Top 10 Business schools based QS World University Rankings 2018

We all aspire to reach the zenith of our careers and since most of the renowned corporate houses especially look for top-class management graduates, it becomes all the more necessary to get into an acclaimed one.

Earning a post-graduation in Management (MBA) can be both heavy on the pocket and mind, so one needs to pre-decide on the course, alumni network, job opportunities, and various other factors before joining one. There are countless of Business schools around the corners of the world and joining any of these schools has its own benefits. However, few score better than others in overall terms.

To formalise this gradation, every year Quacquarelli Symonds Limited publishes QS World University Rankings. It is a British company specialising in education.

Global MBA Rankings 2018 is a section under QS World University Rankings which shows the ranks of top Management Schools around the world. It is the only international ranking to have received International Ranking Expert Group (IREG) approval, the QS ranking is viewed as one of the three most-widely read university rankings in the world, along with Academic Ranking of World Universities and Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Here is the list of top 10 Business schools based on QS World University Rankings-

#1  Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Ivy League stalwart Harvard University, in Boston, Massachusetts. HBS offers a full-time, two-year, residential MBA program designed to prepare students for global leadership roles. In addition, HBS offers dual-degree options through other Harvard colleges, including Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

The Harvard MBA exposes students to real-life leadership challenges through interaction with a diverse community, immersing them in intense, transformative experiences that prepare them to be fully alert and functional wherever in the world they may go.

One can apply for 24 months Full-time MBA program of Harvard Business School by taking a GRE Test and score a minimum of 730. The school prefers students with average 4 years of work experience and the program begin in the month of September every year. Studying in this prestigious institution can be bit heavy on your pocket as the fees can shoot up to greater than USD 1,20,000 for the entire course. Almost 91 percent of the graduates have successfully got placed within 3 months of the course completion.

#2  INSEAD

INSEAD is one of the world's leading and largest graduate business schools. It brings together people, cultures and ideas from around the world to change lives and transform organizations. The unique global perspective and multicultural diversity of INSEAD are reflected in all aspects of its research and teaching, with three campuses across the globe - Asia (Singapore), Europe (Fontainebleau, France) and Middle East (Abu Dhabi). Its 148 renowned faculty members from 40 countries inspire more than 1300 participants in its MBA, Global Executive MBA, dual-degree EMBA, Executive Master in Finance and Executive Master in Consulting and Coaching for Change programmes.

INSEAD offers a full-time MBA programme, an Executive MBA (EMBA) programme, a Master in Finance programme, a PhD in management programme, and a variety of executive education programmes. Tuition fees for 10 months of INSEAD MBA program can be as high as $95,344. Candidates need at least 6 years of work experience and a GMAT score of more than 709 to apply for this course. 90% of the graduates were recruited by top companies within 3 months after the completion of the program.

#3  HEC Paris

HEC Paris (French: École des hautes études commerciales de Paris) is an international business school established in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce (CCIP). This institution holds the triple accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA), the EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). HEC Paris offers its flagship Master in Management, MBA and EMBA programs, specialized MSc programs, a PhD program, and other short-term executive courses.

HEC offers custom-designed courses for young managers with an average 6 years work experience. The MBA is a highly selective program which enhances their leadership potential to boost and change their career paths. The average GMAT score needed for applying for the class of 2018 is 698. The fees of the MBA program can be more than Euro 66,000. Over 93% of the graduates got placements within 3 months post graduation.

#4  Stanford University

Stanford University is a prestigious private research university in California, currently overtaking its Ivy League rivals in the selectivity stakes. Its Graduate School of Business (GSB), founded in 1925, it is the toughest to get into with only a 7.1% acceptance rate.

Stanford GSB offers a two-year, full-time MBA, as well as a large range of dual-degree MBA programs. These include MBA/JD, MBA/MA International Studies, MBA/MD, MBA/Master of Public Policy (MPP), MBA/MS Computer Science, and an MBA/MSE Electrical Engineering.

One can apply for these courses if one has an avg of 4 years of work experience and an average GMAT score of 737. The cost of the course can reach beyond USD 1,20,000. On completion of the course, 82% of students are employed within three months – mostly within the consulting, software, and finance industries.

#5  London Business School

London Business School (LBS) is a public business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London. LBS was founded in 1964 and awards post-graduate degrees (Master's degrees in management and finance, MBA and PhD). LBS is widely considered to be one of the world's best business schools and its motto is "To have a profound impact on the way the world does business.”

The LBS MBA is, “The world’s most flexible program,” with tailored options for completing the course over 15, 18, or 21 months.

