Picking the Right Business School Location: 6 Considerations to Make
How do prospective graduate students choose where to attend business school? It can feel incredibly overwhelming with so much choice. This is particularly the case for students who are interested in studying abroad!
In this guide, we’ll cover what elements to consider to help you make this incredibly important decision and tips for how to effectively research the options available to you.
Elements to Consider when Picking a Business School Location
There are a number of considerations to make when trying to choose a business school location. Here are a few of the most important elements to consider to pick the right location for your professional goals and personal circumstances and preferences!
1. Business school rankings
A good place to start is by looking at university rankings. You can often find ones that show how a business school ranks for a specific program.
This can help you understand the prestige of the university and business school and gives you an opportunity to compare different programs based on their merits and student experiences.
2. Access to employers and networking opportunities
Business schools located in or near locations that are considered industry hubs are well positioned to provide graduate students with access to relevant employers and networks.
So, take some time to consider what locations would have strong industry links to potential employers and networking opportunities in the industry you’re interested in pursuing your professional career in.
3. Cost of living
Living costs of a particular location should also be factored in as you need to be able to afford to pay for accommodation, food, transport, and any other living costs while you’re attending business school. Look at the budget you have and what areas fit within your means.
4. Quality of life
It’s important to consider the quality of life in a specific location and what the area will mean for your personal life. Make sure you can see yourself moving and living there.
Do you prefer living in smaller towns or larger cities? Do you want to be close to the beach or mountains? Consider what your hobbies and preferences are and how that will fit into where you go to business school.
5. Return on investment
There are university and program rankings that show what students make on average post-graduation. This can help you understand what the return on investment could be following graduating with a master’s degree in a particular business school program.
But make sure you assess all of the associated costs of getting your master’s when doing this, and don’t only consider the tuition fees. Also, factor in living costs and any relevant visa fees.
6. Career goals post-graduation
As most people study a master’s degree to help them pursue their professional goals, this is one of the most important considerations to make.
Ensure the business school you end up choosing fits with the career aspirations you have post-graduation, so consider what locations best match what you aim to do.
Do Your Research
To effectively pick the right business school location, you need to spend some time researching the options available to you and comparing different university locations you’re interested in.
So, let’s find the right business school location for you! If you’re researching graduate schools of business, sign up for Unify to browse and compare business schools worldwide – for free. We also have a guide on the best places to get a master’s degree in finance.
Additionally, we can help you compile a shortlist of universities and programs you’re most interested in, so you can easily compare them side by side. And the Unify platform even features proprietary algorithms that suggest the competitiveness of your profile for different universities' admissions.