The American institution tops this year's Business Analytics Rankings 2021, achieving a perfect score in three out of five ranking indicators: employability, alumni outcomes and thought leadership.
Professor Kalyan Talluri, program director of the MSc Business Analytics at Imperial College Business School, told us why graduates of their program are so valued by employers:
“We train our graduates to be highly self-sufficient and productive from day one – it’s a fundamental element of our program’s design. Plus, we place a huge emphasis on communication, and creating narratives from data and analytical analysis throughout the program – which I believe is critical for analytics to make an impact within the organization.”
To be included in the Masters in Business Analytics Rankings 2019, programs had to be taught mainly on-campus (i.e. not distance learning), have had at least one graduated class, and a class size of at least 10 students.
Eligible programs were then ranked on five key ranking indicators:
Employability (30 percent)
Alumni Outcomes (20 percent)
Value for Money (20 percent)
Thought Leadership (20 percent)
Class & Faculty Diversity (10 percent)
You can find out more about the methodology used to produce the rankings here.
Of the four business masters rankings released today (finance 2021, management 2021 and marketing 2021 are the other three), the master’s in business analytics rankings is the only subject where there are more US schools featured than European programs (although only just; the final margin is 36 to 31).
The master’s in business analytics programs featured in the rankings have a diverse class profile, with 46 percent female students (just below gender parity), and 72 percent international students on average. The average number of years of work experience that students have before starting a program is only one year, reflecting the fact that many candidates will start their master's shortly after completing their undergraduate degree.
MIT Sloan Graduate School of Management has been ranked as the best institution in the world in the QS Business Masters Rankings: Masters in Business Analytics Rankings 2021.
This year's number one, Columbia, achieved a near-perfect score in the alumni outcomes ranking indicator. The New York City-based school beat off stiff competition from Imperial College Business School, which ranked second, and HEC Paris which is third.
Of the 70 schools to be included this year, European institutions dominate (despite not topping) the table, with almost double the number of programs (44) featured than the United States (21).
To be included in the Masters in Marketing Rankings 2019, programs had to be taught mainly on-campus (i.e. not distance learning), have had at least one graduated class, and a class size of at least 10 students.
Eligible programs were then ranked on five key ranking indicators:
Employability (30 percent)
Alumni Outcomes (20 percent)
Value for Money (20 percent)
Thought Leadership (20 percent)
Class & Faculty Diversity (10 percent)
You can find out more about the methodology used to produce the rankings here.
In terms of the class profile of the master's in marketing programs included on the table, the average age of students is 24 years, while they entered programs with an average of two years’ work experience. Around 69 percent of students on the master’s in marketing programs are female, by far the highest proportion of any MBA or business masters program ranked by us this year, with a staggering 30 percent more female students than the typical MBA program.
Columbia Business School has been ranked as the best institution in the world in the QS Business Masters Rankings: Masters in Marketing Rankings 2019. This year is the first time marketing has been included in the rankings.
Top 10 Universities for Master's in Business Analytics Degrees main image
First launched in 2017, the QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Rankings includes the QS Masters in Business Analytics Rankings 2019, an index of 75 of the world’s best institutions for master’s in business analytics degrees, based on a methodology which assesses each institution’s employability, value for money, class & faculty diversity and more, with data collected from a global survey of employers and other sources.
Read on to discover the 10 highest ranked institutions for business analytics from 10th to first, or click here to view the full table.
10. University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management - Master of Science in Business Analytics
Ranked 10th in the world for its Master of Science in Business Analytics course, the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management earns its highest score for the value for money indicator. The school’s Master of Science in Business Analytics is a one-year program which utilizes experimental learning, with students completing a semester-long experimental learning project with a partner company in the Carlson Analytics Lab.
Also achieving a high score for the alumni outcomes indicator, 100 percent of Carlson’s 2015 and 2016 graduates received offers of employment within 90 days of graduating, working for big name brands such as Amazon, Capital One, Google, Facebook, AirBnB, American Express, LinkedIn and Microsoft.
9. University of Edinburgh Business School – MSc in Business Analytics
Heading to the UK, the University of Edinburgh Business School claims ninth place for its MSc in Business Analytics degree this year. It achieves its best score in the diversity indicator, with a whopping 94 percent of students coming from outside the UK, representing 69 different nationalities. The MSc in Business Analytics course takes one academic year to complete and commences with compulsory courses in the first semester, building a solid foundation on the principles of data analytics and other topics before students specialize in four option courses in the second semester. Students also benefit from many opportunities to work with industry and business professionals, for example through group consultancy projects, dissertations, guest lecturers and industry exploration treks.
