Know International MBA Accreditations: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE
  • Articles
  • Know International MBA Accreditations: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE

Know International MBA Accreditations: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE

#MBA
Prabha DhavalaUpdated on 20 Feb 2023, 11:42 AM IST

International MBA Accreditations like AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE are much touted in the media when it comes to BSchools and management education. However, what are these international accreditations namely AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACB and what do they add to any institute that offers management courses? This is one question that comes to mind when it comes to checking business schools and selecting one. In this article we check out the various accreditations like AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACB and their importance.

Know International MBA Accreditations: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE
Know International MBA Accreditations: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE

Before starting to understand these accreditations, it's imperative to understand what accreditation actually means, the role it plays in ascertaining the quality of education at any institute and its importance for any MBA aspirant.

MBA Accreditation - Meaning, Types

The dictionary meaning of accreditation holds true in this case. Accreditation means the action or process of officially recognizing something as being qualified to perform a particular activity. In the case of MBA accreditation, this translates to the course and by extension the institute being rated as a quality one with value in the industry.

What are the types of MBA accreditation?

MBA aspirants must look for both national and international accreditations. This is because national accreditations take the domestic factors into consideration while international MBA accreditations allow for global recognition.

Types of International MBA Accreditation

Some of the popular MBA accreditations cited by business schools across the globe are AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE. Each accreditation is looked at in detail in the section below.

  • AACSB: A global nonprofit association located in the USA, Netherlands and Singapore, AACSB accreditation indicates a business school’s commitment to four major factors - strategic management, learner success, thought leadership, and societal impact. To achieve AACSB accreditation for MBA, business schools undergo a rigorous process. Performance in critical areas, such as teaching, research, curricula development, and student learning is measured. More than 950 plus schools across the world have been accredited.
    The main advantage with choosing an institute with AACSB accreditation is that it is recognized worldwide by employers and universities. Therefore studying in an AACSB accredited institute would allow more access to top recruiters, vie for competitive salaries. Such institutes also attract excellent faculty hence the quality of education provided would be the best.
K J Somaiya Institute of Management MBA Admissions 2026

Highest Package 27.25 LPA | Top 100 Average package 16.65 LPA | AACSB Accredited | Ranked 52 by QS International

SDA Bocconi IMB Admissions 2026

Offers full-time PGP in International Master in business (IMB) Equivalent to MBA under following specializations Marketing, HR, Operations, and many more

BSchools in India with AACSB Accreditation


  • AMBA: Another recognised international MBA accreditation is from the Association of MBAs (AMBA). More than 260 business schools across 75 countries are part of the accredited institute list of AMBA for their MBA, DBA and Master’s Degree programmes. Programmes need to reflect the prescribed standards in teaching, learning and curriculum design, career development and employability, student, alumni and employer interaction to achieve accreditation from AMBA.
    A major advantage of the AMBA accreditation is that business schools are recognised at the international level.
Top UGC Approved Colleges for Online MBA
Download this ebook and get all details related to the top UGC approved colleges for Online MBA.
Download List Here

Institute having AMBA Accreditation

Goa Institute of Management

IIM Rohtak

Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai (and Gurgaon)

Indian School of Business

IMI New Delhi (and Bhubaneswar)

MDI Management Development Institute

Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

NMIMS School of Business Management

Indian Institute of Management Indore

S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research

Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode

T. A. Pai Management Institute

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow

XLRI Xavier School of Management

Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli

-


  • EQUIS: This is a comprehensive review system developed by the EQUIS Accreditation Board. The review process looks at a conceptual framework of quality criteria. An international committee evaluates each component of the framework as per the standards set up in place. EQUIS is internationally acknowledged and is often a prerequisite for entry to rankings. The assessment standards are set up such that schools can improvise on their strategies for curriculum development and design, research. EQUIS accreditation opens the doors to a vibrant community where mutual learning is encouraged amongst different systems of higher education.
    Factors that form part of EQUIS accreditation include MBA programmes, students and faculty, R&D pursued by a business school, Executive Education provided, resources and administration, Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability, Internationalisation and connections.
SDMIMD-PGDM Admissions 2026

Average CTC 10 LPA | International Collaborations | Avail Merit Scholarships

Symbiosis MBA - SNAP 2025

1 Exam accepted by 17 Top Symbiosis Institutes for 29 MBA programmes.

Institutes having EQUIS Accreditation:

IIM Ahmedabad

IIM Bangalore

IIM Calcutta

IIM Indore

Indian School of Business

IIM Kozhikode


  • ACBSP: One of the popular international MBA accreditation is by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. Also known as ACBSP the accreditation process is modelled on the Baldrige model. The MBA accreditation process focuses on recognizing excellence in teaching, student learning outcome determination with a continuous improvement model. The learning approach with a focus on student-centered teaching is measured to ensure that students gain the right sets of skills.

