Number of M.B.A. Grads Each Year

Bright, young entrepreneurs used to be few and far between, but in today's competitive business environment a Master's degree is considered by some to be an essential bargaining chip in landing a job. How many M.B.A. grads enter the market annually? In 2005 there were 142,000 -- almost two times where it stood 15 years ago.

Returning to school, however, is not for everyone -- especially for young firecrackers in finance. Traders and analysts with a few years of experience can pull in over $300,000 a year. In five to nine years time -- generally the average length of work experience for M.B.A. applicants -- even the analysts and researchers make an average of $830,000.

Graduation Caps image by Waffler