Beyond the MBA: Why more Indian students are opting for doctoral degrees
The MBA has been that magical and default answer to all professional ambitions in India for years. When careers have become stalled, and leadership has beckoned, the solution has been predictable: Enroll in an MBA. And ta-da, your career trajectory will be at a different level. However, the truth is witnessing a shift this year. There has been a reorientation in how professionals are thinking about advanced management education. Data from College Vidya’s year-end online education trends adds weight to this recent trend. While the MBA continues to dominate overall enrollments, the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) has emerged as the fastest-growing programme of the year. It has recorded an 86.82% year-on-year increase, despite holding a modest 1.86% share of total enrollments. The numbers do not signal the decline of the MBA. They signal a change in intent.
MBA vs DBA: How they differ
The MBA is crowded, and professionals know it
The MBA still commands scale. In 2025, it accounted for 42.52% of all online enrollments on the College Vidya platform. But scale has a side effect. It has got saturated.For mid-career professionals, the MBA no longer guarantees distinction. Many already hold one. Others work alongside colleagues who do. In leadership-heavy environments, an MBA is increasingly seen as a baseline qualification rather than a differentiator. The DBA, by contrast, offers something rarer. Academic depth without academic exile.
A doctorate designed for the workplace
Unlike a traditional PhD, the Doctorate in Business Administration is built around applied research, real organisational problems, and executive-level thinking. DBA candidates are not stepping away from industry. They are studying through it. Research topics are often rooted in boardroom challenges, market disruptions, and leadership transitions. For professionals who have already climbed part of the ladder, this makes the DBA feel less like a return to college, and more like a strategic extension of work.
Time has become the most valuable currency
Another reason behind the DBA’s rise is timing. MBAs, when pursued later in one’s careers demand more time than many professionals have. Stepping aside from senior roles can mean loss of visibility and opportunity costs that are hard to recover. The DBA’s shorter, structured format that is often delivered through online and blended models align with the lives of working professionals. College Vidya’s survey data says that flexibility tops the chart in enrollment decisions of 2025.
Authority matters more than mobility
The MBA has traditionally promised mobility, a job switch, a sector shift, and a higher package. But many DBA aspirants are no longer chasing movement. They are chasing authority.As organisations flatten and competition surges, senior executives look for credibility more than credentials. A DBA provides expertise, research-backed decision-making, and leadership maturity.
Online education made the shift possible
This pivot from MBA to DBA would have been far less likely a decade ago. Online education has lowered the barrier.The UGC-approved online doctoral programmes are gaining acceptance worldwide. Professionals can now pursue advanced credentials without geographic or career disruptions. The survey data says that the strong adoption from states such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar shows how access, not just ambition, is leading to the rise in DBA
Not a replacement, but a recalibration
The rise of the DBA is not a rejection of the MBA. It is a recalibration of purpose. The MBA remains the entry point. The DBA is becoming the escalation.College Vidya’s Year-End Online Education Trends 2025 suggests that Indian professionals are no longer asking which degree is popular. They are asking which degree still moves the needle. And increasingly, for those already inside the system, the answer is no longer obvious or automatic.
