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Best MBA abroad countries for Indian students

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 (Top countries for highest MBA salaries). Which is why the two earlier questions generally go hand in hand (Read Is studying abroad worth it? Pros and Cons).

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 (How to settle abroad after MBA from India).

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.

USA

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.

England (UK)

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.

Canada

Compared to the U.S., though there aren’t as many top MBA schools in Canada to choose from, but for many Indians (specially those with a chacha-ji / mama-ji or close relative already based in the Ka-nay-daa) the post graduation prospects look much better than in most other countries.

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.

The best MBA colleges in Canada would include names like Rotman School of Management, Richard Ivey, Schulich, Sauder.

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.

Australia

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.

Do you see a trend there about the countries that are the most popular among MBA applicants from India?

They are all English speaking countries. Including Singapore where you can not feel alienated if you don’t speak Mandarin. For Indian students looking for overseas jobs, that’s a big advantage.

Where does that leave European countries like France, Spain, Switzerland where English is not the primary language of business?

In terms of numbers, we work with more Indian candidates aiming for programs like INSEAD than for all the bschools in countries like Singapore and Australia. The reason for choosing INSEAD is not because Indians are enamoured by the French culture and cuisine. It’s mainly because the MBA brand is powerful enough to make the country aspects less relevant.

Apart from looking at the best place for MBA studies abroad, also consider other points about the brand power, fit with your career aspirations, program structure & length, tuition fee, jobs & placements and anything else (weather, culture, language, proximity to India) that is important for you.

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

Read these related articles:
Eligibility requirements and entrance exams for foreign MBA
How to get a student visa for USA
How students can reduce their international education loan burden


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Sameer Kamat
About Sameer Kamat
Founder of MBA Crystal Ball. Author of Beyond The MBA Hype & Business Doctors. Here's more about me. Follow me on: Instagram | Linkedin | Youtube

50 thoughts on “Best MBA abroad countries for Indian students”

  1. Ambar, we haven’t worked with anyone for this program and it’s not much of a brand in India either. So I’m afraid there’s not much I can add other than what’s already there on their website.

    Before taking a decision, reach out to current students and alumni to see if they have anything interesting to share.

    Reply
  2. Hello Sameer,

    Thanks for your time. I am trying to understand below :

    1] Can Distance Education Student from Commerce background apply for any technical courses via GRE and which universities would accept their application.
    2) Can Distance Education Student from Commerce background apply for GMAT for any Management courses and which university accepts distance education degree.
    3) What difference will it make in salary structure for those student who applied in these courses(GMAT or GRE) via distance mode.

    Your any assistance will be highly appreciated.

    Reply
  3. I am confused right now, whether I should opt for management course or masters course . And currently I am preparing for GRE exam , so will GRE score be valid for management courses abroad in top Universities?

    Reply
  4. @Kunal: Here’s a list of MBA programs that accept correspondence courses & distance education degrees. Compared to full-time qualifications, the number of options for distance programs is quite limited.

    If you can surmount that hurdle and get into a good program, then the post-graduation salary wouldn’t be too different from your classmates who are competing for the same position with the same Masters degree.

    Your earlier experience will surely play a role though.

    @Harsh: GRE scores are accepted by most of the top schools. On your other query about which degree to choose, read this post: MBA vs Masters in Management: Which is better?

    Reply
  5. Hello Sir,

    I am currently working for a MNC,
    I am planning to take my CAT in 2015,but it looks like I may get on sight during Oct to Dec next year and will not be India during the time of CAT 2015 exam.
    can you please let me know whether there is any option for me to take my CAT 2015 exam from Germany or Austria.

    Regards,
    Preethi.N

    Reply
    • Hello Sir,
      My name is Muhammad Imran
      My father name is Muhammad Hanif
      I am currently working for a private company,
      I have done recently MBA in Finance 2015 from Pakistan University GCUF
      I search abroad jobs any related my field Please Help me anybody
      i need job for the supported my family

      Reply
  6. Hello Sameer
    It is great information on this website, I m an avid reader for it, also read your book. I m struggling with a confusion, let me brief my profile age 31.
    BCOM, MBA from a tier 2 school (2006) CFA ICFAI, CFA level 1 candidate, some certifications from NSE NCFM, total work ex is 8 plus years in teaching/ training in a tier 2 b school, don’t have much research work ex, does my profile suit for an MBA from good b school in USA/Canada, 1 year MBA from IIMA,B,C, or I have left with an only PhD option? Career change is the objective.Thanks in advance.

