For many years, business school students seemed to have two options: study in Europe or study in North America. Now, everything has changed. Asia’s business schools rank high in the most renowned worldwide MBA rankings, with China leading the way.
The rankings reflect the increased global interest in MBA schools in China. Tuition fees are often lower than in Europe or North America, and job opportunities are comparable to those in the West.
Businessbecause listed some reasons why an increasing number of students are heading East to pursue an MBA in China:
1. Combine Eastern and Western management techniques
China originally opened its doors to the Western world in the late 1970s, and since then, East-West collaboration has increased significantly. Modern MBA schools in China have merged Western management principles into their curricula while maintaining Eastern beliefs.
David Wong, a Chinese-American student, attended Fudan University School of Management and pursued an international MBA. According to David, the program served as a testing ground as he worked to integrate those various teaching and communication techniques.
“If I landed a job in China and aligned with the Western style of working with people and communicating, I probably would have made various mistakes,” he said. “In a classroom setting, there is just one project. “There is no real career impact.”
Thai student Tadsika Tharanachetda said the International MBA at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Antai Business School helped her understand China in a global business environment.
“It’s allowed me to delve deeper into understanding China and why it holds the place it has today,” she said. “The program also goes beyond the borders of China providing a distinct opportunity to learn from a global perspective.”
2. Globally ranked MBA programs
Business schools in China and Hong Kong have established themselves at the top of worldwide MBA rankings. Take, for example, the 2014 Financial Times Global MBA Ranking, which included only two regional schools in the top fifty. By 2024, the figure had tripled to six. Fudan University School of Management moved up from 83rd in 2014 to 27th in 2024.
However, it is not only local schools that contribute to the region’s worldwide prominence. In recent decades, some of the world’s greatest universities, including NYU, Duke, and John Hopkins, have chosen to establish satellite campuses in China. Meanwhile, the joint MBA program at Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management and MIT Sloan is widely regarded as one of the best in the world.
MBA rankings are no longer dominated by schools from Europe and North America. The rise of Chinese business schools is only projected to continue in the future years.
3. Affordable MBA tuition prices
Despite the growing global prominence of Chinese MBA programs, tuition remains lower than in Europe and North America.
For example, the 22-month MBA program at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management costs around 188,000 RMB, or $26,5000 USD. Zhejiang University School of Management offers a 2.5-year International MBA for around 336,000 RMB (USD$46,500). That’s a fraction of the tuition expenses at top American business schools, which may occasionally exceed $200,000.
4. The highest post-MBA income increases in the world
The 2024 FT Global MBA Ranking highlights the numerous employment opportunities that an MBA in China can provide.
Fudan University MBA alumni witnessed their average pay increase by 194%, the second-highest gain of any school in the world. Similarly, the number of Peking University Guanghua School of Management graduates increased by 143%.
5. High postgraduate employment rates
An MBA no longer provides the career certainties it once did. MBA employment rates at some of the world’s top business schools are expected to fall by 2024. They are still strong in China, though.
According to their most current employment data, all Antai MBA and Guanghua MBA grads found work within three months of graduation. Renmin Business School has a 96% employment rate, compared to Fudan University’s 91%.
6. Silicon China
Silicon Valley may be the world’s premier technology hub, but China is its direct opponent.
Today, it is home to over 300 unicorns (startups worth more over $1 billion), and global tech behemoths Huawei, Tencent, and Lenovo are among its most prominent enterprises. The rapid expansion of China’s technology sector has been aided by the population’s widespread embrace of smartphone technology. China has 974 million smartphone users, which is around 300 million more than any other country.
All of this means that there are more career prospects in China’s expanding technology sector than ever before. And pursuing an MBA is one of the most effective methods to break into it. The country’s top management schools now offer specialized tech electives, and technology is becoming an increasingly popular employment route for MBA graduates in China. For example, around 30% of Guanghua MBA students enter the technology business after graduation. At Tsinghua University, 31% of graduates work in the technology, media, and telecom (TMT) industries.
7. Plenty of international exchanges
Given China’s developing international relations with the rest of the globe, it’s only logical that Chinese business schools provide numerous options for global travel.
Jiaming Liu, who attended Yale School of Management as part of the Fudan IMBA program, says his experience provided him with significant insights into the global technology business.
“We’ve gotten tons of insight into the high-tech prospects between China, the EU, and the US,” he said.
Partnerships between top Chinese and American business schools are not confined to Fudan. Tsinghua University collaborates with MIT Sloan to offer a world-class MBA program, while Zhejiang University School of Management allows Global MBA students to study abroad at business institutions such as Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management.
