The MBA may not enjoy the same level of prestige and esteem that it used and that is precisely because there are many more out there. Average schools looking to cash in have begun to offer programs and these "mediocre" students who graduate from these "mediocre" institutions are finding it difficult to find jobs where they pay is commensurate with what they think they should earn because of their advanced degrees. Combine that with the cost of tuition rising 24 percent in the last three years and some prospective MBA students may want to rethink the value of the investment.