    Reply
      • Thanks Sameer, work exp quality makes difference in Mba admission (IIM mba 1 year). my teaching exp with a tier 2 b school, it provides diversity, wil IIM ad com count it as important as Corporate work exp? Means will my teaching work ex helpful or deterrent in my admission?
        Thanks

        Reply
  7. Hie Sameer,
    I am very much interested in studying MBA. Currently I am perusing M.C.A..
    My Profile:

    10th- 82%
    12th-75%
    BCA- 74% agg
    MCA- Pursuing.

    I do not have any work experience. Will I be able to get a good university in USA or Australia based on my GMAT score only and no work experience.
    Please advice,
    Thanks
    Priya Arora.

    Reply
  8. Hello Sir,
    I am Bhavana and presently going to thrid year of b.com (Banking & Insurance). i want to pursue MBA after my graduation but really confused whether to do it in India or Abroad. I would preferably do it from USA if GMAT. how much are the approx expenses for doing MBA abroad. Request you to kindly guide.
    Regards
    Bhavana

    Reply
    • There r number of great mba institutions in india if u can crack the cat exam with higher scores u can for any iim colleges,while there r many good private mba colleges like narsee monjee and symbiosis management studies both these colleges have tie ups with foreign universities which gives u a good exposure however if u r lookin for foreign mba colleges the expense would be much higher esp if u r looking colleges in usa and uk there are collges that gives u scolarships upto 1000$ however whichever colleges u may choose it should be a good one in terms of quality education placement and student exposure. jst opting foreign mba colleges for the name sake will land u nowhere…
      Regards
      Abhay Shukla

      Reply
  9. Hi Sameer,

    Thanks for this article. Could you publish your findings on what are the opportunities in India for Indian students who have studied abroad for their MBA? Which schools are well-known to Indian recruiters, what are the salary levels, how do Indian recruiters view US mid-tier schools (Emory, Georgetown etc.)…Thanks

    Reply
      • Hi Sameer,

        It will be useful to have the information requested by Sid. Will look forward to the article on this topic as it will help to identify business schools

        Regards,
        Sindhuri

        Reply
  10. Hey Sameer,
    Nice article man!
    In this context, I’d much appreciate your thoughts on this –

    As a Judge alum, what would you recommend for Indian applicants in the aspect of applying to LBS and OxBridge ? As you very correctly mentioned in the article,it’s very natural “to work overseas at least for a few years to repay the education loan before coming back to India”, I’d be curious to know your thoughts on this front ?

    Should we refrain from applying to these (re UK) b-schools as obtaining Work-Permit/Visa post-MBA in UK is getting more stringent ?

    Look forward to know what you think Sir.

    Reply
    • RB: Work permits will continue to be a risk factor irrespective of the country (USA, UK, Spain, France, Singapore, Australia). Canada is an exception.

      That shouldn’t scare away applicants from applying to the best possible degree that matches their career aspirations.

      Reply
      • Hi Sameer,
        Thanks for your reply. But as for UK, isn’t it difficult situation for internationals to dive into such circumstances, knowing that they are most likely won’t get to work there post-MBA with $100K or so loan burden ? What if they’re sent back post-MBA – I mean, how to deal with such circumstances ? Any thoughts ?

        As for US H1B Visa, could you please let us know how much is the overall cost of this Visa in US$ ? And the same for Canadian work VIsa/permit ? (These two seems to be pretty confusing on the respective consulate websites, so any feedback on this would be highly appreciated).

        Look forward to your expert comments Sir!

        P.S: Let me know if you want me to post this on external forums ?

        Reply
        • The simple rule of general investing applies to MBA programs as well. If you can’t afford to lose it, don’t invest it.

