MBA in India vs. MBA Abroad: 5 Eye-Opening Insights You Must Know Before Making a Decision

MBA in India, or MBA Abroad – Confused right?

Although both paths can offer you unique benefits and challenges, you must decide what suits your budget better!

Is an MBA abroad worth it? Let’s compare.

Program Duration (1 Year / 2 Years)

In India, the MBA courses are mainly for 2 years, but MBA abroad is much shorter. The 1-year MBA courses are game-changers for working professionals to move up in their career ladder. But if you want to build strong foundations, the 2-year degree course is your route!

Top B-schools in India, like IIM Ahmedabad, ISB Hyderabad, and IIM Bangalore prefer the 2-year MBA degree program format. Similarly, top B-schools abroad, Harvard, Stanford, and London Business School prefer this format.

HEC Paris and INSEAD are some European B-Schools that offer 1-year MBA courses.

Entrance Exams / MBA admission process (GMAT Vs CAT)

Abroad, students are required to pass the GMAT or Graduate Management Admission Test to get enrolled in the MBA program. In India, students need to pass the CAT or Common Admission Test for the same.

As GMAT is accepted worldwide (QS MBA rankings also favor GMAT scores) and is more suitable for students who want to start their careers in multinational companies, top B-schools in India also accept GMAT rankings.

Global Exposure

Although the quality of education offered by top B-schools abroad and top B-schools in India are almost the same, this is where MBA abroad takes the cake!

Pursuing MBA in Europe, MBA in USA, MBA in UK means –

You can interact in a more diversified classroom which can enhance your global networking skills.
You can also get access to MBA exchange programs which means you can study in another country for a semester! (Isn’t it exciting?)

MBA Fees

	India	Abroad
*Course Fee*	MBA cost in India is generally, Rs 20-25/- lakhs in top B-schools. You can also go for the online 2-year MBA degree courses from private MBA colleges in India, like NMIMS, and Jaipur National University at much lower prices (less than Rs 2 lakhs/-)	MBA cost abroad is generally, Rs 50 lakhs – 1 crore/- *(Yes, the price is a bit on the higher side!).*
*Living expenses*	Rs 3-5 lakhs/- Per Year	Rs 6-10 lakhs/- Per Year

Tip: If budget is a real concern for you, then an MBA in India can guide your career path. But wait, if you still want an affordable MBA abroad, you can go for an MBA in Germany in public B-schools where very less or no tuition fees are charged.

Will the Salary & MBA Return on Investment (ROI) pay it off?

Now, let’s be real here! You need a generous salary post-MBA!

But here is a catch, doing an MBA abroad can not guarantee you a job abroad! If you are thinking of returning back to India post-MBA abroad, your salary will be just similar to another candidate who did an MBA in India.

MBA career growth and salary:

Top B-schools in India: Rs 10-25 LPA (Average)
Top B-schools abroad: $100,000+ (Rs 80 LPA)

Tip: If you are looking for local MBA job opportunities in India, you can definitely go for the best MBA colleges in India, like IIMs, ISB, and XLRI which can offer you great ROI! But if you are aiming for a more standard global career, you can choose top MBA programs from the best MBA universities abroad, like MBA from Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, MIT Sloan, HEC Paris MBA, or Columbia Business School.

Final Verdict

You are still confused, right?

– No problem, here are some pro tips for you:

You can choose an MBA in India if:

You have a limited budget and you want a quick ROI
You want to work in India
You want to pursue an MBA without work experience

You can choose an MBA abroad if:

You have a good budget and prefer international exposure
You should have some work experience as most top B-schools abroad offer an MBA with work experience.