Top MBA Colleges in UK

Updated on: 11 Sep 2023

The UK has long been one of the most preferred international study destinations for international students. And when it comes to business studies, it certainly ranks among the top five destinations for international students. Out of the 458,520 international students studying at a university in the UK in 2017-2018, the number of students studying Business and Administrative Studies was 126,955. MBA in the UK is a popular option for Indian students too, and out of the given figures, the number of Indian students was 7625. A survey conducted by the education research group Carrington Crisp found that the UK was the second most preferred destination for an MBA for students from 74 countries.

Why is an MBA in the UK a Popular Option 

A large number of international students studying MBA in the UK makes many of us wonder about the reason behind it. Well, some of the reasons for the popularity of MBA in the UK among international students are listed below:

• The UK is home to many globally acclaimed institutions - including the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and University College London - that offer a management degree. In fact, in the Times Higher Education World University ranking in 2019, 29 UK universities ranked among the top 200. 
• Usually, colleges in the UK offer a twelve-month MBA option. This is not only financially better than a two year MBA program but is also perfect for working professionals, who are considering taking a short break from their established and flourishing careers.
• Unlike other top destinations, many universities in the UK admit students who have no or very little work experience. Such universities include Anglia Ruskin University, University of Bedfordshire, Coventry University, University of East London, Glyndwr University, LCA Business School, Leeds Beckett University, Liverpool John Moores University, London School of Commerce, University of Northampton, Staffordshire University, University of Sunderland, University of Swansea, Teesside University, University of West London, West London College, etc.
• Most leading schools offering MBA have close links with industry leaders. This not only allows students to learn from industry stalwarts but also helps them in building business contacts. 
• The are many affordable MBA colleges in the UK. Many of them offer university-affiliated MBA degree programs with tuition fees starting from as low as £7,000.

Common Eligibility Criteria  - Similar to other destinations, universities in the UK have a fixed set of common eligibility criteria that international students interested in pursuing an MBA in the UK should meet. Typical eligibility criteria are:

• A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• An IELTS or TOEFL score  
• A GMAT score
• A minimum work experience of 3 years (this may be mandatory for some universities)
• Transcripts from earlier colleges
• Statement of Purpose (SOP) or answers to given essay questions
• Letters of recommendation (the number depends on the university)
• Resume 

Career Options (Facts and Figures) 

The uncertainty around Brexit and how it will affect the job situation has made employers as well as students a little cautious. However, the recent post-Brexit immigration plan by the UK government has seen the introduction of a policy that allows international students to stay in the UK for up to 24 months/2 years, after finishing their under graduation or post-graduation, to find employment in the country. An MBA from the UK can help students land the following roles - 

• Management Consultant - A management consultant is someone who helps businesses improve their productivity and overall performance by using their business skills to provide advice on various business areas. Since their job involves a substantial amount of data collection and research, they need to be good at maths and computers. The average salary of a management consultant in the UK is £46,904.  
• Project Manager - A project manager is responsible for a project from its conception to the delivery and implementation stage. They have to take complete ownership of the project and deliver it on time while making adequate arrangements for resources, tasks, etc. A project manager can work in any sector and organization. The average salary of a project manager in the UK is £37,917. 
• Production manager - A production manager is someone who is responsible for manufacturing processes from start to finish - right from planning, coordination, technical management to implementation of manufacturing processes. The top industries for production manager are processing firms and food manufacturing firms.  The average salary is £34,618. 

Work Visa

As mentioned earlier, the new policy will allow non-EU international students the chance to stay in the UK for up to 24 months after their graduate or postgraduate courses to find employment. The improvements in post-study work visa options will attract more international students to the UK. Some tentative salient features of this new policy are:

• Applicant with a partner and dependent children can be transferred to the IGS visa.
• During their post-study leave period, international students will have unlimited access to work.
• Students will be able to switch onto the skilled work visa if they find employment which meets the skill requirement.
• These amendments will ensure that visas would not have a cap on numbers and would allow the students to apply for the jobs regardless of their skills or the subject they studied.

List of Top Colleges 

The UK is home to some of the best and globally recognized business schools in the world. For the benefit of our readers, let us list down the top business schools in the UK. 

• London Business School - This school has been ranked first in UK MBA ranking 2019 by QS World University ranking. This school is located in London and offers students the option of customizing their MBA by choosing from more than 70 electives. Students can complete their MBA in 15 months, 18 months or 21 months. The minimum GMAT requirement for applying to London Business School is 600, and the average GMAT score for students applying to LBS MBA is 701. The current tuition fee at LBS is at £75,100. 94% of LBS students are employed within 3  months of their course completion. 
• Said Business School - The Said Business School ranks 2nd in the UK and 12th in the world in QS World MBA University Ranking 2019. Located 90 kilometers north-west of London, this school offers students the option of pursuing a one year MBA. The average GMAT score of applicants to Said Business School is 690. Students have to pay a tuition fee between £63000 and £72000 here. 86% of Said students get employed within three months of graduating. 
• Imperial College London - Located in London, this college ranks third in the UK and 19th in the world in the Global MBA University Ranking 2019 by QS. Students can pursue a one year full-time MBA, weekend MBA, a two-year Executive MBA, and a two-year global online MBA. The average GMAT score of students here is 656. Students can expect to pay a tuition fee of £59300 for a full-time one-year MBA program at Imperial College. 90% of students from this college get employed within 3 months of completing the program. 
• Judge Business School - This business school is a part of the legendary University of Cambridge and is located in Cambridge. The school is known to offer a world-class MBA program and students can choose to pursue a one-year program or a 20-month executive MBA program. The average GMAT of admitted students is 693. The university offers a personalized career service option to its students, and 85% of its graduates get employed within 3 months. The tuition fee for a full-time MBA is between £63000 and £72000. 
• The University of Warwick - The University of Warwick ranked 37th in the World MBA University ranking 2019 by QS. Located in Coventry, the business school is triple accredited by AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS. Students can choose a full-time MBA of 12 months, a modular executive MBA and an online MBA. The tuition fee for a full-time MBA is between £ 44920 and £54000 and the average GMAT score is 661. 95% of students from this business school get placed within 3 months of their study.  

Now that our readers know why the UK is a popular study destination for Indian students aspiring to study an MBA, they can pull up their socks and start their application process in the top MBA schools in the UK. And if you need help with the finances, you can always apply here to check your eligibility for an education loan.  

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First published date: 14 Aug 2019