Return On Investment: A Business Master’s Degree Is A Strategic Move To Advance Or Switch A Career

How do you calculate the return on investment (ROI) of a master’s degree in business? According to graduates from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the cost of graduate school and the time and energy devoted to pursuing a degree pay off with positive career outcomes and a network of long-lasting connections. 

“The return on investment for a graduate business degree extends far beyond salary increases,” says Nikunj Kapadia, senior associate dean of Graduate Programs at the Isenberg School of Management.  “Yes, our graduates often see significant gains in earning power and career mobility—but the real value lies in the transformation they undergo. They build leadership skills, expand their networks, and develop confidence to navigate complex challenges. When students choose a program that aligns with their goals, the ROI becomes not just financial, but deeply personal and enduring. That said, our programs have a high ROI because our programs are highly ranked, and our tuition is extremely competitive when compared with our peers.”

We spoke with recent alumni in three categories: those who decided to pursue a master’s degree to kick-start their careers, those looking to advance up the org chart, and those who wanted to move into an entirely new field.

Practical, Job-Ready Skills

 

Priyadharsini Manivannan, who graduated with her MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) in 2025 and now works for Moody’s Corporation, the globally recognized leader in credit ratings and financial analysis, said the ROI has been immediate. “Right after I joined the program, I was able to apply what I was learning directly into projects and interviews, which helped me land an internship with Citizens Bank in summer 2024. That experience built on everything I was doing in class—from building predictive models to creating dashboards—and really shaped my understanding of the finance space. I can confidently say the money and time I spent on the MSBA degree gave me the tools, exposure, and momentum I needed to get here.”

Confidence And Growth

Victoria Quill, who graduated with her Online MBA in 2025, says her degree was great value because it offers the same high-quality curriculum as the on-campus program. “I appreciated the flexibility to work full-time while studying part-time, which let me immediately apply what I was learning to real-world situations at work. The ROI of my Isenberg degree has been strong—I’ve gained skills I use every day and have built a larger Isenberg network. It’s given me the confidence and tools to grow in a new field and make a real impact.” 

New Directions

Sarah Humphrey, who graduated with an MBA/MSBA dual degree in 2023, describes a career pivot thanks to an immersion in business analytics courses at Isenberg. “I decided to pursue my MBA because I had been working as a nonprofit administrator, and I really wanted to learn that job better. Over the course of the MBA, I learned a lot of skills about how to manage a business and what healthy businesses look like. My summer internship in a data analytics role at Henkel, a consumer goods conglomerate, was transformational. I learned that data analytics was exactly what I wanted to do.” Back at Isenberg, Humphrey quickly enrolled in the MS in Business Analytics degree and completed it during the second year of her MBA.

“Isenberg helped me understand and change my career goals because it gave me a background in business through the MBA, and the technical skills of a data analyst through the MSBA classes I took: Python, advanced Excel, data management, business intelligence, and data warehousing.” With her two degrees in hand, Humphrey was hired by Henkel, the company where she interned, as a Data and Analytics Manager.  “It was great to go into my job feeling confident and secure that I could do the work,” she said.

Career Connections 

Mariah Belletti graduated from Isenberg’s MS in Accounting program in 2023. She attributes part of her success to the support she received in Isenberg’s Office of Career Success (OCS): “OCS does a lot of interview preparation and resume help, and there are great advisors that help you build your professional network and guide you towards your career aspirations. With their help, I was able to get an interview with PWC.”  Belletti serves as a capital markets and accounting advisory services associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the “Big 4” accounting firms that dominate the global professional services and accounting industry.

Isenberg’s OCS acts as a partner in a student’s career journey, says Beth Pellettiere, associate director of graduate career development, who helps online MBA students with career pathing, resume edits, LinkedIn optimization, networking, and more. “We offer a structured approach to career advancement or pivots—from figuring out career goals to wordsmithing resume bullets,” she said.

Network Building

UMass Amherst has more than 360,000 alumni that live and work in the state, making it the largest alumni network in New England and an invaluable resource for students and graduates. Kurt Graham graduated with his MS in Accounting in 2025, having previously completed his Online MBA at Isenberg. “There are many things that I value from my Isenberg degrees,” he said. “The first is the connections I was able to make with my professors, advisors, and career counselors. I wanted a strong network to utilize during and after graduation. Knowing I planned to stay in Massachusetts, I felt Isenberg would give me the contacts I needed and an excellent education, at an affordable price.”

In the end, the return on investment of a graduate business degree accrues over a lifetime. For many students, a business master’s degree like those offered by the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a strategic move—an investment of time, money, and effort that pays dividends in the form of leadership skills, a powerful network, and long-term career resilience. 

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The Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has one of New England’s top-ranked public business school graduate programs, according to U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1947, Isenberg is AACSB-accredited and has more than 2,000 students enrolled in nationally and internationally recognized on-campus and online graduate programs. The school’s more than 50,000 alumni live and work in more than 80 countries, and many of them serve as mentors, guest lecturers, and network connectors for Isenberg. 

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