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Study abroad programmes have become increasingly popular among Indian students. Foreign universities can work as popular hotspots for growing job opportunities that offer high rates of ROI. Specifically, some popular study abroad programmes that give best ROI include MBA in Business Analytics, MBA in Finance, MSc in International Business, Master’s in Management (MIM), etc. These courses offer a variety of specialisations and high starting salary packages for university graduates. Students are recommended to analyse the overall cost of investment, net profit, and influencing factors carefully before choosing the best course with the highest ROI to study abroad.
The average ROI for different study abroad courses can vary depending on various conventional and non-conventional factors. The choice of universities, courses, city location, and way of living of students are the major influencing factors that determine the overall rate of ROI for studying abroad. Read the complete article to understand what is ROI, how it is calculated, and the top study abroad programmes that give best ROI.
Here’s a list of the top courses with the best ROI abroad for international students:
Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
MBA in Business Analytics
MBA in Finance
MSc in International Business
Master’s in Management (MIM)
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a popular business and management course among study-abroad candidates. MBA outside India offers multiple specialisations such as IT, project management, supply chain management, and more. MBA abroad for Indian students can provide practical expertise in a variety of business disciplines, allowing students to get an advantage in expert business leadership strategies. Students can also take advantage of a wide range of course specialisations such as Entrepreneurship, International Business, Marketing, Finance, Operations Management, and others.
Also Read: MBA in USA
MBA in Business Analytics is a professional specialised MBA course offered in many top universities. This is a comparatively new specialisation in MBA programmes that mainly focuses on developing new effective business strategies by understanding fundamentals of businesses from a data-driven perspective. Some popular universities that offer MBA in business analytics are Warwick University, Chicago Booth School, MIL Sloan, etc.
Also Read: MBA in Business Analytics USA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialisation in Finance is a 2-year programme designed to offer valuable insights into different financial and business management aspects. This sub-discipline of MBA is considered to offer training to business leaders that enhance management and financial efficiencies. University of Pennsylvania, Oxford University, Columbia University, etc are among the top choices to apply for an MBA in Finance.
MSc in International Business focuses on developing advanced skills for business by understanding the impact of trade, marketing, strategic planning, and other factors in the global market. Some popular career options for MSc in International Business are management analysts, marketing managers, banking managers, HR specialists, and more. offering MSc in International Business are Alliance Manchester Business School, Henley Business School, University of Westminster, University of California, Maastricht University School of Business and Economics, etc are some of the popular universities that offer MSc in International Business.
MIM or Master’s in Management is a relatively new discipline in master’s courses for management studies. MIM courses are in high demand in countries like the UK and USA. The course duration for MIM abroad usually ranges from 10 months to 2 years. Popular universities for MIM abroad include HEC Paris, ESSEC Business School, INSEAD, and London Business School. According to the Financial Times Masters in Management Ranking, the average salary of MIM graduates abroad is approximately USD 80,000 and USD 115,000 for international students.
Also Read: MS Programmes in USA with Highest ROI
Here is the list of best countries for master’s for Indian students that offer high rate of ROI:
United States
United Kingdom
Germany
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
Netherlands
Ireland
France
Singapore
Some popular study abroad programmes that give the best ROI in USA are as follows:
MBA in USA: The USA remains a top destination for MBA for Indian students.
STEM Programmes: Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields are highly valued, often leading to high-paying positions in tech companies.
Healthcare Programmes: With a growing healthcare industry, programs related to medicine and healthcare management also provide excellent ROI.
Also Read: STEM MBA in USA for international students
Some popular study abroad programmes that give the best ROI in Europe are listed below:
Engineering and Technical Courses: Countries like Germany and the Netherlands offer high-quality engineering programs with low or no tuition fees, resulting in a great ROI.
Business and Finance: Programmes in business and finance from institutions in the UK and France can give you the best placement.
Environmental Science: With increasing global focus on sustainability, degrees in environmental science and related fields are becoming more valuable.
The basic formula for calculating ROI is:
ROI = (Net Profit / Cost of Investment) * 100
For example:
Total Earnings = USD 540,000 (for a period of 5 years)
Total Costs = USD 220,000
ROI = (USD 540,000 - USD 220,000) / USD 220,000 * 100% = 145.45%
Step 1: Calculate the overall cost of studying abroad. Students can calculate the overall cost of study by considering the costs of tuition fees, the cost of living in the city, and opportunity costs.
Step 2: Calculate the estimated earnings after the completion of the degree. It is the combination of the average starting salaries of the students and their annual growth.
Step 3: Calculate cumulative earnings over time.
Step 4: Determine the break-even point where the cumulative earnings surpass the overall cost of studying abroad.
Step 5: Calculate ROI using the standard formula.
Many universities in the world provide a good return on investment for international students. Here, is a list of some of the best universities with the highest ROI along with their QS World University Ranking 2025.
University | Country | QS World University Ranking 2025 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | USA | 01 |
USA | 06 | |
USA | 04 | |
USA | 12 | |
UK | 03 | |
USA | 10 | |
UK | 05 | |
USA | 21 | |
ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology | Switzerland | 07 |
UK | 02 |
MBA
Data Science and AI
Engineering
Healthcare Management
Environmental Science
Finance and Business
Information Technology
Hospitality Management
Project Management
International Relations
Engineering
Business Administration
Computer Science
Hospitality and Tourism
Design and Arts
Health Sciences
Social Sciences
Environmental Studies
Journalism and Mass Communication
Language and Literature
The overall ROI for study abroad courses may be affected by a certain number of factors. International students are recommended to encounter various factors in advance before choosing any particular course. Here are a variety of factors that can influence your overall ROI to study abroad:
The cost of education is a primary deciding factor of ROI abroad. Many courses have high or costly fee requirements. Top master’s courses from global universities may charge higher fees which indeed affect the overall ROI.
Some countries are more expensive than others in terms of living expenses. For such instances, students require more money to manage their university fees and cost of living including accommodation, food, transportation, and other personal expenses. Countries like the USA and UK are more expensive compared to smaller nations.
Many universities offer scholarships and financial aid to international students. The availability of scholarships and financial aid can significantly reduce the overall cost of education thereby increasing the rate of ROI for master’s and undergraduate courses.
The average starting salary of the students and their break-even point can significantly impact ROI.
The rate of growth of the candidate and salary increase in the industry also affects ROI.
Various non-conventional factors like exposure to diverse cultures, international business practices, skill development, etc can impact the overall ROI to a great extent.
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The education that has the highest ROI includes computer science, software engineering, data science, technology, engineering, finance, and healthcare. Also, degrees in nursing, medicine, and pharmacy offer a high rate of ROIs for international students.
Sme popular colleges abroad that have the highest ROI are Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Oxford, etc. In New Zealand, the University of Auckland is often considered to have the highest ROI for an MBA.
Fields like Masters in Business Administration (MBA), MBA in Business Analytics, MBA in Finance, MSc in International Business, Master’s in Management (MIM), etc have the best ROI after education. However, the best ROI depends on market trends and career goals of the students.
MBA, STEM programmes, Engineering and Technical courses, Healthcare programmes, Business and Finance, Environmental programmes, etc are among the most valuable in abroad. Students can choose any course depending on their goals and eligibility.
Some of the popular countries that have high ROI are the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.
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