Institutes having ACBSP Accreditation


  • IACBE: Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), IACBE is an accrediting organization that accredits business, accounting, and business-related degree programs (associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels) in institutions of higher education across the globe. Some significant benefits of IACBE accreditation include external quality assurance, sharing of best practices and public accountability.

Importance of MBA accreditation

While most students don't bother with understanding accreditation and its uses, it is imperative to always pick an institution that has accreditation. International MBA accreditation is a vital factor that should always be considered by students while choosing an institute. The reason being that accredited institutes have to maintain quality in various aspects like the curriculum, practices, employ good faculty, inculcate research to name a few. Moreover, international MBA accreditation also allows for a global presence/ recognition. All these combine to give a wholesome institute that makes the MBA worthwhile.

Certifications By Top Providers
Online MBA Business Analytics
Via Centre for Distance and Online Education, Anna University, Chennai
Corporate Law
Via National Law University, New Delhi
The Science and Business of Biotechnology
Via Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
Online MBA
Via Centre for Distance and Online Education, Anna University, Chennai
Management of Commercial Banking
Via Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Strategic Management
Via Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Udemy
 703 courses
Edx
 467 courses
Swayam
 236 courses
Emeritus
 231 courses
Explore Top Universities Across Globe
University of Essex, Colchester
Wivenhoe Park Colchester CO4 3SQ
Oxford Brookes University, Oxford
Headington Campus Oxford OX3 0BP UK
Northumbria University, Newcastle City Campus
Sutherland Building, Northumberland Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST
Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff
Llandaff Campus, Western Avenue, Cardiff, CF5 2YB
University of Reading, Reading
Whiteknights PO Box 217 Reading Berkshire RG6 6AH
Bristol Baptist College, Bristol
The Promenade, Clifton Down, Bristol BS8 3NJ

Questions related to MBA

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to MBA ?

Hello,

Here are some top MBA colleges in India with fees under Rs. 2 lakh and their exam/cutoff details:

  • SIMSREE, Mumbai – Fee around Rs. 1.3–1.4 lakh for 2 years. Accepts CAT, CMAT, MAH-CET, MAT, ATMA. Cutoff is very high, usually 99+ percentile in CAT/CMAT.

  • PUMBA (Dept. of Management Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University) – Fee around Rs. 1.2–1.3 lakh. Accepts CAT, CMAT, MAH-CET, ATMA. Cutoff approx. 75+ percentile in CAT, 90–95+ percentile in CMAT, high scores in MAH-CET.

  • TISS, Mumbai (MA HRM & other management-related programmes) – Fee around Rs. 1.7–1.9 lakh. Accepts CAT for some courses. Qualifying cutoff is around 60–70 percentile, but final selection cutoffs are higher.

These are the main government institutes where the full MBA/PG programme fee is within Rs. 2 lakh. Cutoffs vary slightly each year and by category, but SIMSREE and PUMBA generally need high scores, while TISS has its own process along with CAT shortlisting.

Hope it helps !

Yes, MBA in FinTech is a good option if you are interested in the combination of finance and technology. After this course you can work in roles like FinTech product manager, financial analyst, blockchain/crypto specialist, risk & compliance manager, or business development manager in banks, startups, and financial companies.

For the salary part, freshers usually start with around 5–10 LPA in normal companies and in bigger FinTech firms or banks it can even go up to 10–15 LPA, depending on your skills, college, and location.

If you do Data Science and then an MBA in Finance, you can get many high-paying jobs. Some of the best options are:

1. CFO (Chief Financial Officer) – You manage a company’s finances, budgeting, and reports. Big companies pay 40 lakh to 1 crore per year.

2. Investment Banker – You help clients raise money and do mergers or acquisitions. Salaries start around 10–12 lakh for freshers and can go up to 30 lakh or more with experience.

3. Chief Data Officer – You lead data strategies in companies. Pay can be 80 lakh to 1.3 crore per year.

4. Machine Learning Engineer / AI Scientist – You create AI and ML models. Salary is around 35–42 lakh per year.

5. Product Manager – You manage product strategy and market positioning. Can earn 89 lakh to 1.1 crore per year in big tech companies.

6. Financial Actuary – You analyze financial risks. Pay is around 25–30 lakh per year.

Hello,

If you have made a mistake while entering your education details in KEA PGCET MBA option entry, you cannot edit it directly once it is submitted. You need to contact KEA immediately.

You can:

  • Call the KEA helpline numbers.

  • Or visit the KEA office with your documents.

They will guide you on how to correct the mistake. Do it quickly, as corrections are allowed only within the given time.

Hope it helps !

The cut off for national exams like CAT or XAT required for admission for Masters in Business Administration (MBA) program may vary b collage and years. The top tier or top MBA collages like IIMs may require 98-100 percentile. F or more details you can go through: https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-cutoff

Thank you.