Masters in Business Analytics: US vs Europe

The QS Masters in Business Analytics Rankings 2021 provides a detailed overview of the world’s leading business schools for this subject. It was compiled based on five relevant indicators, including employability, alumni outcomes, value for money, thought leadership, and diversity.

With their stronghold of world-class academia, the US and Europe currently lead the QS World University Rankings 2019, and across a wide range of academic spectrums. For students aspiring for careers in business analytics, both the US and Europe offer a fair share of some of the globe’s most valued master’s in business analytics courses. Of the 74 institutions featured in the business analytics ranking, a total of 35 were in the US, including four in the top 10, while 32 were based in Europe, including six in the top 10.

If you’re choosing between the US and Europe for a master’s in business analytics degree that’s ideal for you, read on to find out how they compare on various factors.

United States

In the world of academia, the US boasts a rather prominent level of prestige, and is also a center for some of the world’s most major business hubs, such as San Francisco and New York. It therefore serves as no surprise that the US would naturally hold a special place among business-minded students’ radars. The four US business schools in the global top 10 for master’s in business analytics degrees are MIT Sloan School of Management (ranked first), Texas McCombs School of Business (third), USC Marshall School of Business (sixth), and the Carlson School of Management (10^th).

Unfortunately, the US is unquestionably one of the most expensive countries to study in. Top master’s in business analytics courses here range from US$20,000 and up to over a staggering US$77,000. The average is US$49,574 – much higher than the global average (US$33,300). Nevertheless, students may find consolation in the fact that the starting salary in the US for this course is also significantly higher than the global average, with graduates going on to earn around an impressive US$79,842 – making US master’s in business analytics courses well worth the high fees for many. Although The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management (ranked 18^th) charges the lowest tuition fees at just US$20,208, North Carolina State’s Institute for Advanced Analytics (20^th) scores the highest in the whole master’s in business analytics ranking for value for money – students are charged US$43,466 in tuition fees, but after graduating, can expect to earn around an impressive US$98,200 per annum.

Looking at the diversity of US business schools, Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business is the leading institution for this indicator, and other strong institutions for diversity include UC Davis, Graduate School of Management and Clark University, where 80 percent of the class are from outside the US.

And in terms of gender, the proportion of women making up master’s in business analytics classes in the US is in line with the global average, with women making up 46 percent of the typical master’s in business analytics class. UC Davis, Graduate School of Management has a particularly high percentage of women enrolled in its Masters of Science in Business Analytics program (56 percent).

Europe

Heading over to Europe, the region is home to some of the world’s oldest and most admired academic institutions. A total of six European universities are currently ranked in the global top 10 in the world university rankings, four of which are in the UK.

London’s Imperial College Business School claims first place in Europe and second place in the world for its MSc Business Analytics course, achieving its best scores in the diversity and employability categories. 95 percent of students graduating from this course in 2017 were employed three months after graduation, with a starting salary of US$60,000, and tuition fees currently stand at £28,300 (~US$36,900).

While this is much higher than the global average fee for master’s in business analytics courses (US$33,300), tuition fees in Europe overall are much lower than both the US and global averages, at $22,464, in contrast to $49,574 in the US.

However, the US certainly leads ahead of Europe in terms of the average starting salary for the course; with graduates in Europe earning an average of just US$45,000 per annum (which is much lower than the global average of US$61,266), graduates in the US have been earning a staggering starting salary of US$79,842, which is about US$30,000 higher than their tuition fees and much higher than the global average.

For those looking for excellent value for money with their European business school, the leading institution for this indicator is ESSEC Business School, where tuition fees are far below the global average at just €20,500 (~US$23,800), with graduates earning a sizable US$65,850 to compensate their fees.

For many students in higher education, diversity is key to a wholesome study experience, and in the world of business, interpersonal communication within a multicultural range is a given. The new master’s in business analytics ranking sees European business schools doing impressively well for diversity, with international students having made up over 80 and 90 percent of their 2017 classes for the course. However, the highest score for the diversity indicator in the top 10 goes to Imperial, in which 94 percent of its 2017 MSc Business Analytics students were international, encompassing 31 nationalities in total. Further, the European average for proportion of international students is currently 71 percent, almost equal to the global average of 72 percent, and only slightly lower than the US, where it’s 75 percent. Europe is also in line with the global average for gender, with women making up 46 percent of a typical master’s in business analytics class in Europe.

At a glance: Master’s in Business Analytics Degrees in the US and Europe

Still unsure? Here’s a full overview of the main stats:

United States

Europe

Which one gets your vote? Let us know in the comments below, and find out more about studying in a particular country with our study destination guides.