How good is INSEAD, really?

If you've gone to a reputable undergrad in the U.S. and have a good network through that, then INSEAD can be a unique differentiator and add a more global dimension to that network. Most alumni seem to congregate in NY, SF, Seattle, Boston and Chicago with each having their own alum communities. I think the brand name is well known in the circles or companies that actually matter so whether some random person on the street doesn't know what it is, is pretty irrelevant. Definitely adds a lot of value for those with an international bent to their jobs/career as this often lacks among most U.S. schools despite the international trips/projects that schools market. Broadly speaking its a school where people learn to excel in ambiguity, cross cultural situations and strategic thinking which can be valuable in a variety of contexts particularly entrepreneurial settings and family-run businesses. I think the school should and is investing more heavily in U.S. marketing to improve its brand awareness there.

Updating this to keep relevant even for today. Your points remain valid, although I would say we are likely at “peak MBA” - I.e getting into an elite MBA school like Harvard, Insead, Wharton etc is NOT enough to pivot to elite jobs if you don’t have relevant and excellent pre MBA experience.

Globally, Insead is generally a consensus top 5 MBA program. In an era of de globalization, INSEAD’s multi campus approach has really benefited the school (elite international families want to stay closer to home). Without doxing specific names, it has drawn some of the most influential / powerful Asian, Middle Eastern and European families to study in its MBA program. In one cohort alone, they had Forbes top 3 families from each continent. The only other schools able to pull this caliber of talent are Harvard, Stanford, Wharton and Columbia.

Outside of its influence and prestige, Insead is one of the few schools that has specialized OCR for super elite firms. Take European PE Funds for example, some only recruit at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton and Insead. For slightly less selective jobs like IBD / MBB / Selective corporate rotational programs, Insead has dedicated recruiting channels (but so does non HSW M7 and LBS). INSEAD’s MBB pipeline remains unmatched, with it continuing to be the number one source of McKinsey talent worldwide year after year.

In industry, it has produced the second highest number of CEOs in the biggest 500 companies in the world (only behind Harvard), and has been ranked by pitchbook as fourth in the world for entrepreneurship (measured by valuation of companies created by alumni). They only lag behind Harvard, Stanford and Wharton). Astonishingly, they are top 20 in the world amongst all universities (competing against schools with undergrads) in creating ultra high net worth alumni (net worth of >30mm USD).

Where has Insead struggled? The United States. The U.S. economy keeps humming along and more students are focused on the U.S. than ever before. Without the ability to offer visas, I’ve seen students bent on staying in the U.S. pick US top 10 over Insead (a decision I would agree with if you need the work visa). Interesting enough, those with work authorization do well, with the median Insead salary in the U.S. actually higher than that of HBS. However, the average salary at Insead remains low as the U.S. continues to pay significantly more than its European / Asian counterparts.

How will Insead fare in the next 15 years? Depends. It has clearly overtaken LBS and is the only Euro school on par with M7 in the U.S. LBS really got hit hard after Brexit and struggles to attract students of the same caliber anymore. Insead has been so reliant on MBB recruitment numbers in the Middle East for the last 5 years (ME remains very easy for work visas). Should the Middle East economy / consulting economy continue to worsen (which it has), Insead’s employment numbers and prestige can certainly take a hit.

TLDR: Insead is a top 5 global MBA program if measured by alumni outcome, global prestige / elite ness, specialized recruiting opportunities.

Then is alreadyrich's reply just plain false?

Lets look at the facts. FT is a European news paper. The implication here is clear, they want European schools to rank well. These rankings are highly skewed toward salaries, so INSEAD grads get good paying Banking and consulting jobs in Europe. (Some in the US, then elsewhere). INSEAD is a TOP school in certain markets, not necessarily in the US though. And if you want a job in the US, your chances increase significantly if you attend a US school (Visa issue or not). You should choose the school in the country or region you want to work. (US schools for US jobs, Canadian schools for Canadian jobs, Mexican schools for Mexican jobs). I wouldn't hire a HBS candidate any faster than I would someone from my countries top business school. Because there are some bad candidates no matter what school you attend. (Like a Wharton grad who had to ask what is "shareholders equity" in a summer internship meeting - How did you get hired?) Half the schools rank lower based on one factor alone, their economies cant support the "insane" salaries US corps. pay their employees for less-than valuable work. You take that one criteria ("salaries") out of the equation and I guarantee you'll see different schools show up. FT did this in the early years (go look it up if you don't believe me), but HBS started falling so they changed the criteria. (People were getting upset they spent 200K on HBS and it wasn't #1). The ranking system only stimulates discussion and competition, because #1 and #10 are separated by a point or two. (A waste of time to debate IMO) Just my 2 cents.

Edit comment .....

I buddy of mine at BCG says there are a number of INSEAD guys in consulting and the school is definitely well respected in the US within that domain. Not sure how the school is viewed within BB. Would be nice to live in a chateau for a year while attending school......

I think that it's got a solid reputation in the US... definitely it does for consulting, but also for finance.

I think it has a much better and generally larger reputation than LBS in the US

Obviously among average americans it's not well known, however, I would say in the banking and particularly consulting community it has a great reputation...just look at their employment stats...20% of their class goes to MBB...

http://mba.insead.edu/documents/MBA_EMPLOYMENT_STATISTICS.pdf

....... yes, but MOST RETURN to MBB... if you are sponsored then why do a 2 year mba when you can do it in one...

I understand they offer an exchange at Wharton and Kellogg, would that help with brand recognition? For example, having INSEAD with exchange at Wharton on your resume? Would that offer some access to Wall Street or is it the same as going to a non-target US school?

LSE and LBS carry the most weight. Everything else is considered not as good as top 5 US MBA programs. Don't ask me why.