The End of the “Go to College, Get a Job” Era? Harvard MBAs Struggle to Find Work
For generations, the message was clear: go to college, work hard, and a good job would follow. But today, even the most prestigious degrees no longer guarantee employment—just a mountain of student debt.
Nowhere is this shift more evident than at Harvard Business School, where more than a fifth of last year’s MBA graduates were still unemployed three months after graduation. That’s a sharp increase from 10% in 2022 and 20% in 2023. And it’s not just Harvard—top-tier business schools like Stanford, Wharton, and NYU are seeing similar trends.
The decline in job placement isn’t due to a lack of talent but a shrinking job market in traditionally high-paying industries. Consulting giants and tech powerhouses like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have scaled back hiring, leaving even Ivy League grads struggling to secure offers. Some students admit they can afford to wait it out, but for many, the harsh reality is sinking in—six-figure tuition bills don’t come with a promise of employment.
With Harvard’s MBA program costing more than $150,000 for two years, students are taking on massive debt without the job security that once made business school a safe bet. While Columbia University showed a slight improvement in post-graduation employment, the overall trend is clear: the old-school college-to-career pipeline is breaking down.
Meanwhile, the broader U.S. labor market is adding jobs—just not in the fields where elite graduates expect to work. As companies reduce their need for expensive talent, the question becomes: is an advanced degree still worth the cost?
The struggle of Harvard MBAs to find work serves as a wake-up call. It may be time to rethink the traditional paths to success—and consider whether college is still the golden ticket it once was.
