MBA in USA is available in 500+ colleges. The average tuition for a 2-year MBA in USA exceeds 50 lakhs annually. Tuition and fees for attending any of the top USA business schools might cost up to 75 lakhs or more. For Indian students, admission requirements for MBA in US colleges include an academic score of ~90% and GMAT score of 700+.

According to the US Department of Education, the USA is the world's largest MBA ecosystem with around 125,000 enrolled students on a yearly basis. The average base starting salary for MBA graduates is around 80 lakhs/year, according to the GMAC recruiter survey. MBA in Finance is one of the highest paying MBA specializations with a base salary of 95 lakhs. The highest-paying recruiters for MBA graduates in the USA include McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan. 
Explore More! Jobs after MBA in USA.

Top MBA Colleges in USA

More than 50 Business schools rank globally among the top business schools abroad for their MBA programs as per QS Rankings. Some of the top MBA colleges in USA are mentioned below:

University Check Course Details Application Deadline Annual Tuition Fees (INR)
Stanford University (Graduate School of Business) MBA Round 2: Jan 5, 2023  
Round 3: Apr 11, 2023
63.50 lakhs
Harvard Univeristy (Harvard Business School) MBA Round 2: Jan 4, 2023  60.59 lakhs
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) MBA Round 2: Jan 4, 2023  
Round 3: Mar 29, 2023
70.02 lakhs
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) MBA Round 2: Jan 18, 2023
Round 3: Apr 11, 2023
66.33 lakhs
Columbia University (Columbia Business School) MBA April 5, 2023 66.39 lakhs
University of California Berkeley (Haas School of Business) MBA Round 2: Jan 5, 2023
Round 3: Apr 6, 2023
55.63 lakhs
University of Chicago (Chicago Booth) MBA Round 2: Jan 5, 2023
Round 3: Apr 11, 2023
64.22 lakhs
University of California, Los Angeles (Anderson School of Management) MBA Round 2: Jan 4, 2023
Round 3: Apr 12, 2023
59.18 lakhs
Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management) MBA Round 2: January 10, 2023
Round 3: April 5, 2023
64.58 lakhs

Yale University (Yale School of Management)

MBA Round 2: Jan 5, 2023
Round 3 :Apr 11, 2023
65.59 lakhs
New York University (Stern School of Business) MBA Round 2: Jan 15, 2023
Round 3: March 15, 2023
67.92 lakhs
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Ross School of Business) MBA Round 2: Jan 9, 2023
Round 3: Apr 3, 2023
60.39 lakhs
Duke University (Fuqua School of Business) MBA Round 2: Jan. 5, 2023
Round 3: Mar. 28, 2023
59.20 lakhs
Cornell University (Johnson College of Business) MBA January Round: Jan 10, 2023
April Round: Apr 11, 2023
63.27 lakhs
Boston University (Boston Business School) MBA Round 2: Jan 5, 2023
Round 3: Mar 15, 2023
48.31 lakhs

MBA in USA Course Highlights

Colleges 500+ colleges
Admission Average GPA- 3.4
TOEFL iBT Score- 70
Average 5 years of Work Experience
MBA Specialization MBA in General Management | MBA in Marketing | MBA in Human Resource Management | MBA in Finance
Average Tuition Fees 60 lakhs INR/year
Average Salary 70.25 lakhs INR

Want to know more about MBA in USA? Watch the video and get detailed information about MBA in USA for international students

Types of MBA in the USA

Universities in USA offer a broad spectrum of MBA programs that are not only comprehensive but are highly flexible too. Types of MBA available in colleges of USA are:

  • Full Time MBA Program: Available at Stanford, Harvard, UPenn, Chicago-Booth, MIT
  • Executive MBA Program: Available at UPenn Wharton, MIT, Yale, Northwestern
  • Part-Time MBA Program: Available at MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia University
  • Online MBA Program: Available at Indiana University, University of North Carolina, University of Florida
  • Early Career MBA: Available at Chicago-Booth, UPenn Wharton, UCLA
  • Global MBA: Available at Harvard, New York University

Specializations for MBA in USA

Another factor that may affect the choice of MBA program is the specialization you want to opt for. As per the QS MBA by Specialization Rankings 2021, the following USA universities grabbed the top positions for different MBA specializations offered. Given below are the popular specialization and various MBA colleges in USA ranking for those MBA specializations:

MBA Specialization University Name
MBA in General Management Harvard University
Stanford University
Northwestern University
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Yale University
MBA in Marketing Stanford University
Northwestern University
UCLA
Harvard University
Indiana
MBA in Human Resource Management Northwestern University
Vanderbilt University
University of Michigan
Brigham Young University
Purdue University
MBA in Entrepreneurship Babson College
Stanford University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of California, Berkeley
University of Pennsylvania
MBA in Finance University of Pennsylvania
University of Chicago
New York University
Columbia University.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Executive MBA University of Chicago
Northwestern University
Columbia University
New York University
UC-Berkeley

Also Read:

MBA Colleges in USA: Admissions

Eligibility criteria for MBA colleges in USA vary in terms of GPA, deadlines, TOEFL-iBT score, and work experience. Thus, it becomes imperative for international applicants to start planning their study at least 1.5 years in advance to allow themselves sufficient time for visa processing upon acceptance.

Intake for MBA in USA

There are mainly three admission intakes in USA-

  • Fall Intake
  • Spring Intake
  • Summer Intake

However, Fall and Spring are the major semesters as only a few colleges offer summer intakes.

Basic Requirements MBA in USA

The eligibility criteria for studying MBA in USA involves evaluating an applicant on various factors. Some of the basic criteria that an international student must be eligible for are listed below:

  • Completion of 16 years of education: This means that you need to have a 10+2+4 education or complete a four-year bachelor's program.
  • Standardized Exams Scores: Qualifying for any of the business schools in the USA will mostly require you to have a good GMAT score. Some universities may accept GRE equivalents.
  • Language Proficiency Scores: International applicants are required to submit the scores of IELTS or TOEFL for proving their proficiency in the English language.
  • Work Experience: To study MBA in the USA, applicants are required to mostly have a minimum work experience of 3 years. However, this varies from university to university and with the type of MBA program chosen.

Also Check: 

Documents Required to Study MBA in USA

International students planning to Study abroad are required to submit a few additional documents. Some of these are enlisted below:

  • Academic Transcript
  • GMAT/GRE scores
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Resume
  • Cover Letter
  • Statement of Purpose

Also Check: 

MBA in USA: Admission Requirements at US Business Schools

University Academic Requirements (GPA) GMAT Score | Work Experience (average) Language Proficiency To Explore More about Admission
Harvard Business School 3.7 (~90-92%) 730 | 4.7 years TOEFL: 109 Click here!
Stanford Graduate School of Business 3.7 730 | 4.6 years TOEFL: 100  Click here!
MIT Sloan School of Management 3.6 (~89-90%) 720 | 5 years TOEFL: 90 Click here!
UPenn (Wharton) 3.6 730 | 5 years TOEFL: 110  Click here!
Kellogg School Of Management 3.6 720 | 5 years TOEFL: 110 Click here!
Yale School of Management 3.6 690 | 5 years TOEFL: 110 (Recommended) Click here!
Columbia Business School 3.6 720 | 5 years TOEFL: 110 (Recommended) Click here!

USA Student Visa

The F-1 Student Visa is usually offered to non-immigrants who are willing to pursue higher studies or research in the US. Also, student must the I-20 form from the enrolled university. The admitted students are not permitted to take up full-time employment, but they can work part-time jobs while studying in USA. Only 20 hours per week is permissible for working on-campus.

Cost to Study MBA in USA

The overall cost of MBA in USA includes the sum an international student will experience before leaving the home country to tuition fees and cost of living in the USA. Detailed in the sections below are certain such expenses of pursuing an MBA in the USA.

MBA Fees in USA for Indian Students

Tuition Fees for MBA in USA range from USD 45,000 to USD 77,000 (32.9 Lakhs INR- 58.5 Lakhs INR) per year. However, an MBA degree at the top-10 Business schools may cost over 1 Cr.

Also Check: Affordable MBA in USA for Indian Students

Cost of Living in USA

The average expense range of students in the USA is:

  • Accommodation: 0.75 lakhs- 1.50 lakhs (Monthly)
  • Meals: 0.02 lakhs- 0.03 lakhs (one-meal)
  • Transportation: 0.07 lakhs- 0.22 lakhs (Monthly)
  • Personal Expenses: 0.22 lakhs- 0.45 lakhs (Monthly)
  • Health Insurance: 0.34 lakhs- 0.53 lakhs (Monthly)

Scholarships for MBA in USA

Mentioned below are some of the MBA scholarships in USA for international students.