8. Warwick Business School - MSc Business Analytics
The University of Warwick’s largest department, Warwick Business School (WBS) is ranked eighth in the master’s in business analytics ranking this year, achieving a very strong score for the thought leadership indicator. As well as its semi-rural campus in Coventry in the West Midlands, WBS has a London campus in The Shard, which offers part-time courses, giving it a presence in one of the world’s major financial centers. The school’s MSc Business Analytics degree includes a collaboration with leading analytics software developer SAS to provide a Text Analytics module, dedicated to data mining. Students will also take part in a consultancy project and a research project to explore an important topic related to decision making in business.
7. Alliance Manchester Business School - MSc Business Analytics
Ranked seventh for its MSc Business Analytics degree, the University of Manchester’s Alliance Manchester Business School operates on the phrase ‘Original Thinking Applied’ and was one of the UK’s first business schools, established in 1956. Its MSc Business Analytics degree aims to give students the practical skills and knowledge needed to overcome the major challenges facing industry, business and the public sector today, and offers a broad range of optional modules to allow students to tailor the degree to their interests and career goals. Alliance Manchester receives high scores for thought leadership and alumni outcomes, with students graduating with the analytical skills and knowledge ideal for a large variety of careers.
6. USC Marshall School of Business - Master of Science in Business Analytics
Heading to California, and next in our look at the top universities for master’s in business analytics degrees is the University of Southern California (USC)’s Marshall School of Business, ranked sixth. Its Master of Science (MSc) in Business Analytics is an 18-month, comprehensive program in which students gain a broad, in-depth knowledge of all areas of business analytics and big data analysis, learning programming tools and how to translate and present complex data to help make business decisions. USC Marshall achieves very high scores for its alumni outcomes and value for money, with graduates earning an average starting salary of $72,841.
Another high-rated institution for its masters in business analytics degree, ESADE Ramon Llull University is ranked fifth in the world for its MSc in Business Analytics course and earns a perfect score for the alumni outcomes indicator. The course in taught in English, with electives available in Spanish, and is set apart from other courses by ESADE’s connections with leading companies. Students will have the opportunity to connect directly with leading data scientist employers around the world such as Amazon, Microsoft, Santander and Telefónica. They can also gain expertise in programming languages and take part in an optional three to six-month internship, further enhancing their employability.
4. ESSEC/CentraleSupélec - MSc in Data Sciences & Business Analytics
Two of the most prestigious universities in France, ESSEC Business School and CentraleSupélec, are ranked fourth in the world for their jointly-offered MSc in Data Sciences & Business Analytics program, achieving a very high score for alumni outcomes. The course takes one year to complete and is offered in entirely in English. Students firstly gain a solid foundation of knowledge in period one before majoring in one of three major options in period two: Data Sciences and Business Analytics, both in Paris, or Digital Transformation Strategy, offered at ESSEC’s Asia-Pacific campus in Singapore. The program is built on the premise of ‘learning by doing’, and students therefore take part in a four to six-month internship, write a final thesis and go on an international field trip.
3. University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business - Master of Science in Business Analytics
The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business is ranked third for its Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) degree, achieving a very high score for the value for money indicator, which shows that graduates are seeing a good return on their investment from this master’s degree. McCombs offers students support and recruitment from industry leaders such as Walmart and Deloitte Consulting, a STEM certification, networking opportunities and industry connections, and lots of support in finding employment upon graduating. Of the admitted class of 53 students in 2017, 41 percent were international, and 53 percent were women.
2. Imperial College Business School – MSc Business Analytics
Heading back to the UK, Imperial College Business School ranks second in the world in this year’s master’s in business analytics ranking, achieving its best scores for employability and diversity. 94 percent of the school’s MSc Business Analytics students are from outside the UK, representing 31 nationalities, and the school also has a highly multicultural faculty. For those who prefer to study part-time and remotely to fit the course around other commitments, Imperial has now launched an online version of the program, which follows the full-time curriculum almost identically. In terms of employability, an impressive 95 percent of students are in employment three months after graduating, earning an average salary of US$60,000.
