The MBA isn't classified as "professional" under federal rules, so you're capped at $20,500 a year. The median MBA costs $36,810. At top-50 programs, the gap runs $60K–$95K per year.
Under the new law, MBA students get the lowest federal borrowing cap. Three things to plan around.
The MBA is classified as "graduate," not "professional," so your federal cap is $20,500. The median program costs $36,810, leaving a $16,310 gap per year.
Two years at $20,500 is $41,000 in federal loans. The aggregate limit is $100K, but any undergraduate debt you carry reduces that number.
Already enrolled? You may get up to 3 years of grandfathering. Starting fall 2026 or later? The caps apply from day one.
| School | Annual COA | Federal Cap | Annual Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haas (UC Berkeley) | $145,024 | $20,500 | −$124,524 |
| Wharton (UPenn) | $132,404 | $20,500 | −$111,904 |
| Babson | $131,490 | $20,500 | −$110,990 |
| Columbia Business | $130,954 | $20,500 | −$110,454 |
| Tuck (Dartmouth) | $130,773 | $20,500 | −$110,273 |
| Stern (NYU) | $127,996 | $20,500 | −$107,496 |
| Stanford GSB | $127,728 | $20,500 | −$107,228 |
| Howard | $130,270 | $20,500 | −$109,770 |
Source: The 2026 Graduate Education Funding Crisis: A Data Report. Full methodology →
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