A deadly virus and tight visa rules have foreign business students second-guessing their choice of the U.S., leery of paying full tuition only to miss out on the networking opportunities—and jobs—that have made America the ultimate destination for an MBA.
Foreign students have been a boon to business schools. The vast majority pay full freight, which can be more than $80,000 annually for a two-year program. International students account for almost half of Columbia’s entering class this year.
But the allure of an American business degree is fading, according to a new Bloomberg Businessweek survey of more than 3,500 MBA students from 95 business schools around the world. Foreign students are discouraged by the Trump administration’s policies and tone on visas and immigration. And they’re frustrated by the loss of crucial face time and relationship building as classes go online.
Of the 3,532 students surveyed, 38% were international. On average they reported a lower level of satisfaction with their schools’ responses to the pandemic than their domestic classmates did. While international and domestic students gave similar ratings to the effectiveness of professors’ virtual teaching, the quality of online course material, and class engagement, international students rated their ability to get the jobs and compensation they wanted far lower.