1. MIT Sloan School of Management - Master of Business Analytics
Continuing to rank first in the world for its Master of Business Analytics degree, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s Sloan School of Management achieves perfect scores for three indicators: employability, alumni outcomes and thought leadership, with the final indicator taking into account a survey of academics as well as research impact and the number of staff with a PhD. Sloan’s Master of Business Analytics degree aims to prepare students to interpret and use data science to solve business challenges, giving them the skillset needed for careers in a broad range of industries such as management consulting, financial services, technology and healthcare. During the course, students take part in an Analytics Capstone Project, in which they’ll work on real-life data science problems with industry specialists.
This article was originally published in November 2017. It was updated in September 2018 to reflect the launch of the latest QS Business Masters Rankings.
The French business school is followed by London Business School in second and ESADE in third. Incidentally, all three business schools have managed to keep their same position from 2018.
Nalisha Patel, Program Director, Masters in Management and Global Masters in Management, LBS said: “The LBS MiM is an applied program based on real business context. The core curriculum is integrated with business skills, careers activity and experiential opportunities such as our global Social Impact and Tech and Entrepreneurship trips.
“Our students learn to connect the dots, deal with complexity and ambiguity, and understand how different subject knowledge can be combined to reach exciting and innovative business solutions.
“They are challenged to explore the relationship between the executive glass ceiling and the gender pay gap, using their learning from our management accounting and organizational behavior courses.
“Our teaching reflects real-life situations and our students are business ready from the moment they graduate. This year we have added a lot more content on analytics, from programing and data visualization, to completing advanced excel/vba level before they graduate.
“The culmination of their program is a live business project with some of the most interesting companies in London and this really allows our students to apply all their learning while adding real value to real companies.
“Students on the LBS MiM are surrounded by top business professionals from all career stages, in everything from elective classes to campus events, and benefit enormously from a richly diverse peer-to-peer learning network.”
To be included in the Masters in Management Rankings 2019, programs had to be taught mainly on-campus (i.e. not distance learning), have had at least one graduated class, and a class size of at least 10 students.
The methodology is also adapted to accept both full and part-time programs as well as both pre- and post-experience programs. More information about the methodology can be found here.
More than 130 Masters in Management programs around the world took part in the rankings, which assess schools based on the following ranking indicators:
Employability – 35 percent
Alumni Outcomes – 15 percent
Value for Money – 20 percent
Thought Leadership – 20 percent
Class & Faculty Diversity – 10 percent
On average Master's in Management programs are 16 months long and cost on average $25,347. There’s seemingly a financial boost for participants, with an average post-graduation salary of $51,916.
When looking at students on Master's in Management programs, the average age of students is 23.7 years, with an average of one years’ work experience. Around 50 percent of women are students – only marketing achieves a higher proportion of female students in this year's Business Masters Rankings 2021.
96 of the 135 schools ranked this year are based in Europe, compared with 21 in the US, six programs in Asia and Canada respectively, followed by three in Latin American and two in Oceania. Only three schools from the US manage to break into the top 20, with every other institution based in Europe.
Launched today, the QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Rankings is made up of the QS Masters in Management Rankings, the QS Masters in Finance Rankings, the QS Masters in Marketing Rankings and the QS Masters in Business Analytics Rankings.
This ranking is based on data collected from the QS Global Employer Survey, the QS Global Academic Survey and a survey completed by business schools. For each ranking, universities and schools were assessed on five indicators, including employability, value for money and class & faculty diversity. 135 universities are included in this second master in management ranking, including 27 in the UK, 21 in the US and 20 in France.
First in our look at the top universities for master’s in management degrees is the University of St. Gallen, also known as HSG, a leading research university in the German-speaking area of Switzerland. Despite being one of the smallest universities in the country, HSG has Switzerland’s largest business and administration faculty. Ranked at joint ninth for its master’s in business management degree, which is taught in German, HSG receives high scores for its thought leadership, alumni outcomes and value for money. The MUG course has a highly entrepreneurial focus and prepares students for significant roles in management, administration, business consultancy and leadership.
=9. ESCP Europe Business School - Master in Management
ESCP Europe Business School is ranked at joint ninth for its master in management degree, achieving very high scores for its employability and diversity. Founded in 1819, ESCP is the oldest business school in the world, and is one of the largest business schools in Europe and the only one with six campuses in six European countries.
With an impressive score for the diversity indicator, a staggering 86 percent of ESCP Europe’s students are international, and international members make up 78 percent of the school’s faculty.
