MBA in USA for International Students

The United States of America is home to some of the best MBA colleges in the USA. Business postgraduates from the USA hold key positions in almost all companies of the world. This makes it an exciting option to pursue an MBA in the USA

However, there is a set criteria for MBA in the USA. Students and professionals trying for an MBA in the USA need to match these criteria in order to get admission in MBA colleges in America.

Applicants need to have a strong academic profile with a 90% score, and a minimum of 700 in GMAT to get admission into top MBA colleges in the USA

Tuition fee of MBA colleges in the USA is around $45,000 - 77,000 which is 71,000 - 98,26,740 Nepalese Rupees. However, Nepalese students can make use of various scholarship programmes.  

International aspirants can find affordable MBA colleges in the USA in the form of best public universities for MBA. McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan are in the list of some of the highest paying recruiters in the USA for MBA graduates.

MBA in USA for International Students Highlights:


Admission Requirements

Average GPA- 3.4

IELTS- 6.0

TOEFL iBT Score- 70

Average 5 years of Work Experience

MBA Specialisation

MBA in General Management | MBA in Marketing | MBA in Human Resource Management | MBA in Finance

Average Tuition Fees

Nepalese Rupees 60 lakhs/year

Average Salary

Nepalese Rupees 70.25 lakhs/year

Why MBA in USA for International Students?

  • Pursuing an MBA degree from America is a dream of many professionals around the world and there are multiple factors to support it


    • The USA has got one of the best programmes to train students with operational leadership skills. MBA graduates from the states walk up the ladder quite quickly in the corporate world. 
    • The MBA curriculum in America is meant to suit the global business environment, and therefore, making a masters of business administration from the USA a must. 
    • Availability of multiple scholarships for international students to maintain a healthy diverse on-campus community. 
    • thriving job market and an industry that is welcoming to MBA graduates offering them competitive salary packages.

Types of MBA in USA for International Students:

Colleges in the USA offer various types of MBAs, available to suit aspirants academic and professional requirements. These types are:

Full-Time MBA:

 It is the standard 2-year programme offered by almost all colleges in America. Students with decent work experience looking to accelerate their career in managerial business development can opt for this programme.

Part-Time MBA:

Part-time MBA or PGDM programmes are for professionals who cannot leave their jobs/businesses and want to upskill their value in the professional space. It typically spans from 2-3 years of time and classes are usually in the evenings or weekends.

Executive MBA:

Also known as fast-track MBA, this course is specially for those with profound work experience. Professionals-turned-students stay on-campus and pursue master’s of business administration in a crisp 1-year programme.

Online MBA Programme:

This programme is an advanced version of distance learning where students learn the programme through video conferencing and notes are exchanged through an online medium. This programme gives a global experience from remote locations.

Early Career MBA:

This is a new-age MBA programme designed for students looking to enter the business workforce with a competitive skill-set.This programme offers multiple projects, internships, and cross-functional training that adds value to fresher resumes.   

As an aspirants looking for individuals programmes, to should check out - Find Courses, Universities & Scholarships to Study Abroad to find the right programme and right university as per your requirements. 

Top MBA programs in USA for International Students:

Business programmes come with specialisations to offer nuanced versions of students' professional vertical. MBA in Finance remains the top ranked amongst these specialisations but other streams like marketing, sales, and entrepreneurship get equal value from students. 

Here is the list of specialisation for MBA in USA and top colleges for each specialisation:

MBA Specialisation

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

Top universities for MBA in USA for International Students:

The United States of America has more than 50 colleges in the top ranks according to QS World Rankings. Over the years, America has built a reputation of having top universities for MBA and producing leaders in the field of business. 

