5 Best countries to study MBA abroad

Among the first few questions that pop into the mind of aspiring Indian students planning to study abroad are:
– ‘Which is the best country for MBA studies?’
– ‘Which are the top places for getting overseas MBA jobs after graduation?’

Then there are other secondary queries as well:
– What are the requirements and exams for an MBA abroad?
– How much are the costs of attending a foreign MBA in USA, UK?

After completing an MBA in a foreign country (and flirting dangerously with the poverty line), most Indian students would like to work overseas at least for a few year to repay the education loan before coming back to India. Which is why the two earlier questions generally go hand in hand.

We look at the top MBA countries for Indian students aspiring to not only study in a good foreign MBA program, but also increase their chances of getting an MBA internship and post-MBA jobs in the same country.

Top MBA abroad places for Indian students

There’s no scientific methodology here. It’s primarily based on the requests that we get from MBA applicants working with us and the reasons they cite.

Listed below are the top international education destinations, giving you ample choices to fulfill your dream of studying MBA abroad.

The United States of America

The US is one of the most popular business school destination with the most number of prestigious B-schools in the world.

This is where it all started for the MBA. It’s not surprise then that all these years later, an MBA in USA tops the charts for international (not just Indian) students. If you consider the infrastructure, resources and opportunities, America is the numero uno choice for a huge majority.

For students from India, there are a few reasons why USA is the best country for studying an MBA. There’s a large NRI population that’s been living in American for a long time (several generations in some cases). That means you have easy access to Indian stores, culture and people. Home sickness is easier to deal with.

American Bschools have deeper pockets. Many of the MBA abroad scholarship stories (ranging from partial to full 100% tuition fee waivers) our clients have shared on this blog are from MBA programs in the U.S.

Pursuing an MBA from the top-notch universities of USA is an advantage in itself, but along with it students also get strong infrastructural support, great internships and exposure to latest content and technology besides practical training through projects. Exposure to the business environment during internships in top companies grooms students into future entrepreneurs and business executives.

The main factor that differentiates US B-schools from rest of the world is the fact that American MBA is all about expanding your network and knowing the right people. Ultimately it will be this network of people which will help budding entrepreneurs.

To get into US B-schools, the quality of work experience is given a bit more preference over academic records.

Top B-Schools in the USA:

• Booth School of Business, University of Chicago
• Harvard Business School
• The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
• Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
• Stanford Graduate School of Business

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has always been the favorite study abroad destination among Indian students. London is one of the leading finance and banking centers, and other cities of UK offer excellent opportunities in the services industry. This reflects in UK business schools’ international reputation not only through a rigorous academic approach but also through high salaries and excellent job opportunities after graduating. In fact, in 2007 UK’s business schools taught more MBAs per year than the rest of Europe put together, according to a British Council research document.

The fact that the UK has a strong Indian population base is what makes this country an attractive destination for Indian students, as students traveling from India find it a lot more comforting to be around people with similar background.

Though it’s been on the receiving end in recent times due to its new visa regime and the growing uncertainty about getting MBA jobs in the UK, England is still a good choice for folks looking for shorter duration (one year MBA) programs. Many good MBA programs are in or around London, the big hub of global business activity. Almost all the top international companies have a presence here.

The biggest MBA brand in the UK comes from London Business School. Then if you’d like to get the university brand to work for you as well, the ‘Oxbridge’ brands – Cambridge (Judge business School) and Oxford (Said Business School) are strong contenders to consider. Other good MBA colleges in the UK are Manchester Business School, Cranfield, Cass Business School.

Top B-Schools in the UK:

• London Business School (LBS)
• London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
• University of Oxford – Said Business School
• University of Cambridge – Judge Business School
• University of Warwick – Warwick Business School
• Manchester Business School – The University of Manchester
• University of Strathclyde – Strathclyde Business School
• Lancaster University Management School
• Imperial College Business School
• University of Edinburgh Management School
• Cranfield School of Management

Canada

Canada is home to many of the world’s largest and influential companies and is a hot favorite among Indian students when it comes to doing an MBA.

