Masters in Business Analytics: US vs Europe

This article was based upon the 2019 edition of the QS Business Masters Rankings. Explore the QS Business Masters Rankings: Business Analytics 2021.

The QS Business Masters Rankings: Business Analytics 2019 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.

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).