Here is the list of American universities in the QS World Ranking 2022:

School of Business

QS MBA Ranking 2022

Stanford Graduate School of Business

#1

Harvard Business School

#2

The Wharton School

#2

Sloan School of Management

#4

Columbia Business School

#5

Haas School of Business

#6

Chicago Booth

#7

Anderson School of Management

#8

Kellogg School Of Management

#9

Yale School of Management

#10

Stern School of Business

#11

Ross School of Business

#12

Fuqua School of Business

#13

Johnson School of Management

#14

Questrom School of Business

#15

Apart from the QS world ranking, US has its own list of top public universities for MBA and here are the names of these universities:

Top publicly-funded MBA Universities in USA:

Here is a list of the top publicly funded MBA universities in the USA:

University

Course Fee (in Rs)

Arizona State University

59.8 Lakhs

Texas A & M University

63.1 Lakhs

The University of Texas at Dallas

44.0 Lakhs

The University of Illinois at Chicago

37.9 Lakhs

University of New Haven

27.7 Lakhs

Affordable Universities for MBA in USA for International Students:

The United States of America has multiple affordable colleges for MBA aspirants who do not qualify for scholarships but still want to pursue MBA from an American college

Here is the list of affordable MBA colleges in USA:

  • Brigham Young University (BYU) - Marriott School of Management: A perfect budget-friendly choice for MBA aspirants, BYU is ranked by Businessweek and Financial Times and has tuition fees that are almost half as compared to other business schools in America. 
  • University of Wisconsin, Madison - Wisconsin School of Business: Ranked by The Economist for its executive MBA programme, University of Wisconsin offers one of the most affordable MBA programmes in America. Risk management, real estate and marketing research are some of the key specialisations offered at its campus.                
  • Texas A&M University - Mays Business School: One of the most popular business schools for international students, Texas A&M University offers both affordable and short-term degrees. Its MBA programme is only 16 months long and has a strong placement record with its students.

How to Study in the cheapest MBA college in the USA as an international student?

The process of applying for a cheap MBA in the USA remains the same as other colleges, however, applicants must ensure that they select the right university with low tuition fees. All you need for this is a bachelor's degree, decent work experience, GMAT and IELTS score.

Eligibility Requirements for MBA in USA for International Students:

Admission requirements for an MBA into an American college depends on multiple factors, including:

  • Completion of 16 years of work experience that includes a 4 year bachelors degree course. 
  • Mandatory standardised exam scores of GMAT or GRE. Better the score, better the college admissions. 
  • Language proficiency test scores, including scores from IELTS, TOEFL or PTE. 
  • A minimum work experience of 3 years is mandatory for an MBA in the USA. However, the exact number of work years varies from university to university.

Documents required for an admission process for MBA in the USA:

The document checklist for MBA in USA is as follows:

For students looking for university specific admission requirement here is a list that they can refer:

University

Academic Requirements (GPA)

GMAT Score | Work Experience (average)

Language Proficiency

Harvard Business School

3.7 (~90-92%)

730 | 4.6 years

TOEFL: 109

Stanford Graduate School of Business

3.7

730 | 4.7years

TOEFL: 100 

Sloan School of Management

3.6

720 | 5 years

TOEFL: 90

The Wharton School

3.6 (~89-90%)

730 | 5 years

TOEFL: 110 

Kellogg School Of Management

3.6

720 | 5 years

TOEFL: 110

Important Deadlines for MBA admissions:

Admissions are an important and complex process for international students. Amongst the multiple processes, ensuring your application is submitted on time is the most important thing.
Application Decision Admission Deadline 2022
Admission Decision

Early Education

November 2022

Dec 2022

Early Decision 

November 2022

Dec 2022

Regular Decision 

January/February 2023

March/April 2023

Rolling Admission 

Varies

Usually 2-3 weeks

GMAT Requirements for MBA in USA

GMAT cutoff is very important for international students aspiring to do an MBA from an American university. GMAT scores between 650-690 or greater than 700 is considered an ideal score and can help you get admission into a good B-school.

Top B-schools

GMAT Scores

Stanford Graduate School of Business

733

The Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania

730

Booth School of Business

730

MIT Sloan School of Management

724

Sloan School of Management – Massachusetts Institute of Technology

720

Kellogg School of Management – Northwestern University

727

MIT Sloan School of Management

720

Dartmouth Tuck

720

Haas School of Business(US Berkeley)

727

Yale School of Management – Yale University

720

Columbia Business School – Columbia University

726

The Fuqua School of Business – Duke University

710 

Tuck School of Business

730

University of Virginia, Darden

703

The University of Texas at Austin - McCombs School of Business

703

MBA in USA without GMAT:

Globally, GMAT is considered to be a mandatory requirement for MBA admissions. However, there are few selected universities in America that open their admissions without GMAT.  

