01Rank
INSEAD
MBA · Fontainebleau / Singapore
- 94%3-mo placement
- +78%Salary lift
- 2.4 yrPayback
MBA Program Intelligence · Issue 2024–2025 Cycle
Compare every MBA program. Find the one that actually moves your career.
An independent admissions intelligence platform ranking 480+ accredited MBA, Executive MBA, and online programs on outcomes — not prestige surveys. Built by former admissions officers from Wharton, INSEAD, and LBS.
The Methodology
Inside the 37-factor scorecard — what we measure, why it matters, and where the public rankings won't go.
Every program on MBA Courses is graded on a proprietary 37-factor model refreshed every 90 days. The four pillars below carry the heaviest weight; together they explain why our scholarship-match cohort lands offers 23% higher than self-guided applicants.
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01
Return on Investment
Tuition, opportunity cost, and time-to-break-even modeled against five-year post-MBA compensation — net of forgone earnings. We refuse to publish a single "salary" number without its cohort year, program length, and currency.
- Factors
- 11
- Weight
- 28%
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02
Placement Outcomes
Three-month and six-month employment rates, industry distribution, and the share of grads placed into roles they held pre-MBA. Self-reported figures cross-checked against LinkedIn and recruiter disclosure.
- Factors
- 9
- Weight
- 26%
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03
Salary Lift
Median pre- to post-MBA compensation change, adjusted for industry switching and region. Cohort year is always cited; we never blend a 2019 finance bonus into a 2024 mid-career EMBA median.
- Factors
- 8
- Weight
- 24%
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04
Alumni Mobility
Sector-switching rates, geographic mobility, and progression into senior management, product, and consulting roles within five years. The hardest signal to fake — and the one admissions offices publish least often.
- Factors
- 9
- Weight
- 22%
2024–2025 Leaderboard · Preview
Top six programs from the current leaderboard — ranked on outcomes, not prestige surveys.
A live snapshot from the 480+ program database. Sponsored placements are excluded from organic ranking; every program below earned its position on the 37-factor scorecard alone. Full rankings include EMBA and online specializations.
02Rank
London Business School
MBA · London
- 92%3-mo placement
- +71%Salary lift
- 2.7 yrPayback
03Rank
Wharton
MBA · Philadelphia
- 93%3-mo placement
- +69%Salary lift
- 2.9 yrPayback
04Rank
Chicago Booth
MBA · Chicago
- 91%3-mo placement
- +66%Salary lift
- 3.0 yrPayback
By the Numbers · Q4 2024
What 142,000 verified alumni outcomes tell us about the MBA market in 2024–2025.
Every figure below is drawn from self-reported alumni records cross-checked against LinkedIn and recruiter disclosure. Methodology and cohort years are documented in our public methodology page.
142,000+
verified alumni outcome records in the database
Self-reported · cross-checked LinkedIn
480+
accredited MBA, EMBA, and online programs tracked
Across 34 countries · refreshed quarterly
$48M
in verified institutional aid surfaced to users
2022–2024 admissions cycles
+23%
scholarship uplift for matched vs. self-guided applicants
Internal cohort data · 2023–2024
Free · No paid placement · 2-minute form
Tell us where you are. We'll send the four-to-six programs where you have a real shot — and the scholarship leverage to match.
Press & Recognition
Cited by the business press. Built by former admissions officers from Wharton, INSEAD, and LBS.
47 tier-1 business press citations in the past 24 months. Listed on Poets&Quants' "Most Trusted Rankings" for four consecutive years (2021–2024). 2024 EdTech Breakthrough Award winner for Best MBA Admissions Platform. A nine-person research desk staffed by former admissions committee members.
The Wall Street Journal
"The most candid dataset on MBA outcomes currently available to prospective students."
2024
Bloomberg
"An admissions intelligence platform that refuses to flatter the schools it ranks."
2024
Financial Times
"MBA Courses has built the kind of outcomes database the schools themselves rarely publish."
2024
The Economist
"A rare independent voice in a market dominated by glossy brochures."
2024
Poets&Quants
"Most Trusted Rankings · 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024"
2021–24
EdTech Breakthrough
"Best MBA Admissions Platform · 2024"
2024Frequently Asked
Five questions applicants ask before trusting an MBA rankings platform.
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How is the 37-factor score actually built — and where can I see the math?
Each program receives a weighted score across four pillars (ROI, placement, salary lift, alumni mobility) totaling 37 sub-factors. Weights, data sources, and the cohort year behind every figure are documented on the public methodology page. Sponsored programs are clearly labeled and excluded from organic ranking.
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Where does the alumni salary data come from, and how is it verified?
Self-reported graduate records (collected 6, 18, and 36 months post-program) are cross-checked against LinkedIn employment history and recruiter disclosure. Cohort year and reporting methodology are always cited alongside any compensation figure.
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What does "Sponsored" actually mean on a program listing?
A sponsored program has paid for enhanced visibility on the platform. Sponsored status is clearly labeled on the listing, and sponsored programs are removed from the organic leaderboard ranking. Rankings cannot be bought.
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Do you guarantee admission, or specific scholarship amounts?
No. We do not guarantee admission to any specific program, and scholarship outcomes vary by applicant profile and school policy. What we do offer is the largest verified outcomes dataset in the industry and a free GMAT/GRE waiver eligibility checker covering 180+ partner institutions — the only public tool of its kind.
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Who built this, and what is your relationship with the schools?
MBA Courses was founded in 2014 by former admissions officers from Wharton, INSEAD, and LBS. The current 38-person team includes nine former admissions committee members. The platform is editorially independent, takes no payment for ranking position, and operates from Boston with a research office in London.