High pricing strategy tailored for status-conscious Chinese

Many business schools in fact have "prestige" pricing policies as their business strategy because they believe high tuition cost is an expression of strength and confidence in a competitive education market.

"Price is the first thing communicated to a social circle. And to some extent, it is an expression of personal identity, which can be an important product feature," said Lydia Zhang, a Shanghai-based market researcher who has been following luxury branding and marketing for seven years.

"Without premium pricing, the EMBA would lack its luster for status-oriented consumers."