If you are looking to get into an MBA without GMAT in Canada and Australia, click here - MBA in Canada MBA in Australia.

How to get admission in MBA in USA without GMAT?

  • GPA of 3 or more in the bachelor’s degree
  • Work experience of 2-3 years minimum
  • Admission essays
  • Latest resume
  • Letter of recommendation (2-3,or as demanded by the university)

Popular universities for MBA in USA without GMAT:

GMAT is considered to be a mandatory test requirement for an MBA in any international business school. However, international students can get admission for an MBA in Canada without GMAT.

For students wanting to skip GMAT to get admission into MBA programmes, here is a list of universities that you can apply for:

Universities

MBA programs offered

Georgetown University

MBA (Full-time)

Pace University

  • Full-Time

  • Part-Time MBA

  • Executive MBA

Texas A & M University (TAMU)

MBA (Full-time)

Colorado State university

MBA (Full-time)

MIT Sloan School of Management

Executive MBA

Boston University

Executive MBA

Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Executive MBA

Michigan State University

MBA (Full-time)

Stern School of Business, New York University (NYU)

Executive MBA

Golden Gate University

MBA (Full-time)

University of Delaware

MBA (Full-time)

MBA in USA for International Students without IELTS

IELTS comes across as the biggest roadblock for International students coming from non-native English speaking countries. However, there are few universities in America that welcome students without an IELTS score.

How to get into an MBA without IELTS?

To get admission into an MBA programme in the US without IELTS, applicants need to meet a few basic requirements. These are:

  • A letter from your previous university stating that the course you finished was in English. 
  • English being one of the core subjects in your high school.
  • If your country considers English as one of the official languages, then IELTS is not mandatory. 
  • Few universities have their own English proficiency tests which enable students to skip IELTS.

Top Universities to Study in USA without IELTS:

Applicants are not required to present an IELTS score, they can instead go for CanTEST (Canadian English Test) to prove their English proficiency.

University

Alternate for IELTS

University of Delaware

English Language for Internationals(ELI)

Rice University

EIKEN/ IB/ Cambridge English Test/ ELS/ PTE Academic

University of Dayton

PTE/ Duolingo

State University of New York

PTE/ Duolingo/ Cambridge English Scale

University of New Orleans (UNO)

English Language for Internationals(ELI)

California State University

PTE

MBA Universities in USA Without Work Experience

Here is a list of universities offering admissions into their MBA programme without work experience:

  • New York Institute of Technology, New York
  • Boston University School of Management
  • University of North Texas, Denton (Texas)
  • Wichita State University, Wichita (Kansas)
  • Kansas State University, Kansas
  • University of North Alabama, Alabama
  • Northwest Missouri State University, Missouri
  • Fox School of Business, Temple University
  • College of Business, San Francisco State University
  • Merrick School of Business, University of Baltimore
  • Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware
  • Rohrer College of Business, Rowan University

Eligibility requirements other than work experience for MBA in the USA:

Work Experience Requirement for MBA in USA:

Work experience is considered to be one of the most important benchmarks to get admission into MBA programmes around the world. However, a few universities open their admission doors to freshers without any work experience.

Exams to study MBA in USA:

MBA aspirants looking to pursue an MBA from an American university need to take a few mandatory entrance exams. Here are the exams that MBA applicants need to take:

GMAT:

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a computer-adaptive test to analyse candidates’ analytical, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills. GMAT is to be taken by applicants wanting to get admission into a graduate management programme, such as MBAs in top business schools across the world.

