P&Q’s Must Reads: Debt Burden At The Top 50 U.S. B-Schools: How Much Can You Expect To Owe For Your MBA? 

Hello everyone  — Welcome back to Poets&Quants’ Must Reads, a quick, digestible recap of the top business school news, sponsored by CentreCourt, P&Q’s virtual admission events.

I’m your host, Kristy Bleizeffer, and I’ll be highlighting the most important P&Q stories you might have missed. So, let’s get to it. 

No. 1: Debt Burden At The Top 50 U.S. B-Schools: How Much Can You Expect To Owe For Your MBA?

If you’re planning to go to a business school in the United States and wondering how much debt you’ll accrue, the answer is: A lot, probably.

Or, possibly, not.

Two reports that track student debt show that debt varies widely from school to school and in year to year.

The story, available from our trending tab, dives into the debt data from these two reports for all the top B-schools in the United States.

No. 2: This French Business School Is Making A $326 Million Bet On Globalization

It started with Brexit and Make America Great Again and escalated around the world with attacks on immigration and restrictions on free trade. Globalization is in retreat.

But France-based ESCP Business School is doubling down on globalization, investing an unprecedented $326 million (300 million Euros) in a massive expansion plan for one of the most global business experiences in the world. 

ESCP’s expansion plan will touch most of its six European campuses. For an institution that calls itself the oldest business school in the world, the investment does not merely demonstrate its favorable assessment of business education but, just as critically, its belief that more students than ever are interested in a truly global education and career.

Read more about ESCP’s ambitions now, on our homepage.

No. 3:  The ROI Of An MBA From Columbia Business School 

In this reader column, a recent Columbia Business School grad and a Bain Consultant explains why he pursued an MBA and how he measures the degree’s return on investment.

The column provides an insider view into the CBS program, and how it helped the Class of 2024 alum to advance at Bain upon graduation.

You can find it in our trending tab.

No. 4: Our Weekly Round Up of  News You Can Use

No matter where you are in your MBA journey, we bring several helpful stories for you this week.

First up: 2024-2025 MBA Application Deadlines. This story, which you can find on our homepages, tells prospects when to apply to all the top business schools.

Next: Getting Multiple Business School Acceptances. This story provides practical advice on increasing your odds for MBA acceptance while helping you navigate those pesky letters of recommendation. Find it in our admissions hub.

Finally: Perfection Not Required. This article, up on our homepage, explains how MBA applicants can make their answers sing while showing their authenticity.

And, that’s it for this week’s Must Reads recap. 

I also want to alert school seekers to our events tab from our main menu. There, you’ll find all the upcoming admissions events for a range of degrees and programs including full-time and online MBAs, specialized masters, entrepreneurship and more. Registration is free.

Again, I’m Kristy Bleizeffer, and you can join me next week, right here, for a recap of what’s important in the world of business education. Thanks for listening.