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You know you want to join a business school and not just anyone but the best one. Choosing the best business school can be a daunting task considering the thousands of schools out there that are best in their own way. So now what to do? How to choose amongst the best? Making the right decision will require hard work, patience, perseverance, and a lot more. What if you get two options amongst the best business school. Will then it be easier for you to choose? These are some of the things which will come to your mind while choosing a business school.
The topic of discussion here is: Is INSEAD a better business school than Harvard Business School. Well, this one is a tough one to decide. INSEAD and HBS, both are in the top 5 list of best business schools. Ultimately both universities are best. They are the most prestigious business schools in the world. Both are lavish in terms of campus and excellent in terms of academics. Indeed, a very difficult question to answer. Let’s understand both respectively.
Harvard University, established in 1636, is one of the oldest institutions in the United States. Harvard Business School (HBS) is the business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. It offers a large full-time MBA program, management-related doctoral programs, and many executive education programs. HBS offers a two-year full-time MBA program with a general management curriculum. On the other hand, INSEAD was founded in 1957. It is a renowned European business school with campuses in France, Singapore, and UAE. INSEAD offers a 10-month MBA program with more than 75 electives to choose from.
In terms of the course content taught there will be hardly any difference. Now you might think that INSEAD gets packed in 10 to 12 months and Harvard is approximately 22 months. So how is that there is barely any course difference? So, let me just clarify this if you study at INSEAD, almost 80% of the syllabus is taught in those 10 months what is taught at Harvard in 22 months. So, picking a business school in terms of the course content there is hardly any difference. This point gives a +1 score to INSEAD.
Now when it comes to expense, a 1-year MBA program is relatively cheaper than a 2-year MBA program. So, in terms of expense, INSEAD is a better option. INSEAD is the right door to knock when you don’t have good financial backing. Now in terms of community, Harvard dominantly consists of Americans. On the other hand, INSEAD invites applications from all over the world. So, in terms of building a community network, INSEAD is most preferred. INSEAD has multiple campuses and it also offers an exchange program bringing diversity. The entrepreneurship and alumni network are stronger in INSEAD than in Harvard. INSEAD has an alumni network more global than anyone can imagine.
In terms of brand, Harvard itself is a brand. It has a global brand name and it is known across the industries. However, INSEAD has a brand name that is not always known to the masses especially in America. Harvard cannot be estimated as it holds a lot of Weightage not only in America but also worldwide. If you are looking for a job in the USA, then Harvard should be your destination and vice-versa.
INSEAD is a better choice for certain students who want to do MBA than Harvard. Nevertheless, that does not mean that HBS is in any way subordinate to INSEAD. Both have their pros and cons. It depends upon an individual where he/she wants to study. Saying that INSEAD is better than Harvard will do injustice to the latter.