GMAT Exam Pattern:

Analytical Reasoning

30 mins - Analysis of an argument (Essay)

Integrated Reasoning 

  • 30 mins - 12 Questions

  • Table analysis

  • Two-part analysis

  • Multi-source reasoning 

  • Graphics interpretation 

Quantitative Reasoning

  • 62 mins - 31 Questions

  • Data sufficiency 

  • Problem solving 

Verbal Reasoning

  • 65 mins - 36 questions

  • Reading unseen passage

  • Sentence correction

  • Critical reasoning 

GRE:

Graduate Record Examination is an entrance test for admissions in business schools. Applicants looking to learn and train for GRE can check out the details here: ETS GRE Exam | GRE Full Form | GRE Exam Fee in Nepal

IELTS:

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an English language academic test that examines non-native English speakers' English language skills. Most academic institutions around the world expect applicants from non-English speaking countries to present the score of IELTS along with their application. 


To know more about IELTS, click here: IELTS Full Form | IELTS Exam Fee | IELTS Date in Nepal 2022 (aeccglobal.com.np)

Cost of studying MBA in USA for International Students

The cumulative cost of studying MBA in the USA includes tuition fees, books, accommodation and other living expenses. This cost is certainly a starke difference with Nepal, so here is a brief overview of how the cost of living may differ in USA: 

While the actual cost varies from city to city, the cost of living is divided into 2 parts:

Pre-arrival cost:

This includes GMAT, TOEFL, college application fees, and visa application fees amongst various other fees that contribute to the total pre-arrival cost. 

GMAT: $275 (both for online and test centre) 

TOEFL: $170

College application fee: $45 (average)

Visa application fee: $160

Post-arrival cost::

Cost of living in the US is 2.26 times more expensive than the rest of the world. International students moving to America do get college accommodation and food which is relatively an economical option for students. 

Monthly expenses including transportation, clothing, and entertainment in the US as a Nepalese student would be $300-500. 
Rent will be $500-800 when choosing a shared apartment in a Tier II or III city. 

The good thing about studying in the US is that students get a chance to work part-time which makes these costs relatively manageable.

Fully-funded Scholarships for MBA programmes in USA:

Pursuing an MBA from America is expensive. However, aspirants with academic excellence and professional applause are eligible for multiple scholarship programmes that are specific to MBA. 

Here are few of these scholarships:

  • Fulbright Foreign Scholarships
  • The MasterCard Foundation
  • Rotary Peace Scholarship
  • Joint Japan Scholarship
  • The Universities Offer MBA Scholarships

To read more about these scholarships, head over to this article - Top Scholarships in the USA for International Students.

MBA Graduate Salary in USA:

Master’s in Business Administration is a popular course for professionals, giving them a high jump in terms of salary. Let’s see the salary breakdown:

Average salary of MBA graduates: $106k

Salary of MBA graduates from top B-schools: $176k

Salary of MBA graduates from lowest ranked B-schools: $56k

Salary breakdown in terms of industry:

Average Salary for MBA in Technology: $111k

Average Salary for MBA in Consulting: $125k

Average Salary for MBA in Finance: $102k

Average Salary for MBA in Marketing: $97k

Top recruiting companies after MBA in USA:

When it comes to MBA, few companies top the chart in recruiting business graduates. They provide high-paying salaries and a competitive work environment to climb the corporate ladder. 

List of top recruiting companies after MBA in USA are:

Rank Post-MBA Employers % of all placements
1 McKinsey & Company 5.90%
2 Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 4.70%
3 Amazon 4.10%
4 Bain & Company 3.70%
5 Deloitte 2.80%

Work Visa after MBA in USA:

Graduates from STEM certified MBA programmes in the United States are eligible for 24-months of Optional Practical Training. This gives a perfect opportunity for graduates to gain professional work experience in America, which can then be followed by an H-1B visa.

What is an H- 1B visa?

H-1B visa is a professional work visa granted to students and professionals. International students can transfer their F1 student visa to a H-1B visa if their employer agrees to sponsor you.  

H-1B visa holders can live and work in the US for 6 years and can reapply for H-1B visa after 6 years. If they have been with the same employer for 4 years, the employer may file for an employment-based permanent residency visa in the 5th year of employment.

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