School vs school · figures from each school’s own report
INSEAD or HEC Paris
INSEAD costs €139,860 for 10 months and HEC Paris €127,300 for 16, before the salary you give up.
Highest ten-year value for you
HEC Paris
NPV $19,244 · payback 6.6 years
| INSEAD | HEC Paris | |
|---|---|---|
| Program length | 10 months | 16 months |
| Tuition and fees | $122,911 | $114,118 |
| Living budget | $33,564 | $28,306 |
| Total cost for you | $231,475 | $262,424 |
| Hired within three months | 81% | 75% |
| Salary reported | $111,880 | $123,170 |
| Kind of figure | median base salary | average total pay |
| Payback after graduation | 7.6 years | 6.6 years |
| 10-year NPV | -$9,307 | $19,244 |
* school-wide salary: no figure published for this goal. US dollars at the ECB rate of the last update. Method.
Built by Radif Partners · figures checked · Method · Editorial policy
INSEAD and HEC Paris are the two French MBAs most applicants weigh against each other, and they differ first in length. INSEAD runs 10 months for €109,860 of tuition and a school budget of €30,000 for living costs; HEC Paris runs 16 months for €102,000 and a budget of €25,300. For someone earning $90,000 today, the total with the salary given up comes to $231,475 at INSEAD and $262,424 at HEC Paris, the gap coming mostly from 6 more months without pay. INSEAD reports a median base salary of €100,000; HEC Paris reports average total pay of $123,170, bonus included, so the two are not the same measure. On those figures, the payback is 7.6 years at INSEAD and 6.6 years at HEC Paris, with ten-year values of -$9,307 and $19,244. Both send about half their class into European jobs; INSEAD sends 18% to the line it calls Africa/Middle East, against 8% at HEC Paris.
The calendar, not the fee list
Tuition is €109,860 at INSEAD (August 2026 and January 2027 intakes) and €102,000 at HEC Paris (January 2027 and September 2027 intakes). The school budgets for living costs are €30,000 and €25,300. What separates the two is the calendar. INSEAD finishes in 10 months; HEC Paris takes 16. For a person earning $90,000, that is $75,000 against $120,000 of salary given up, and it explains most of the gap between the two totals, $231,475 and $262,424.
The longer program buys time: more room for an internship and a second recruiting season, which matters for anyone changing industry. The shorter one means recruiting starts almost on arrival. If you already know the firm you want and it hires on campus, the short calendar costs little; if you are still deciding, it can be tight.
INSEAD or HEC Paris: the faster payback for you
Higher 10-year value
HEC Paris
| INSEAD payback | 7.6 years |
| HEC Paris payback | 6.6 years |
| INSEAD 10-year NPV | -$9,307 |
| HEC Paris 10-year NPV | $19,244 |
Two salaries, two measures
INSEAD reports a median base salary of €100,000, about $111,880 at the ECB rate of October 13, 2026, for Classes of December 2024 and July 2025 (929 graduates). It splits the figure by industry: consulting at €106,100, finance at €96,000, technology at €94,600. HEC Paris headlines average total pay, $123,170 for the Class of 2025, a figure that includes bonuses and sits above the median of $115,255 printed beneath it. Its industry figures are medians: consulting at $108,964, finance at $106,308, technology at $98,956.
With those headline figures, HEC Paris comes out ahead over ten years for a $90,000 earner: -$9,307 at INSEAD, $19,244 at HEC Paris. Read HEC Paris's side with the measure in mind, since an average of total pay sits above a median base salary for the same class. HEC Paris also publishes salaries for 3 regions, $134,000 in North America among them; INSEAD publishes none by region. INSEAD reports 81% of its class with an offer within three months, HEC Paris 75% who accepted one in the same window, two labels that are close but not identical.
Where the two classes go
Both schools keep the largest group in Europe: 44% at INSEAD, 52% at HEC Paris. The differences sit elsewhere. INSEAD places 18% in Africa/Middle East, which puts it number 1 of 7 in our Middle East ranking; HEC Paris places 8% in Africa & Middle East and stands number 5 of 7. North America takes 6% of INSEAD's class and 11% of HEC Paris's. By industry, consulting dominates at INSEAD with 50%, while HEC Paris spreads its class across technology (27%), finance (24%) and consulting (15%), with consumer goods and luxury at 9%.
HEC Paris: where the class went
Share of the class
15%
| Salary reported | $108,964 |
| Graduates, about | 35 |
| Payback with that salary | 9.3 years |
Reference person earning $90,000 before the MBA.
Who should pick which
Choose INSEAD for the shortest time out of work, a route into strategy consulting that its own report documents, or a job in Africa, the Middle East or Asia, where its placement shares are high and its second campus, in Singapore, sits. Choose HEC Paris for a longer program with time for an internship, a smaller class of about 235, a spread of industries that includes technology and consumer brands, and a base near Paris. HEC Paris is 95% international, from 49 countries; INSEAD counts 90 nationalities in a class of 900-950. Run both in the comparison tool with your own salary before deciding.