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It depends on so many things. At the end of the day, you have to find a school which is right for you. For example, it might be more fruitful to get an MBA at LBS if you want to be in London and it will also make your networking easier.
IMO the primary basis for rankings is post MBA careers and notable alumni so comparing INSEAD to US business schools is apples to oranges since careers and alumni play in different markets
wrt to the quality of employers, you would get the same quality as with top 7 US schools (MBB, big tech, BB IB, development programs etc). Wrt to exclusive employers (as you would have at mostly HBS/Stanford) certain tier 1 and mega European PE funds + elite IB boutiques would have ocr strictly for INSEAD/HBS. In that regard I would place INSEAD as a top 3 US business school
With that being said, if you want to work in the US, it is best going to a top 10-15 US school. At INSEAD, not many non-sponsored people recruit for US jobs, but from what I saw, the vast majority of those either went to MBB (american citizens) or the likes of google/Amazon/etc (non Americans). If you do not get into one of these two industries, you will more than likely be looking for a gig post graduation
TLDR: Any career outside US, INSEAD number 1, for careers in US (outside tech and MBB), I would pick a top 15 US school over INSEAD.
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.
From talking to people whom I know that went there, it's overrated if you are trying to transition careers AND if you are not a sponsored candidate.
In the US, I honestly believe that if you graduate from INSEAD with average grades, then despite your likely better pre mba work experience and possibly GMAT, in the US you will get a T20-25 MBA outcome.
Top 15 US school has so much more pull.
Then is alreadyrich's reply just plain false?
No. I based my view on hour long plus discussions with real INSEAD alumni. I am just reflecting their views.
They could be wrong. Perhaps in the US it would give a t15-20 result, so I was wrong before.
I have been looking at many LinkedIn profiles and I am now of the strong view that in US for a decent job NYU is the lowest school you should go for.
Would INSEAD have the same pull as NYU in the US? Not sure, maybe?
INSEAD is better for a career anywhere outside the US. The US equivalent of INSEAD's worth outside the US would be MBA business schools ">M7 schools.
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.
Interesting points. But let me clarify some points here (my 2 cents, not contradicting):
OP was asking for a comparison of INSEAD vis a vis the US rankings of B-schools based on prestige (HSW/MBA business schools ">M7/T10/T15/T20/T25). I only sought to place INSEAD's position for comparison with the rest of these schools, not rank them vis a vis these schools on placement in the US.
Simply put, INSEAD is a more reputed school than a T20 or T15 like McCombs or Tepper if you want to recruit in Europe or MENA or Asia-Pac. If you want to recruit within the US or Canada, you'll be better off attending the latter two, than spending a year in INSEAD. Why do the US schools have this advantage? Apart from the usual suspects of alumni and networking, restrictive Visa rules also favour them.
Also, were a guy from Kellogg to go head to head against a guy from INSEAD for consulting in Europe or the Middle East, the INSEAD guy would win. If he's looking to recruit in Asia, the Kellogg guy would win. Just a matter of which school is better known as more prestigious and where.
Anybody know how/where Americans at INSEAD end up? Is it easy to get a job back in the US?
I know someone in Singapore that's doing very well with an INSEAD MBA. She's given me great advice as well... I definitely owe her, among other people, a debt of gratitude.
Sorry... don't have more info than this. To my knowledge, it's very reputable. But if you know where you want to work, and INSEAD doesn't have the alumni network to get you in, you'd be better off going to a top school in said country and using their network.
Edit comment .....
What about INSEAD and european IBD? Do people with pre-MBA MBB-experience have a decent shot for BB's or EB's in europe if they go to INSEAD?
It is a very good school - no real need to compare it with others. Coming out of INSEAD, LBS, IMD you will be able to get a job in pretty much any industry (I am IMD student). MBB recruit at all 3. If you want to end up in Europe then it would be a good decision and a differentiator. If you plan to end up in the US then some of the US schools may be better initially. In the long run it doesn't matter how good your school was, just how good you are.
Good school but they accept 31% of applicants which is simply a lot
Perception of INSEAD in the US? (Originally Posted: 12/14/2010)
the question is in the title really. In Europe network and reputation wise they are very strong, even better than LBS, but dont really know how they measure outside Europe, particularly US. Also do you guys think that having just 2 years of work experience in BB IBD/PE would be detrimental, as I know they tend to accept people with a lot more years of work experience (6-8 I heard is their average).
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
This, here, my friend, is a strong statement. Would.highly appreciate if you could expand on it a bit if possible.
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.
You are pretty much on target with this statement but, I did search Cass and HEC Paris on linked in with really specific parameters and found a fair amount of alum here in the States.
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