Additionally, ESCP Europe offers students a unique opportunity to receive valuable, preparatory experiences alongside their studies, including a combined intercultural program which provides students with the chance to study in at least two (and up to four) different countries. The school also boasts a 96 percent employment rate of students who land a job within just three months of graduation, earning an average starting salary of US$62,263.
8. CEMS, the Global Alliance in Management Education – Master’s in International Management
Location: Global
CEMS, the Global Alliance in Management Education, is a strategic alliance of 31 top business schools in 30 different countries as well as 74 multinational companies. It appears in eighth place for its master’s in international management. CEMS receives strong scores for its diversity and value for money, with 65 nationalities among its 1,251-strong class (as well as a 50/50 split between male and female students). According to a survey of CEMS’ recent graduates, 97 percent are in employment or further study, while almost half are currently working outside their home country. Most CEMS alumni are working in roles in the consulting, finance, consumer goods, technology and energy sectors.
7. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) - MSc Management and Strategy
Heading to London, the London School of Economics (LSE) retains its position of seventh this year for its Master of Science in Management, and achieves very strong scores for thought leadership and diversity. A member of the Russell Group, an association of 24 of the top universities in the UK, LSE is known as a world-class social sciences university, giving the department of management a unique advantage (as well as being ideally located in London, one of the largest financial centers in the world).
25 nationalities are currently represented in LSE’s MSc in Management and Strategy class, and graduates are highly sought after, finding roles at leading companies and organizations such as Barclays, Bloomberg, Nestlé, JP Morgan and Facebook.
IE Business School is ranked sixth for its master’s in management degree, gaining particularly high scores for diversity and alumni outcomes. Students can choose between English and Spanish and the course is made up of two periods of core business modules and a third period of specialization in a topic such as international business, sales & marketing, digital business or others. The course also includes a global immersion week, a unique option to help students develop their managerial skills and further their global understanding by traveling to places such as Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro and Accra.
5. Imperial College Business School - MSc in Management
Location: London, UK
Ranked fifth in the QS Masters in Management Rankings, Imperial College Business School, part of Imperial College London, is a triple accredited business school which opened in 2004 and has quickly built up a strong reputation for attracting the brightest minds in business. The school achieves high scores for employability, thought leadership and diversity, with 91 percent of its management graduates employed after three months, and 46 nationalities represented in the class of 2018.
Imperial College London itself is known for being a world leader in science and technology, meaning the business school drives business advantage through the combination of business and technology and an entrepreneurial mindset.
4. ESSEC Business School – Master’s in Strategy & Management of International Business
ESSEC Business School is a multi-campus, non-profit institution which was established in 1907 and is considered one of the world’s most prestigious business schools. Ranked fourth for its Advanced Master’s in Strategy & Management of International Business (MS SMIB), ESSEC receives its highest scores for alumni outcomes and employability, with 88 percent of its graduates working in an international job role according to the Statistics Graduate Career Survey 2014. Graduates can also expect a starting salary in the region of US$55,860.
The MS SMIB is an internationally focused program which includes the opportunity to learn a foreign language, choose a specialized track, and take part in an in-company project anywhere in the world, and students can choose between studying in Paris, Singapore or Rabat.
3. ESADE Business School - MSc in International Management
Next in our look at the top universities for master’s in management programs is ESADE Business School, which is ranked third and is the highest-ranked Spanish institution. Part of the Escola Superior d'Administració i Direcció d'Empreses (ESADE), the school has been ranked for its MSc in International Management program, a 10-month course taught in English (with the option of studying electives in Spanish).
ESADE receives its highest scores for alumni outcomes, employability and value for money, showing that its graduates are receiving a good return on their investment. ESADE is known for its international connections, and gives students the option to complete an internship in a company overseas, to put their knowledge into practice.
2. London Business School – Master’s in Management
Location: London, UK
The highest-ranked of the UK’s 27 entries in the master’s in management ranking, London Business School (LBS) is a constituent college of the University of London collegiate and is ranked second for its master’s in management program. LBS receives its highest scores for its employability and alumni outcomes, showing the school is recognized as an authority in their field and well respected for its expertise. The school’s Master’s in Management program has been developed in partnership with top international recruiters to equip students with practical skills, an adaptive mindset and the critical business knowledge needed to carve out a successful career and make a real impact in today’s fast-moving business world.
