PGIntel · MBA Decision Engine
★ Flagship product

Will your MBA actually pay off?

The only tool that gives you a verdict — not a cost calculator. 22 top MBA programs (European elite, US Top 15, Asian top 3) × 8 career tracks × 41 post-MBA cities. We run the payback math, model the promotion curve, simulate the life after, and hand you the sharp, opinionated read on whether the decision actually makes sense for your inputs.

🎓 22 top MBA programs·8 career tracks·41 cities·No signup
MBA Fit product preview — verdict seal, life simulator, wealth arc
Live preview
INSEAD · MBB · London
The Opinion

Every scenario returns one of four verdicts. No hedging.

A Poets & Quants rankings table won't tell you if your MBA makes sense. A Forbes ROI calculator won't either. Both show averages. We render a verdict against your actual inputs — your pre-MBA salary, your loan, your target city, your target lifestyle.

Verdict
Strong Financial Outcome
INSEAD · MBB · Paris · 3.4yr payback · 118% coverage
Textbook case for why this MBA makes money. Cashes out by year 4.
🔶
Verdict
Marginal — Depends on Upside
IMD · LDP · Zurich · 6.2yr payback · 92% coverage
Base case is tight. Hinges on whether you hit top-quartile comp and promotion velocity.
⚠️
Verdict
Prestige Overpay Risk
LBS · Marketing · Paris · 9yr payback · below-median comp
You're paying $150k premium for brand, not outcome. Needs to deliver on network + optionality.
Verdict
Unsustainable Lifestyle
LBS · Startup · London · Affluent · 55% coverage
Your target lifestyle costs more than your after-tax comp covers. Either tier down or pick a cheaper city.
How it works

Three inputs. One verdict.

01
Pick your scenario
School (INSEAD, IMD, LBS). Career track (MBB, IB, PE, Tech, Marketing, LDP, Startup, T2). Target city from 30+ geographies where each track pays.
02
Enter your situation
Pre-MBA salary, current wealth, loan terms, target lifestyle tier. All inputs are typed locally — nothing is persisted or transmitted.
03
Read the verdict
We compute payback year-by-year using the track's realistic promotion curve, render the life this income actually buys, and surface 2-5 brutal insights about your specific case.
What's inside

Eight components. Every one of them has an opinion.

Cost-of-living tools show data. This shows decisions. Every panel tells you something a ranking chart won't.

Verdict Seal
Circular medallion with the one-line answer. Four classes — Strong, Marginal, Risk, Unsustainable. No ambiguity.
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Promotion Curve
Track-specific year-by-year trajectory. MBB Associate → Principal (2.1×) → Partner (3.6×). Not a flat 5% raise.
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Life Simulator
Not "$13k/month" — "4BR lane house in Xintiandi · live-in ayi · Michelin dining weekly". The actual life this income buys.
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Brutal Insights
Rule-engine that surfaces 2-5 sharp observations per scenario. "You're paying $400k premium for brand, not outcome."
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Wealth Arc
Y0 debt → Y5 recovery → Y10 wealth. Gradient SVG curve shows the exact shape of your MBA financial arc.
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Tax & Visa Built In
Every city has residency paths + tax regime + US-citizen traps surfaced. MBA grads asking "should I stay in Paris post-program?" get the answer.
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30+ Cities, Real Comp
MBB Shanghai $215k. IB Hong Kong $320k. Tech SF $310k. Median + p25-p75 range. Notable firms per intersection.
🥊
City Battle
Compare any 2 cities side-by-side at your scenario. Everyday price index: beer, eggs, rent, gym. See the purchasing-power delta.
21
Top MBA programs
8
Career tracks
41
Cities with comp data
22
Price items per city
13
Brutal-insight rules
10yr
Wealth trajectory horizon
Data sources
INSEAD / IMD / LBS 2023-24 Employment Reports · Transparent Career · Levels.fyi · Wall Street Oasis · Glassdoor · Numbeo cost-of-living basket · Per-city tax authority rates · Immigration bureau public documentation
Same engine, four outcomes

Change one input — the verdict flips.

Verdict
Strong
Dubai · IB · 132% coverage
Verdict
Marginal
Paris · MBB · 98% coverage
Verdict
Risk
Madrid · Marketing · 42% coverage
Verdict
Unsustainable
London · Startup · 35% coverage
No signup · Free · Opens in the same tab

Stop comparing rankings. Start running scenarios.

Plug in your numbers. See whether the INSEAD dream holds up under IB London comp, Marketing Madrid tax regime, or Dubai zero-tax arbitrage. Three minutes. One verdict.