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Since both INSEAD and Columbia Business School rank amonst top 10 business schools of USA, selecting one of them is highly dependant on geographic location and career choices of students.
| Columbia Business School | INSEAD | |
|---|---|---|
| ranking (overall) | # 2 Financial Times 2025 # 8 Financial Times 2020 # 9 Financial Times 2019 | # 122 Center for World University Rankings 2025 # 119 Center for World University Rankings 2022 # 1 Financial Times 2021 |
| Programs | PG Programs -5 | PG Programs -6 Doctorate Programs -1 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 189567 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 21816 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 137500 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 16508 Per Year |
Top Courses Comparison
| application | - | #3600 Applicants # 1080 Admissions # 30 % Acceptance Rate |
| exam scores | Duolingo - 135/160GMAT - 732/800GRE - 324/340IELTS - 7.5/9TOEFL - 5.5/6 | IELTS - 7.5/9PTE - 72/90TOEFL - 105/120 |
| Admission Criteria/Better to Have |
| |
| cost to study | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -137571 | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -109860 |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
| application dates | Jan 6, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline For August 2026 Intake) Feb 19, 2026 (Round 2 Interview Decisions Date For August 2026 Intake) Mar 26, 2026 (Round 3 Application Deadline For August 2026 Intake) Mar 31, 2026 (Round 2 Final Decisions Date For August 2026 Intake) May 1, 2026 (Round 3 Interview Decisions Date For August 2026 Intake) May 20, 2026 (Round 3 Final Decisions Date For August 2026 Intake) | Sep 16, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline For August 2026 Intake) Nov 4, 2025 (Round 2 Application Deadline For August 2026 Intake) Nov 21, 2025 (Round 1 Final Decision For August 2026 Intake) Jan 16, 2026 (Round 2 Final Decision For August 2026 Intake) Jan 20, 2026 (Round 3 Application Deadline For August 2026 Intake) Mar 10, 2026 (Round 4 Application Deadline For August 2026 Intake) Mar 20, 2026 (Round 3 Final Decision For August 2026 Intake) May 8, 2026 (Round 4 Final Decision For August 2026 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
INSEAD is one of the few non-USA business schools that compete with top business schools of USA like Columbia Business School. Choosing one of them over the other depends upon what career options a student is looking for and what are his/her future goals.
Most of the international students pursuing MBA end up working at a place where business school is located. S. So, if you are looking for work opportunities in USA, CBS is a better choice. Employment record and salary offer of MIT Sloan is also better than INSEAD.
As per the alumni rating, international business specialization of both schools are at par with each other. However, finance is the strong of suite of Columbia Business School whereas INSEAD has better faculty and infrastructure for MBA in Corporate Strategy. So, the choice between two of them will also depend on what specialization you want to pursue.