Canada is a popular destination for MBA as it promises much more than just good education. Its economy is thriving in industries like oil & gas, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and forestry. The impact a good economy has on student life can be felt once you finish your degree, and are at the stage of looking for jobs. Easy availability of good jobs and immigration possibilities is what makes Canada such an attractive place to study at.

The big carrot that Canada offers MBA students is work permits, ranging from 1-3 years. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee a job. But it does offer the big psychological comfort of not getting kicked out of the country after spending a whole lot of time, effort and money that’s associated when you are studying abroad for an MBA or MS or Phd. The immigration process in Canada is also relatively simple.

Top B-Schools in Canada:

• York University Schulich’s Business School
• University of Toronto: Rotman School
• University of British Columbia’s Sauder Business School
• Queen’s School Of Business, Queen’s University
• Saint John Faculty of Business, University of New Brunswick
• Mcgill University’s Desautels School
• Ivey Business School, Western University Canada
• Alberta School of Business, University of Alberta

Australia

Australia is another popular study destination with Indian students, as this country offers affordable education opportunities with no compromise on quality. Factors like weather being similar to India, relaxed student life and culture, and a strong Indian community add up to the study experience.

For management education, Australia is in a strange spot. When it comes to the second question (about living and working abroad after graduating), Australia offers an excellent standard of living. Just like Canada, it’s got an immigration process that’s friendlier than other countries.

There’s no dearth of universities down under, offering all degrees (including MBA courses) and they are all spending a lot of money trying to woo Indian students. And that’s where the challenge lies as well.

Despite the huge number of universities and private institutions, the best MBA programs in Australia that have cracked into the international MBA rankings are very few. Apart from Melbourne Business School and AGSM, you are unlikely to see too many other Australian MBA colleges in the list.

Australian colleges have two intake seasons in a year. One intake is in September and the other in January. Indian students prefer September intake for Australia.

Top B-Schools in Australia:

• Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne
• Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales
• Sydney Business School (SBS), University of Wollongong
• Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM), Macquarie University
• Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University
• School of Management – Queensland University of Technology
• Curtin Business School

Singapore

Being close to India and still offering an international experience in the class, make it a popular choice for cost conscious MBA students from India. In constrast to western countries, the time taken to fly down from Singapore to India and the costs of an airline ticket are manageable.

The top MBA programs in Singapore are National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang (NTU). Plus theres a big new draw in recent years – INSEAD Singapore campus. That’s a great way to get a top notch global MBA from Asia and reduce the overall costs. The cost of living in Singapore is lesser than staying in Europe.

Singapore is a well-established destination for foreign education in the Asia-Pacific Region. It is one of the most economically viable options if you wish to pursue your education abroad. The total expenditure on fees costs in most educational institutes at Singapore ranges between Rs. 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh. Students have permission to work for 16 hours a week while pursuing studies to support themselves economically.

Singapore is known to be one of the safest cities for students with the government of Singapore’s non-tolerance policy towards drug abuse and ragging on campus. 

Top B-Schools in Singapore:

• INSEAD Singapore
• Nanyang Business School
• University of Liverpool
• JE Educational College
• NUS Business School

Spain

Over the last few years, Spain has emerged as an alternative education destination in Europe. Three of the top-rated European MBA programs are located in Madrid and Barcelona. The nation has only 46 million people yet management education has continued to boom over the last three decades. Spain has a completely different culture than other countries in Europe, which will be an interesting experience for the student.

The one thing Indian students should keep in mind is the fact that although education in Spain is bi-lingual, out-of-classroom conversations with students and professors will be in Spanish. So it is advisable to brush up your Spanish conversational skills.

Top B-Schools in Spain:

• IESE University Barcelona
• ESADE University Barcelona
• IE University Madrid

Got questions for us? Post them below. We’ll help you with some more inputs based on your profile and post graduation plans.