Many future successors of family businesses and aspiring business executives go abroad to study business.
It's one of the surest ways to learn the best theories and practices, get exposure to real-world experiences, and earn a degree that boosts credibility.
If you are thinking of going to a business school, here are some of the best countries to consider.
1. United States
The United States arguably has the most number of highly prestigious business schools that provide top-notch instruction and opportunities to learn from real-world situations. The best U.S business schools are a mix of private and public academic institutions.
Of note, the U.S. has the "Ivy League" business schools, which consist of the following:
- The Wharton School. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this is the famous business school of the University of Pennsylvania. It offers BS Economics, MBA/EMBA, and Ph.D. programs.
- Tuck School of Business. The business school of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, this institution specializes in MBA and also offers an advanced management program for executives.
- Harvard Business School. The graduate business school of the world-famous Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, this private institution has a large full-time MBA program, Ph.D. programs and several executive education programs.
- Columbia Business School. If you are thinking of attending business school in New York City, the business school of Columbia University is an excellent choice. Regarded as one of the most selective top business schools, it offers MBA/EMBA, Ph.D., MS, and MPhil programs.
- Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. This is one of Cornell University's three famous business schools in Ithaca, New York. It offers MBA/EMBA and Ph.D. programs. The two other Cornell business schools are the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
- Yale School of Management. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University's Yale School of Management offers MBA/EMBA, PhD, executive education and joint degree programs.
Other noteworthy business schools in the US are the University of California-Berkeley's Haas School of Business, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor's Ross School of Business, Stanford University's Stanford Graduate School of Business, Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
2. United Kingdom
Based on the Financial Times European Business School Rankings 2018, 22 of the top 95 business schools in Europe are from the United Kingdom. These include:
- The London Business School (London)
- University of Edinburgh Business School (Edinburgh)
- Durham University Business School (Durham)
- Lancaster University Management School (Lancashire)
- Alliance Manchester Business School (Manchester)
- Henley Business School (Henley-on-Thames and Reading)
- University of Strathclyde Business School (Glasgow, Scotland)
- Cranfield School of Management (Bedfordshire)
- Cass Business School (London)
- Warwick Business School (Coventry and London)
- Imperial College Business School (London)
- Judge Business School (Cambridge)
- Said Business School (Oxford)
The London Business School stands out as the number one business school throughout Europe. It is the first European academic institution to rank on top of the global MBA ranking (2009). Cranfield University's Cranfield School of Management, on the other hand, has the distinction of being the highest climber in the rankings and is notable for its "levy-friendly" MBA courses.
3. France
Not many associate France with excellence in business education, but it actually has 25 of the top 95 business schools in Europe. It is the location of HEC Paris (Paris), the institution hailed by Financial Times as the top European provider of the executive MBA program and the overall second best business school in Europe. France also has the ICN Business School, which is remarkable for its 50:50 male-to-female faculty composition.
Other top business schools in France are Grenoble Ecole de Management (Grenoble), ESCP Europe Business School (Paris), University Paris Dauphine (Paris), Toulouse Business School (Toulouse), Audencia Business School (Nantes) and IAE de Paris Sorbonne.
Business School (Paris), Rennes School of Business (Rennes), Aix-Marseille Graduate School of Management IAE (Aix-en-Provence), Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier Business School (Montpellier), BSB Burgundy School of Business (Dijon), PSB Paris School of Business (Paris) and Ecole des Points Business School (Champs-sur-Marne).
4. Singapore
Singapore may be a small island nation, but it is known for many great things, particularly its high quality of life and excellent education standards. Three business schools in Singapore snatched positions in the top 11 QS Global MBA Rankings of Asia in 2018. These are Nanyang Business School, NUS Business School and INSEAD-Singapore.
Nanyang Business School is Nanyang Technological University’s business school. It is a large business school accredited by the European Quality Improvement System offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive programs. NUS Business School is an institution for business education of the National University of Singapore, the 18 top business school in the 2018 Financial Times Global MBA Rankings. INSEAD, on the other hand, is one of the leading business schools in the world. It consistently ranks among the world’s best with its full-time MBA, EMBA, Master in Finance, PhD, and various executive education programs.
5. Spain
Seven Spanish business schools made it to the QS World University Rankings: Global MBA Rankings 2018. Three of them are in the top 25.
- IE Business School (Madrid). This top-ranked school has a full-time international MBA program intended for professionals seeking to consolidate their management experience.
- ESADE Ramon Llull University (Barcelona). With an average GMAT score of 665, this business school offers a full-time MBA program that emphasizes creativity and disruptive thinking.
- IESE Business School (Barcelona). Ranked 18th in the QS global MBA program ranking, IESE provides a 19-month learning experience designed to hone technical and leadership skills in the global setting.
Other notable business schools in Spain are the ESIC Business and Marketing School (Madrid), EADA Business School (Barcelona), EAE (Barcelona), and EU Business School (Barcelona).
6. Australia
Australia has 12 business schools ranked in the QS Global MBA Rankings 2018. If you are thinking of studying business somewhere in the Asia-Pacific, there are several prestigious institutions that can serve you:
- Melbourne Business School (Melbourne)
- Australian Graduate School of Management (Sydney)
- Macquarie Graduate School of Management (Sydney)
- University of Queensland Business School (Brisbane)
- University of Western Australia’s Business School (Perth)
- Bond School of Business (Gold Coast), Deakin Business School (Melbourne)
- RMIT University School of Business (Melbourne)
- University of Wollongong Sydney Business School (Wollongong)
- La Trobe Business School (Melbourne)
- Victoria Graduate School of Business (Melbourne)
It shouldn't be difficult to find a good business school in most parts of the world. It’s just important to be meticulous with the requirements as you enroll at the business school of your choice. Make sure you fill out the necessary forms properly and that all your papers are complete. You may also need a notarized translation of some of your documents, authenticated exam scores and experience proofs as well as letters of recommendation.