Concluding our look at the top universities for master’s in management degrees is HEC Paris, which is highly regarded as one of the most prestigious and selective business schools in the world. Established in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, HEC Paris has been named the “Harvard of Europe” by Forbes and aims to provide a rigorous research environment as well as close connections to the corporate world.
Ranked first in the QS Masters in Management Rankings 2019, HEC Paris’ Master of Science in Strategic Management is an intensive specialized master’s program, taught entirely in English, which takes 10 months to complete. HEC Paris receives perfect scores for its employability and alumni outcomes in the management ranking, with graduates starting their careers with an average salary of US$70k in various paths, from strategy consulting to investment banking and the strategic departments of large, international companies.
This article was originally published in November 2017. It was updated in September 2019 to reflect the results of the latest QS Business Masters Rankings.
Want to study a master’s in management? Discover the world’s top universities for this degree, based on the QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Rankings.
London Business School’s program achieved a perfect score in the highest weighted ranking indicator, employability, and a near perfect score in alumni outcomes. Kate Forman, Program Director of the Master's in Finance at London Business School, emphasised to us how cohorts benefit from each other, both during and after the degree:
“All of our students and alumni comment on the unrivalled strength of the networks they have built. The MiF cohorts themselves are incredibly diverse, internationally and professionally. The beauty of a post-experience programme is that the class is full of experts who learn as much from each other as they do from their professors. Students take their elective programmes alongside students from different LBS degree programmes, so their network goes well beyond the world of finance professionals.”
To be included in the Masters in Finance Rankings 2019, programs had to be taught mainly on-campus (i.e. not distance learning), have had at least one graduated class, and a class size of at least 10 students.
Eligible programs were then ranked on five key ranking indicators:
Employability (30 percent)
Alumni Outcomes (20 percent)
Value for Money (20 percent)
Thought Leadership (20 percent)
Class & Faculty Diversity (10 percent)
You can find out more about the methodology used to produce the rankings here.
In terms of the class profile of the master’s in finance programs ranked this year, the average age of students is 24, with an average of 1.5 years work experience prior to their studies. Around 41 percent of students on master’s in finance programs identify as women, and 71 percent are international.
There is a clear dominance of European programs in the rankings, with 79 of the 158 programs based in a wide range of European locations. In terms of the top 10, seven programs are based in Europe, of which four are in the United Kingdom. 55 programs in the rankings are based in the United States, eight in Canada, five in Latin America, four in Asia, and three in Oceania.
The prestigious business schools in North America are often regarded as the leading establishments to study an MBA, and this year's ranking continues to prove that to be accurate. In addition to the three US institutions at the very top of the ranking, a further three are in the top 10 listed above.
The United Kingdom is the top European location for studying an MBA
Much like North America, Europe (and particularly the United Kingdom) has a history of providing exceptional business education. Four European programs can be found in the global top 10, with London Business School in fourth place, followed by INSEAD at sixth and HEC Paris in seventh.
David Simpson, Admissions Director, MBA & MiF at LBS says, “We have just welcomed our most global MBA class with no more than about 20 percent from any region, more than 60 nationalities per class, and a network of alumni spanning more than 150 countries.
“The class size too has grown. We now have 485 MBAs and women make up 40 percent of the class.”
Singapore and Hong Kong offer the most top 10 institutions for Asia
In Asia’s top 10, three programs are based in Singapore and three programs are based in Hong Kong, suggesting these two locations are the top business education hubs in the region. The top school in Asia’s rankings is INSEAD, and with campuses in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, it’s hard to rival INSEAD’s international ethos.
EGADE Business School is top for Latin America
Although Latin American programs aren’t often as highly represented in the global MBA rankings compared to other regions, there are 10 schools featured this year, up from five last year. EGADE Business School, based in Mexico, is ranked best in the region with INCAE Business School in second place, followed by IPADE Business School, Mexico, in third. Mexico, Argentina and Peru are all represented in Latin America’s top 10 with two institutions respectively.
A brand new Oceania ranking
This year we’ve created a dedicated Oceania ranking table, which shines a focus on 14 business schools. Topping the list is Melbourne Business School, which also landed a spot in the global top 30 at 28th. In second place for Oceania is the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of New South Wales Business School, based in Sydney, which actually comes out on top for entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes in the region. In third place is Monash Business School, a new addition this year.
