INSEAD vs. HBS: Take a Hint

“As I have a weakness for quotes, I will end this post as it started. The always optimistic Woody Allen once said, “I'd never join a club that would allow a person like me to become a member.” He should have joined INSEAD. Best school ever!”

In the business management and education sphere, two schools, INSEAD and Harvard Business School (HBS), are poised to stay at the forefront given how their global rankings have improved over the years. Not to forget, this neck-to-neck competition has been poking students across the world. A debate over which school is better has been making waves on the Internet. On the one hand, HBS is the iconic business school with over a century of a long history. On the other hand, INSEAD is also a strong contender with over half a century of rich history. Based on their years active, both the schools promise a world-class education. Although HBS, in 1908, started an MBA program for the first time in world history; this gives it the edge over INSEAD. Plus, HBS is hugely popular as the brand ‘Harvard’ enjoys life-long stardom. INSEAD, in contrast, lacks appeal.

However, the appeal that hooks students does not seem to last long as there are other components that interest them on a larger scale, such as the program duration, etc. In 2021, HBS secured 4th position on ‘Global MBA Rankings List’, whereas INSEAD secured 6th. For students, the two-point difference is not puzzling at all as there are other elements where INSEAD outshines HBS smartly. For example, INSEAD offers a 10-month long program whereas HBS offers a 16-month one. Naturally, a student would choose an INSEAD program. Other components such as the presence of INSEAD campuses across Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East, lower tuition fees, etc. make it a preferred business school in the world. Besides, students from as many as 80 countries attend INSEAD. Put simply, INSEAD is a high-profile business school, delivering top-quality education. 

The argument does not settle here as HBS is also one of the prominent business schools in the world. As a reader, you might want a clear-cut answer as to which school is better. Well, there’s isn’t a clear-cut answer to this question as both the schools have innovative visions in place to produce better-quality graduates. In terms of the global rankings, HBS is two points ahead, but it is clearly not the jewel in the crown.

At INSEAD, the average student age is 29 and the average work experience is about five years. At HBS, the average age is 27 and the average work experience is about three years. These factors rarely matter to a student. Notably, INSEAD churns out as many as 1000 graduates a year, which is quite remarkable.

On a lighter note, INSEAD is equally popular across continents; however, two campuses, France and Singapore, continue to lead from the front, producing better-quality graduates. 

A student who has recently concluded his journey at INSEAD stated, “As I have a weakness for quotes, I will end this post as it started. The always optimistic Woody Allen once said, “I'd never join a club that would allow a person like me to become a member.” He should have joined INSEAD. Best school ever!”

This quote was extracted from the INSEAD website.