          There’s no point in stretching your financial resources too thin when you can’t absorb the adverse effects (e.g. not getting a job, not being able to repay the loan etc).

          Which is why many Indian candidates who work with us don’t insist purely on the top ranking programs, but try to balance out the brand, fee, opportunities and overall risks.

          I am not aware of H1B expenses. These are managed by the sponsoring companies. The MBA student’s primary responsibility is to convince an employer.

          Reply
  11. Hi Sameer,

    I am 49, and have 2 Masters and a post graduate diploma in urban environmental management.I have 20 years of work experience , worked in 6 countries, and studied in 4.

    I am a person who do not want to retire, and now seriously thinking to go for a 10 month full time MBA at INSEAD France campus, next year.The reasons are short duration (and reputation) of the program and my interest for management consulting jobs.

    What is your opinion Sameer? Shall I proceed? Is age a factor for the school or for job recruiters?(Not for me!)

    Please advise

    Reply
  12. Hi Sameer,

    I am looking to shortlist business schools to apply for a MBA. A brief of my profile –

    Engineering with 8.5GPA
    2.5 years work experience in IT Service Industry
    1 year post graduate diploma in sports management
    3 years with a sports education startup – transitioning to roles with growing responsibilities and revenue targets year on year.
    – best employee – 2013

    Volunteer –
    Special Olympics Asia Pacific
    – Technical Delegate for Cricket – Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games 2013 at Syndey,Australia
    – Certified Regional APAC Trainer for Cricket – 2015
    Brahmi Educational Trust
    – Facilitated a week long engagement of Wharton students through the WVIP – Jan 2015

    GRE : 157 Verbal , 167 Quants

    Can you suggest which tier of business schools in USA or Abroad will the profile match up to?

    Best,
    Vignesh

    Reply
  13. Hi , I am planning to apply to foreign b schools for MBA.An outline of my profile is given below:

    10th :74%
    12th:71%
    B.Tech: 7.81
    Work Exp: 4.5 years in IT industry
    GMAT Score :710

    I am mainly looking for b schools from where I can pursue MBA at an affordable cost as i have some financial constraints .So,I will appreciate if you can suggest me some countries and b schools which will suit my needs and will offer me great bang for the buck..I will look forward to your reply..

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply
  14. Hi am from india planning to do my mba at cardiff uk .I have 1 year work experience in corporate and I did my engg.i see people critisizing cardiff mba. I want to come back to india aftrr my mba and work here with a return of investment salary.Should I take up MBA at cardiff or MIM at FT rank b schools?

    Reply
  15. Hiii, I am planning to do 1yr mba from uk and even I got offer letters from university of Aberdeen , Coventry university, de montfort university , university of Lincoln but now I am confused which among these is best because aftr completion of my mba I want to come back to India and I am not sure about the starting package which I can get… I am scared that is it worth it or not to go to uk because I will spend alot of money fr d degree nd living and aftr tht m nt gtng a handsome package. …… I am also thinking to do a job aftr mba in uk fr a year and thn aftr hvng a one yr wrk experience thn return to India…. wat do u think…. plz tell me how much my package cn be if I do mba from one of these universities. …

    Reply
  16. Hi sameer,
    as an Indian aspirant of an american mba program. Could you please guide me as to how are these American universities
    1. Tippie school of business
    2. Uiuc
    3. Bason
    4. University of texas
    5. Kelly school of business.

    Reply
  17. Hi,

    I have 1 year experience as a developer in a Back office of a Bank. This bank is one of the top investment banks in the world. Now I would like to switch over my career in Managing and Finance part as I am more good at it.
    My details:
    10th: 83.4
    12th: 87.5
    UG: 8.45

    As of now, I am preparing for GMAT. I would like to know about the fee structure of MBA institutions all around the world.
    Could you please help with this…?

    Reply
  18. @Raju: Though Adcoms won’t admit it openly, most would think it’s too late for you to consider a full-time MBA.

    @Vignesh: We can’t suggest bschools on the blog for this reason.

    @Nilanjan: USA would be a good country for your MBA, as the choice of colleges is huge and so is the range of financing options.

