigating the world of master's-level business admissions. MasterPlan delivers sharp, honest insights on programs, applications, and strategy — so you can make better decisions, faster.

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