The USA is a land of opportunity for international students, and MBA graduates are no exception. Every year, thousands of foreign nationals visit the USA for business education due to the endless possibilities that it offers them. Let's explore here the best universities in the USA for an MBA, the requirements and reasons to go for the qualification, and more.
Let’s dive right in…
An MBA from the USA is greatly valued around the world. With globally recognised MBA courses, USA promises amazing career opportunities for MBA graduates. The key characteristics that attract foreign nationals to pursue an MBA in USA include the following.
Many business schools in the USA consistently rank high on lists of the world's best MBA programs. Their strong scores across metrics like employability, graduate outcomes, returns on investment, and so forth, prove why they are considered the best schools for business education in the world. An MBA from a top US school will pay off even years after graduation, as future employers will recognise your association with the institution from your curriculum vitae.
The USA has student-friendly visa policies. Many employers that sponsor people with H-1B visas usually seek MBA graduates from top business schools in the USA and pay them more than other companies.
As an international MBA graduate, it is possible for you to stay back in the USA for an extra year after you graduate from a business school through the OPT (Optional Practical Training) program. On the other hand, as a STEM student, the program will allow you to extend your F-1 student visa for two more years and work for three years in the country without holding a H-1B visa.
MBA acceptance rates are not the same at every business school in the USA. The best-ranked universities in the country have acceptance rates as low as 7% to 10% or so. However, there are more top business schools with higher MBA acceptance rates in the USA. The following table shows some top universities with higher acceptance rates.
|
School |
Approximate acceptance rate |
|
The University of Alabama |
50% |
|
The University of Houston |
65% |
|
American University |
31% |
|
Northeastern University |
20% |
|
Florida International University |
50% |
The above-mentioned MBA acceptance rates in the USA are low – but that said, the status of every application depends on the factors that apply specifically to it, such as: prior qualifications, work experience, and standardised test scores. So, even if a university's MBA programme has a slightly lower acceptance rate, apply with confidence.
An MBA from any of these universities in the USA is a globally recognised qualification that comes with many different specialisations.
With its MBA program, the University of Alabama looks to make top-performing and high-potential graduates ready for successful careers in an internationally competitive business environment. The curriculum for the program, with an interdisciplinary approach, puts a strong emphasis on basic business concepts, skills, and knowledge. The syllabus at the University of Alabama combines cases, projects, and classroom lectures. The small-sized MBA classes allow academics to use an array of techniques to offer students enhanced learning opportunities.
For a full-time MBA program, the University of Houston offers as many as 23 specialisations for you to pick from. This will allow you to sharpen your skills and knowledge in a particular business area and stand out from a sea of MBA graduates. There is also the opportunity to attend evening classes in the second year of the program, allowing you to return to a workplace setting faster.
Through the Kogod School of Business, American University offers a STEM-designated full-time MBA program. It aims to equip you with leadership skills and technological expertise that are important for the American economy. A STEM MBA program is an MBA course combined with elements of the STEM stream, such as finance, IT, and statistics, to name a few.
The MBA program comes with a local internship opportunity and an international consulting project, offering you enough exposure to the domestic and global tech worlds.
Northeastern University offers an interdisciplinary MBA program with up to 24 concentration options. You can choose two concentrations from the 24 options, allowing you to learn while building a network of professionals from non-business fields. You can connect with your industry-related professionals through the university's Graduate Career Center and access multiple career opportunities.
Students from over 130 nations study business at Florida International University, an institution with faculty members from around 40 countries. The Miami location of FIU offers the benefits of education in an urban, ethnically rich, and multicultural centre. Miami is considered a business centre that serves as a regional headquarters location for many multinational corporations. It is the perfect environment for higher education in international business, with career opportunities that span several dynamic industries.For its MBA program, FIU offers daytime classes at its Modesto Maidique Campus, internship opportunities through the MBA Advisory Board, and a study-abroad opportunity in the last summer semester.
It depends on the school where you pursue your MBA in the USA. As per the November 2022 statistics from the Education Data Initiative, $61,800 is the average MBA cost in the USA. Tuition fees for an MBA at some of the world's best-ranked universities in the US may be exorbitant, but there are more affordable options in the country. The following table shows a list of the most affordable MBA programs in the USA for international students.
|
School |
Approximate Full-Time Cost |
|
The University of Alabama |
$61,000 |
|
The University of Houston |
$77,000 |
|
American University |
$91,435 |
|
Northeastern University |
$93,000 |
|
Florida International University |
$47,000 |
The criteria for admission to an MBA program in the USA may vary from one university to another. That said, here are some conditions that business schools usually have in place for candidates:
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By design, an MBA program imparts industry-specific expertise and gives training in general management. It also develops soft skills such as communication, organisational skills, interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, analytical skills, and business acumen. These are skills that apply to most positions, allowing MBA graduates to find job opportunities in many different sectors. Here are some of the career opportunities in the USA after an MBA, alongside their projected growth this decade and their salaries:
|
Position |
Average annual salary |
Projected growth |
|
Operations manager |
$98,000 |
7% |
|
Management analyst |
$93,000 |
11% |
|
Human resource manager |
$126,000 |
7% |
|
Chief executive officer |
$180,000 |
7% |
Yes, it is worthwhile to earn an MBA in the USA. If you consider the average MBA cost in the United States and the first salary of a newly graduated MBA holder, you may see a significant return on the investment.
There are many business schools in the USA that accept MBA candidates with no work experience. That said, as an MBA candidate, you will have to meet the other requirements of the university where you apply. On a related note, your work experience level will determine how much you can earn in the USA. The more experience you have, the better it will be for you from a salary perspective.
There are some universities in the USA that do not require GMAT or GRE scores from MBA candidates, such as Northeastern University. Even some of the universities that require GMAT or GRE scores waive the requirement if the candidate has a certain number of years of experience or a particular GPA, like Florida International University.
Are you keen on pursuing an MBA in USA? Approach our counsellors for a free one-on-one consultation to learn more about affordable and the cheapest MBA programs in USA for international students.
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