    @Fathima / Shubhangi: If you can manage a job in the UK with those colleges, you’d do fine. But these MBA programs won’t open many doors in India.

    @Saurabh: I’d order them as follows: Kelley & Texas at the top, followed by Tippie, UIUC, Bason.

    @Dhanseelan: We wrote a post on this – How much does an MBA Cost in India, USA, Europe

    Reply
  19. I Like This Article……Someone say me in simply words…i m indian….Looking for settledown on Foreign Culture……I need peace,..Govt incentives offers etc….i Need perment income ….Not Lookng for Education..i m lookng For Settlement….I m bsc ct incompleted….2012-2015 batch…..tamilnadu…..i m interestd in vechile Mechanical work…….Some one giv a clear path for Me to settle…..Abroad….Friendly country… Non attacking on indians country..

    Reply
  20. HI SAMEER,

    I AM 28 OF AGE AND WORKING IN TRAVEL INDUSTRY. ITS BEEN 08 YEARS I HAVE BEEN WORKING. NOW I WANT TO PURSUE MBA IN IT . WILL THIS BE USEFUL FOR ME TO GET A JOB LIKE BUSINESS ANALYST IN ANY IT COMPANY

    SRY MY CAPS WAS ON

    THANKS
    MB

    Reply
  21. Hi sameer ,
    Im 41 years old. have a b.e. in electrical and electronics with 49.19% that took 10 years to complete . But that doesnt mean that im a dumb person. it jus happened so. the only proper experience ive is 5+ in technical support (have worked with companies like hcl and hp and another mnc supporting microsoft windows L2 -all 5+ exp with na and emea customers) . I messed up my life trying to be a programmer. though have programming experience of around a year in c# .
    Can i consider doing an mba at this age and with the kind of academic and professional drawbacks that i possess. what good would it do to me.
    i would greatly appreciate any suggestions.
    Ive the potential to learn new things always.(can read almost all official indian languages alongwith arabic and russian – just a proof that im no dumb)
    And still ve been postponing my marriage in want of a decent /better job – both in dignity and moneywise.
    Thanks

    Reply
  22. Sameer I just finished my 12th.and I want to study in abroad. My uncle is saying that the MBA of UK is not valuable in india. Most of the student complete theregistration MBA in uk and they r doing there job in india fr 15000to 20000 salary.Plz reply me asap.and suggest me weather india is good or abroad is good fr my further studies

    Reply
  23. Nice posts, Sameer !

    I have some doubts about ROI on MBA studies in Europe. I am an experienced IT professional wanting to move from software development to business consulting. If I had to choose between MBA from a German business school and from a Spanish business school, which has better job prospects in IT?
    I see that the schools in Spain, like ESADE, IE, IESE have better international rankings than schools in Germany, like Mannheim Business School.

    Reply
  24. Hi Sameer.I am in B.com Final Year Now
    .I am in a confusion that UK universities are providing 1 year MBA.But Here in India it is that only 2 year mba is accepted.so can u please brief me with this.and also provide me with univ with 2 year mba program in uk.Thanks in Advance

    Reply
  25. Hi Sameer,

    Need your helping hand. By any chance do you have any idea about Singapore Institute of Management ? I am planning to enroll in MSc- international Business course offered by university of Birmingham (partner university of SIM). Would that be possible to grab a job there in Singapore after the degree ? I have 5+ years of MNC exp. in fiduciary services related to company and trust management domain.

    Thanks & cheers!!
    With regard,
    S. Bhushan

    Reply
  26. @Rehman: Your uncle, who doesn’t like UK MBA programs, also won’t like the fact that you are reaching out for advice from someone who has a UK MBA 🙂
    But on a serious note, there are many cheap but mediocre programs offered by universities in the UK that will not do anything for your career. Better to stay away from them.

    @Ri: Both regions, Spain and Germany, will have cultural issues for international students. However, IT as an industry is more accomodating and you’ll find many techies working in both countries. If I had to pick one of the two, I’d go with Spain as it has more colleges in the FT MBA rankings.

