Asian Business Schools: Best Pay, Support & Satisfaction

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics

SHANGHAI UNIVERSITY TOPS IN SATISFACTION

Which Asian MBA program provides the biggest bang for the buck? That’s covered under The Financial Times’ Value for Money metric, which contrasts current pay against factors like program length, tuition, and income lost during school. When it comes to value, Singapore’s Nanyang Business School and the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics both finish among the world’s best, 3rd and 6th respectively. In addition, two Asian programs also made major strides in Value for Money in the past year: Fudan University (57th to 32nd) and IIM Ahmedabad (52nd to 29th).

The Financial Times also surveys alumni on various experience-related questions. Using a range from 1 (Low) to 10 (Highest), respondents supply a Satisfaction Score for their alma maters. Here, the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics again notches the highest score with a 9.60 Satisfaction rating with alumni. In the process, Shanghai University topped Fudan University, which averaged a 9.406. IIM Ahmedabad and the Indian School of Business also performed well in Satisfaction, scoring 9.371 and 9.294 averages respectively.

Hoping that your target school offers a diverse set of exchanges and internships lasting longer than a week? Count yourself lucky if you’re targeting IIM Calcutta. It ranks as the top school in the world for International Course Experience according to The Financial Times. Better still, IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore tied for 7th in this measure. Outside India, you’ll find CEIBS, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Hong Kong University ranking 17th-19th for International Course Experience. In contrast, only one Asian School – Hong Kong University of Science and Technology – ranked in the Top 20 for International Mobility. This metric looks at the locations where students worked before, during, and after completing their MBAs (along with citizenship).

National University of Singapore

SINGAPORE: A MODEL FOR DIVERSITY

How do business schools in Singapore differentiate themselves. Simple: They are more diverse than their Asian counterparts. In the three Singapore-based schools ranked by The Financial Times, the National University of Singapore enrolled 94% of its students from outside the Lion City. At Nanyang Business School, international students account for 88% of the student population, with the number being 71% at Singapore Management University. Singapore isn’t the only spot in Asia where international students hold the majority of class seats. 83% of Sungkyunkwan University’s MBA candidates hail from outside South Korea, while Hong Kong University’s number is 60%.

The pattern repeats itself with international faculty. In Singapore’s ranked schools, 62%-65% of faculty were born outside their host country. Beyond Singapore, CEIBS and Sungkyunkwan University both reported international faculty constitute 59% of their roster. Still, Asian programs tend to maintain diverse boards. That includes CEIBS and Sungkyunkwan University, where 100% of their boards come from outside China and South Korea respectively.

Women are also heavily represented in Asian MBA programs. Among those ranked by The Financial Times, female students make up the majority at Hong Kong University (72%), Chinese University of Hong Kong (64%), Sungkyunkwan University (64%), Fudan University (62%), and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (56%). Women account for 50% or more of board seats at six ranked programs. However, they only represent 40% or more of the faculty at one school: Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

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