India 5th Most Sought-After MBA Destination Globally: GMAC

India is the fifth most preferred MBA destination globally, according to a survey by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the non-profit organisation that owns the GMAT exam essential to enter a global business school.

The United States remains the most preferred MBA destination, while United Kingdom, Canada and France also rank above India, the survey says.

The GMAC found that 'reputation of an educational system' was universally chosen as the number one reason for preferring an MBA college.

Affordability of education/tuition fees and availability of financial aid were the two big reasons why prospective students choose India, the survey found.

Cost of education was the most common reservation, which prospective students have about pursuing a graduate management degree, the survey noted.

India tends to score high on the affordability factor, making it one of the most sought-after educational hubs. According to a recent survey by HSBC, India was the least expensive foreign destination for university undergraduate students among a list of 15 countries. (Read the full story here)

Earlier this year, the Economist magazine has ranked IIM-Ahmedabad as fourth best B-school worldwide in offering "Good value MBAs." The ranking had put IIMA much ahead of its Ivy League competitors such as Harvard, Stanford, Kellogg and Wharton on the basis of return on investment on MBA courses. (Read)

GMAC's mba.com 'Prospective Students Survey' surveyed 12,000 mba.com registrants globally before publishing the results.