    @Chetan: I don’t know much about that specific degree, but in general an Indian going to Singapore for a British degree doesn’t sound very logical. Unless you were aiming for INSEAD (a French degree in Singapore) which has a solid international reputation.

    Reply
  27. Hello Sameer,

    I am looking for MBAs abroad in Strategy, Innovation & Leadership (any weighted mix of the 3 would be ok).
    Which region (US, Europe or Asia) will you suggest, considering post-MBA job opportunities as well.

    I am a Mechanical Engineer with 4 yrs of experience in a MNC (function – R&D). I am fluent in French, and open to learn other foreign languages.

    Ready to spend ~40L INR. Also, yet to write GMAT (so I cannot tell my score at this point of time).

    Your inputs will help me focus and plan better.
    Thanks!!

    Reply
  28. hi its Yedu,
    thanks for all ur hard work and having patience to giving right information to each one of us,
    i am planing for my MBA ,i thought of going to Australia in Melbourne where as some of my friends says that aussie is very hard get jobs nowadays, and even they told me try for Canada ,as of now i am working in timeshare industry in Thailand i am happy with my salary but we always look for more betterment ,i am not really lookin studies what i am looking is part time jobs during the studies in these two countries.if i chose Canada show is one of the main problem too or is there any places without snow falls ? so what u can suggest me between Aussie and Canada?

    Reply
  29. Hi Sameer,
    I must appreciate your blog its very informative.
    Firstly a brief description of my career so far:
    -> I have completed my BBA from Jadavpur University with 70%
    -> I have less than 1 year Work Experience
    I have few questions:
    1. Which country is best suited for me if i want to do MBA with job prospects?
    2. With the research i have done so far i liked Australia. I want to know if i should go for Master in Management/Business from Australia’s Group of 8 university or should I go for MBA from RMIT Melbourne or University of Technology Sydney(both 2 year course)?
    3. Which Program will be more beneficial for me if I am looking to work after completion of my course?

    I would be waiting for your reply
    Thank You 🙂

    Reply
  30. Hi Sameer,

    I am looking at MBA in Netherlands, France and Germany. I don’t speak any French or German, but I intend to learn the languages.

    I have 8 years of experience in academic publishing with a Masters in linguistics from the UK. Are these countries a good choice?

    Reply
  31. Hey Sameer,
    I want to pursue my MBA studies in USA and I cannot get a real picture of what things to do and what not to. Also money factor and expenditure there is also a problem. so can you please give me a overview of the process and expenditure stuff there?

    And apart from the doubt, this blog is truly helpful. Thanks for that!

    Reply
  32. Hi Sameer,

    Google got me here. Great forum to discuss and very helpful indeed. Kudos to you and team.

    I have got an admit and scholarship from AGSM 2017. I understand that it falls in the top few of best MBA programs in AU. I was aiming for INSEAD , but my AU PR is more or less make me pivot towards AGSM.

    Student’s experience and feedback have been in the affirmative. But looking forward to hear your unbiased thoughts.

    Thanks much!

    Cheers,
    Kay.

    Reply
  33. Hi sameer…i am 25! Pursuing C.S…Have completed 2 groups of finals…I have worked in Nigeria for a year as well…i am planning for Mba in advertising for job prospects abroad…i would like to invest 1 year or so for the same…which country and course should i choose?

    Reply
  34. Hi Sameer
    Thanks for being a guidance for all.
    Gmat: 640
    Toefl: 89
    WE: 3.3 yrs till date (Senior Analyst, HCL Technologies)
    Which collage can I apply for full time MBA to get the best O/P in minimum cost, for 2016 enrollment.
    Applied to (Buffalo, Babson, US Davis, UT Dallas, William and Mary)

    Reply
  35. Hello Folks,

    I have work ex of 4yrs in IT field in ERP. I want to purse MBA or masters to up my skills and educational wealth. Which country will be good in terms of investing money in MBA so that i can work overseas and get paid in a couple of yrs. I have checked that after completing MBA from UK, you hav to come back to INDIA. So, my question is affordable MBA/Masters with job security in terms of money.

    Reply

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