Business School Scholarship Award
Harvard Business School Horace W. Goldsmith Fellowship 10,000 USD
Wharton School Joseph Wharton Fellowship 20,000 USD
MIT Sloan McKinsey Award 10,000 USD
Columbia Business School Columbia Fellows’ Program Full or partial tuition fee waiver
Kellogg School of Management Kellogg Scholarship 7,000 USD

MBA in USA: Placements

As per the BLS, USA, a 23% rise in demand for various business and related roles will create around 138,000 new opportunities by 2024. Some of the top MBA recruiters in USA are- Amazon, Apple, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, McKinsey, etc. Mentioned below are the jobs offered to MBA Graduates according to their MBA specialization.  

Program Job Profile Average Salary in INR
MBA General Management Business Development Director
Project Manager
Operations Manager
67.58 lakhs
MBA Finance Financial Analyst
Finance Manager
Accounting Manager
70.29 lakhs
MBA Human Resource HR Manager
HR Generalist
HR Specialist
69.57 lakhs
MBA Marketing Marketing Director
Product Manager
Marketing Manager
72.51 lakhs

ROI for Top MBA Colleges in USA

The return of investment is one of the most significant factors amongst Indian students studying MBA in USA. The table below presents the tuition fees against the annual salary offered to graduates of top b-schools in USA:

Business Schools 1st Year Tuition (in USD) Annual Salary (in USD)
Harvard Business School 81,374 150,000
Stanford Graduate School of Business 78,705 158,400
Sloan School of Management 82,600 148,075
Haas School of Business 81,341 149,000
Chicago Booth 80,203 155,000
Columbia Business School 86,289 180,000
The Wharton School 99,369 150,000
Fuqua School of Business 79,965 136,000

MBA from USA can cost you anywhere from around 170,000 to 220,000 USD as the overall fees. The cost of an MBA in the US for Indian students ranges around 1 crore or more. Even with such high costs, what makes the graduate schools of the USA stand out for business/management program seekers is that the US is the birthplace of the MBA program.

People Also Ask

Ques. How much will it cost to do MBA in USA?

Ans. The cost of an MBA in the USA is divided into three major components: pre-arrival costs, tuition fees, and living expenses. In terms of tuition, MBA in USA fees for Indian students exceed 50 lakhs per year. Furthermore, annual living expenses in the United States are in the range of 20 lakhs.

Ques. Is studying MBA in USA really worth it?

Ans. MBA graduates are in high demand in the United States. Placements are an important consideration when selecting the best MBA program in US. Corporates have traditionally preferred MBA graduates. An MBA in USA is held by 70% of senior managers and directors in large corporations. When compared to other degrees, this significantly increases your earning potential.

Ques. Is MBA in USA hard?

Ans. MBA in USA is only as difficult as you make it, and it is only as rewarding as you put into it. There is rarely any hand-holding in business. Either you become a competent business expert or you are surpassed by the competition.

Ques. Can I do MBA in USA for free?

Ans. It is difficult to study MBA for free in the United States; there are few schools that offer tuition-free programs. However, there are many universities that offer full scholarships to study MBA in the United States.

Ques. Do international students get job after MBA in USA?

Ans. It is difficult to study MBA for free in the United States, as there are few universities that offer tuition-free programs. However, a number of top business schools offer scholarships to deserving candidates so they can pursue an MBA in the United States. Some of these universities also provide full scholarships for MBA in the United States to Indian students.

Ques. Which MBA is in demand in USA?

Ans. The most in-demand MBA in USA are finance, project management, consulting, strategy, and business analytics. Employers, on the other hand, hire MBA graduates with a wide range of specialisations because each degree type is suited to different roles.

Ques. Which exam is required for MBA in USA?

Ans. The GMAT is a business school entrance exam that determines your suitability for an MBA program. International students must also submit TOEFL iBT scores to prove English proficiency.

Ques. How long is an MBA in USA?

Ans. Full-time MBA programs in USA typically last two years, but many also offer one-year, accelerated options. Part-time MBA programs give students the option of attending evening and/or weekend classes to accommodate their busy schedules.

Ques. Is it better to do MBA or MS in USA?

Ans. While the MBA is suitable for students from any academic or professional background seeking greater career flexibility, management roles, or business ownership, Masters programmes are preferable for students seeking specialised knowledge in a specific area.

Ques. How much is the cheapest MBA in USA?

Ans. One of the most affordable universities for MBA in USA is Northeastern State University with an annual tuition fee of 9.18 Lakhs, followed by, Iowa State University and The University of Hawaii at Manoa, with annual tutiion fee of 10.85 Lakhs 11.57 Lakhs respectively.

Ques. Can MBA student get PR in USA?

Ans. After completing MBA in USA, graduates are eligible for optional practical training (OPT), which is a 12-month period during which you can stay and work in the United States. This enables you to work in any industry related to your field of study.