To apply for the LBS MBA you must have a valid GMAT or GRE score. The average GMAT score for 2018 is at 707 and an average work experience of 5 years. Course fees currently stand at £75,100 (US$98,904) while LBS encourage all applicants to explore all financing and scholarship opportunities that may be available to them. LBS offer a range of scholarships that are open to all, exclusively open to women, separated by sector and scholarships by nationality/residence. 94% of students are employed within three months after completion of the course.

#6 The Wharton School

The Wharton School is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in 1881 through a donation from Joseph Wharton, the Wharton School is the world's oldest collegiate school of business. Wharton is the business school which has produced the highest number of billionaires in the US.

Wharton offers 20-month full-time MBA programme with a recommended 3.5-month summer internship. Wharton also offers a doctoral program and houses, or co-sponsors, several diploma programs either alone or in conjunction with the other schools at the university.

To apply for the Wharton MBA programme one needs an average score of 730 with an average work experience of 5 years. The course can cost beyond USD 1,20,000. Nearly 95% of students are employed within three months, mostly in consulting and finance roles.

#7 Sloan School of Management

Sloan School of Management of Massachusetts of Technology (MIT) offers a range of MBA programs, with two full-time MBA variants – the flagship MIT Sloan full-time MBA program, completed over two years, and an immersive, one-year, full-time Sloan Fellows MBA program.

The flagship MIT Sloan full-time MBA is a two-year residential program, which combines classroom discussion led by expert faculty with collaborative, hands-on projects hosted by global organizations. It includes opportunities for specializing through tracks in enterprise management, entrepreneurship and innovation, and finance.

The Sloan Fellows MBA program is a transformational course for mid-career executives from over 20 nationalities, designed to help students build a global network of colleagues from for-profit and non-profit multinational organizations, entrepreneurial endeavours and governing bodies.

Any professional with a GMAT score of 724 and above and an average work experience of 5 years can apply for the MIT Sloan MBA Program. The fees for pursuing the course is similar to other Business Schools which stands at more than USD 1,20,000. Being a prestigious course almost 92% of the candidates are employed after graduation.

#8 Columbia Business School

The Columbia Business School (CBS) is a part of the Columbia University, located in Manhattan New York. It was founded in 1916 and is one of the oldest business schools of the United States.

This Ivy League business school offers a full-time residential MBA program which spans over two years. The Columbia Business School (CBS) MBA program curriculum prepares students to lead, build, and manage companies while instilling an awareness of the societal effects of business decisions. Students benefit from the transformative research and extensive, behind-the-scenes industry knowledge from the faculty leading the course.

The average GMAT score required in 2018 to apply for CBS MBA is 717. The average work experience required for applying is 5 years and the school takes in student both in January and September session. The fees for pursuing this course stands at USD 1,20,000 and around 92% of the pass outs were employed post graduation.

#9  Saïd Business School

The Saïd Business School of Oxford aims to provide the prepare future business leaders to tackle the world-scale challenges of the 21st century. Today’s world is increasingly interconnected. Therefore, to succeed in business, students need more than just business skills. The Oxford MBA aims to “burst the business bubble” with a program that draws on expertise from different disciplines in other parts of the University.

The one-year Oxford MBA Program provides a solid grounding in major business disciplines and skills, based on up-to-date best practice and the latest academic research. The program is based around cross-cutting themes, including the global rules of the game, entrepreneurship, and responsible business, delivered in the form of lectures and seminars, intensive small-group and team-project work, backed up with case studies and business simulations.

Professionals with an average work experience of 5 years and a with GMAT score of 690 can apply for this MBA Program. The cost of pursuing this course ranges from USD 60,000 to 70,000. Around 86% of students are employed within three months after graduation.

#10  IE Business School

IE Business School of Madrid is famous for its International MBA. It attracts students from all over the world and from vastly different cultures and professional backgrounds, yet they all have one thing in common: the ability to embrace change. The confidence in their abilities and the desire to expand their horizon leads them to dedicate one year to a life-changing experience, learning from others and growing both as a person and as a professional.

IE Business School runs MBA, Executive MBA, master's degree programs in finance and management, executive education programs, PhD and DBA programs.

To apply for IE MBA Program, aspirants require to have an average work experience of 5 years and a GMAT score of 685. Candidates need to spend around USD 70,000-80,000 for the course and 89% of the graduates get employed during the first three months of graduating.

These are the top 10 business schools around the world where everyone dreams to get it. However, my going through the eligibility statistics it is quite evident that these schools prefer candidates with an average work experience of 5 years. So, if you are dreaming now, it is not too late, try joining a good company after your bachelor degree and then apply for one with a good GMAT score. This will pave the way for a wonderful future.