School vs school · figures from each school’s own report
INSEAD or London Business School
For a $90,000 earner, INSEAD costs $231,475 with the salary given up and LBS $364,753; the paybacks are 7.6 years and 8.0 years.
Highest ten-year value for you
INSEAD
NPV -$9,307 · payback 7.6 years
| INSEAD | LBS | |
|---|---|---|
| Program length | 10 months | 21 months |
| Tuition and fees | $122,911 | $164,720 |
| Living budget | $33,564 | $42,533 |
| Total cost for you | $231,475 | $364,753 |
| Hired within three months | 81% | 86% |
| Salary reported | $111,880 | $121,772 |
| Kind of figure | median base salary | average base salary |
| Payback after graduation | 7.6 years | 8.0 years |
| 10-year NPV | -$9,307 | -$79,570 |
* 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 LBS sit at the two ends of the European MBA calendar. INSEAD runs 10 months for €109,860 of tuition plus a living budget of €30,000; LBS runs up to 21 months for £123,950 and £400 of fees, and since it publishes no student budget we count the UK visa minimum for London, £32,109, as a floor. For someone earning $90,000 today, the totals come to $231,475 and $364,753. INSEAD reports a median base salary of €100,000 and LBS an average base salary of £91,928, two different measures, which in dollars are $111,880 and $121,772. The payback is 7.6 years at INSEAD and 8.0 years at LBS, and both ten-year values are below zero for that person, -$9,307 and -$79,570. The choice rests on where you want to work: 43% of LBS's class stays in the United Kingdom, while 44% of INSEAD's goes to continental Europe.
Tuition gap, then a calendar gap
Converted at the ECB rate of October 13, 2026, tuition is $122,911 at INSEAD and $164,190 at LBS, a gap of $41,279. The calendar widens it. INSEAD finishes in 10 months; LBS lets students leave between 15 and 21 months, with the same tuition whatever the exit point. We count the full length. For a $90,000 earner, the salary given up is $75,000 at INSEAD and $157,500 at LBS.
Living costs are built differently. INSEAD publishes its own budget, €30,000. LBS publishes none, so the line is the amount UK Visas and Immigration asks students in London to hold, £1,529 a month, counted for every month: £32,109. The visa rule names the least a student must hold, not what a year in London costs, so treat LBS's total as a minimum.
INSEAD or LBS: the faster payback for you
Higher 10-year value
INSEAD
| INSEAD payback | 7.6 years |
| LBS payback | 8.0 years |
| INSEAD 10-year NPV | -$9,307 |
| LBS 10-year NPV | -$79,570 |
Two salaries that are not the same measure
INSEAD's €100,000 is the salary of the graduate in the middle of the class. LBS's £91,928 is the average, which a few high offers can lift. In dollars the two are $111,880 and $121,772, close enough that the measure matters. LBS adds an average of £41,000 in sign-on and year-end bonuses, received by 83% of those who accepted an offer; INSEAD reports a median bonus of €28,900 without saying how many received it, so our model counts no bonus for it.
Where LBS gives more detail is the split. It publishes salaries by region, and the gap is large: £143,262 for graduates in North America against £88,516 in the United Kingdom and £106,108 in Africa and the Middle East. It also splits finance by segment, with 3 segment salaries in its report. INSEAD gives salaries by industry only, without regions or segments.
Consulting, and where each class lands
Consulting is the largest destination at both: 50% of INSEAD's class at €106,100, 40% of LBS's at £98,856. In our consulting ranking, which weighs share, salary and ten-year value, INSEAD is number 17 of 38 and LBS number 21 of 38. Technology takes 24% of LBS's class and 18% of INSEAD's.
Geography separates them more. LBS is a London school: 43% of its graduates stay in the United Kingdom, 8% go to the rest of Europe. INSEAD spreads its class wider, with 23% in Asia Pacific, close to its Singapore campus, and 18% in Africa and the Middle East. LBS sends 10% to Latin America, which puts it 2 of 9 in our ranking for that region.
Who should pick which
INSEAD suits someone who wants to be back at work within a year, aims at consulting in continental Europe, Asia or the Middle East, and earns little enough today that 10 months of salary given up still leave a positive return. LBS suits someone who wants a career in London or in finance, values an internship and a longer search, or plans to use the degree to reach North America, where its graduates report the highest regional salary in its report. Both ten-year values turn negative for a $90,000 earner, so set your own salary in the tool above before reading either as a financial win.