Key takeaways
- US schools publish a full cost of attendance. Harvard shows $130,318 to $186,312 for its nine month year, and Columbia $136,104 to $151,010 for the first year.
- UK fees cover the whole programme: £77,950 (London Business School One year MBA) to £123,950 (its full MBA).
- European fees run from €82,500 (Esade) to €117,000 (IESE).
- Always add tests, visa, flights and insurance to the school figures.
Comparing an MBA across countries is harder than it looks, because schools quote different things. Some give tuition for one year, some for the whole programme, and some include course materials. Use the basis column on the fee tables and read the notes below.
USA: two years, quoted per year
Tuition for 2026 to 27 runs from $83,700 at Duke Fuqua to $93,908 at Columbia. Harvard lists $84,760, Wharton $87,970, Kellogg $88,536 for its two year MBA, Stanford $89,187 for the first year, Chicago Booth $89,976, Yale $90,900 and MIT Sloan $91,892. Schools then publish a cost of attendance that adds housing, food, insurance and fees. Harvard shows $130,318 to $186,312 for the nine month year depending on circumstances, Columbia $136,104 to $151,010 for the first year, Wharton $135,441 and Duke $118,974.
A two year programme repeats those costs for the second year, so the total often passes $200,000. Read the USA page for every school.
UK: one year, quoted for the whole programme
- London Business School: £123,950 for the 2026 MBA intake and £77,950 for the One year MBA.
- Oxford Saïd: £94,120 for the September 2026 one year MBA.
- Cambridge Judge: £86,250 for September 2027 entry.
- Imperial: £81,000 published programme fee.
These are tuition only. London and Oxford living costs are significant, so add them. See the UK page.
Europe: mostly shorter programmes
INSEAD is €109,860 for the August 2026 intake. IE is €89,900. Esade lists €82,500 for September 2027 as total compulsory tuition and expenses, SDA Bocconi €86,000 for 2027 to 2028, and IESE €117,000 for September 2027. Details are on the Europe page.
Canada and Singapore
Rotman estimates CAD 144,770 for international students on its full time MBA, against CAD 92,540 for domestic students. Schulich estimates CAD 124,019 for international students and Ivey lists CAD 92,310 for its Accelerated MBA, November 2026 intake. NUS lists S$98,027 for August 2027 and Nanyang S$92,955 on its fee schedule. See Canada and Singapore.
Costs outside the school fee
- Tests: GMAT is US$275 in person or US$300 online at United States prices, the GRE is US$249 from 1 August 2026, and IELTS in India is INR 19,000.
- Application fees for each school, which vary.
- Student visa fees and health insurance.
- Flights, laptop and moving costs.
- A buffer for exchange rate changes, since you earn in rupees and pay in dollars, pounds or euros.
How to compare fairly
- Convert every figure to rupees at one rate on one day.
- Compare total programme cost, not yearly tuition.
- Add living costs for the city.
- Subtract realistic scholarships.
- Then compare the length of time out of work.
Next, see scholarships and funding plans.
Fees change every year and each school sets its own. The figures here come from the schools' own pages and were checked in October 2026, so confirm them on the school site before you decide. This guide is for planning and is not an offer from any school.