Are there any success stories out there of people going to 2nd tier EU MBA programs and getting good jobs in the USA? I know with an MBA from LBS, Insead or Cambridge it is possible, but what about the lesser know but still quality EU MBA programs? Do American employers value the international exposure touted by EU programs?

I am sure there are example, most of people with US residency and US networks. But European MBAs are not good preparation for work in the USA. I think it's much more successful a strategy to study in the US than in Europe.

But my options at this point are 2nd tier EU MBAs that are ranked well internationally or a no-name and unranked US state school. Could you see the EU MBA having a slight edge in this scenario?

I think those are both bad choices.

Maybe if you tell us which schools you're looking at it would be easier to make that determination.

It is unfair to compare 2nd Tier EU MBA with unranked US MBA. 2nd Tier EU MBA may be comparable to 2nd Tier US MBA (if that solves any practical purpose).

US has a big industry and large following of US schools. American employers are more concerned about American work experience. I had good work experience in Europe and India and only an internship in US. Still American companies like to hear more about my internship experience over my work ex in EU/India.

Many companies / recruiters are loyal to their target B schools or alma mater, They don't entertain even regional schools in that vicinity. With so many schools in US to chose from, I think they won't entertain any school other than LBS, INSEAD from Europe, but again a lot depends upon the specifics.

But my options at this point are 2nd tier EU MBAs that are ranked well internationally or a no-name and unranked US state school. Could you see the EU MBA having a slight edge in this scenario?

Thanks everyone. I'm not interested in comparing or talking about specific schools, but rather getting a better understanding of the usefulness in obtaining an EU MBA that isn't from extremely elite EU schools in order to work in the US at some point after the MBA.

The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, New York Times, Forbes and other American media sources have articles encouraging interest in EU MBA programs. But is this really a good idea for Americans if they intend to return to the US after the program? Much of the Forbes article is about how great of an ROI IMD offers without mention of nationality or work location. (According to the rankings on this site, IMD is tier 2.) Other EU schools have put me in touch with graduates who are now working in the US. The response I got from these grads was usually that getting a job in the US after the MBA is maybe more challenging, but not impossible. But getting an MBA-level job is challenging for grads of all programs, as I understand.

Can the choice of what school to attend really be distilled down to only on-campus recruiting, size of alumni network and perceived prestige?

WSJ: http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-americans-are-going-abroad-for-an-m-b-a-1441217532

Fortune: http://fortune.com/2015/05/27/mba-degree-tuition-europe-dollar/

New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/28/world/europe/european-mba-programs-gaining-popularity.html

Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2013/10/09/the-best-international-mba-programs/

IMD is absolutely a top-tier school. It's number 16 in the world on salary, according to the FT, and number 17 worldwide.

But there's no point going there is you want to get hired for traditional US recruiters' domestic MBA roles. The US recruiters won't go to IMD, or even know IMD that well.

[Edited by Duncan on Nov 11, 2015]

Well then what value does an EU MBA have to Americans? Surely not all of the Americans who apply to EU MBA programs want to permanently leave the US.

Well, you would have to ask them. If you want to work in the US, study in the US. If you want to spend a year in Europe take a $10,000 language course rather than a $100,000 MBA or do a US MBA in Europe like the Iowa campus in Italy.