Top 10 Universities for Master's in Finance Degrees main image
The new QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Ranking 2019 includes the QS Masters in Finance Rankings, with 158 institutions featured among the world’s best for master’s in finance degrees in the latest ranking, including 55 in the US and 25 in the UK. These were assessed on five metrics, including employability, thought leadership and value for money.
Read on as we count down the 10 top universities for master’s in finance degrees in 2019, or click here to view the full interactive table.
10. UCLA Anderson School of Management – Master of Financial Engineering (MFE)
UCLA’s Anderson School of Management is ranked 10th in the world for its Master of Financial Engineering degree, which is solidly based on the business school model of combining quantitative finance theory and principle with the latest business practice. Students have access to prominent leaders in financial engineering, with a student/faculty ratio of 3:1. UCLA Anderson receives a very high score for its alumni outcomes – 94 percent of students are employed six months after graduating, earning an average starting salary of $100k in fields such as risk management, proprietary trading, regulatory services, academia, asset management and flow trading.
Heading to Europe, and ninth in this year’s QS Masters in Finance Rankings is ESSEC Business School, a French institution which has grown to open campuses overseas, in this case in Singapore and Rabat, Morocco. ESSEC achieves very strong scores for its alumni outcomes and employer reputation, with 100 percent of its finance students employed six months after graduation, often in world-renowned banks and companies. It also has a start-up incubator, ESSEC Ventures, to support entrepreneurial students. Available at either the Paris or Singapore campus, the finance program has 29 elective courses and three tracks in corporate finance, financial markets and asset management.
8. UC Berkeley Haas School of Business - Master of Financial Engineering
Back in California, the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business is ranked eighth for its Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) degree, and receives a perfect score for the value for money indicator, as well as high scores for alumni outcomes and thought leadership. A one-year program, the MFE degree prepares students to take on cutting-edge roles in investment banks, commercial banks and other firms around the world. MFE students take part in a 12-week internship, with placements at companies such as Citibank, BlackRock, and Goldman Sachs. As well as receiving continuous personalized careers advice throughout the program, students earn an average salary of $160,083 in the first year after graduation.
Ranked seventh for its Master of Science in Finance degree, ESADE Business School receives a near perfect score for its alumni outcomes, and very high scores for its value for money and employability. Its 10-month MSc program has two specialization tracks to enable students to focus the program according to their career goals: corporate financial management and asset management and banking. They’ll also gain an international viewpoint on the competitive financial environment and the high level of competence needed to adapt to changes and take on challenges. Students will also have the opportunity to learn Spanish, one of the world’s most widely-spoken languages, further enhancing their employability.
6. The University of Cambridge Judge Business School – Master of Finance
The University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School is a new entrant in this year’s QS Masters in Finance Rankings, ranked sixth in the world for its Master of Finance (MFin) program. The school receives a perfect score for employability and a very high score for alumni outcomes, with students enjoying an average salary of increase of 89 percent following completion of the program, bringing their average salary to around US$131,821. Further, 91 percent of students are in employment three months after graduation.
The school’s 12-month MFin course has been designed in consultation with the banking and finance industry and consists of a mix of core courses and electives, allowing students to tailor their course and gain specific skills in topics such as advanced corporate finance, private equity, Asian capital markets and mergers & acquisitions.
=4. The University of Oxford Saïd Business School – MSc in Financial Economics
Location: Oxford, UK
Ranked joint fourth for its Master of Science in Financial Economics (MFE) , the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School also receives a perfect score for employability, along with very high scores for alumni outcomes and thought leadership. Run jointly with the university’s department of economics, the MFE degree combines a rigorous academic core with tailored practical applications that have been planned in consultation with leading financial recruiters. The MFE course has four core courses in asset pricing, economics, corporate finance and financial econometrics, as well as five electives to enable students to gain a deeper knowledge in areas of particular interest.
=4. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) – MSc Finance
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is new this year and shares fourth place with Oxford for its MSc Finance program. It achieves a perfect score for the diversity indicator, with 95 percent of its 106 students coming from outside the UK, representing 37 nationalities. The faculty is also highly diverse, with 83 percent of faculty members international. As well as benefiting from diversity, students of the MSc Finance program will also enjoy a close interaction with LSE's Financial Markets Group and the Systemic Risk Centre, which attract leading financial researchers from around the world. Alongside the academic program, students are supported in entering the job market by taking part in the department’s Professional Development Programme, starting with a pre-sessional course in September.
3. MIT Sloan School of Management - Master of Finance
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been the highest ranked university in the world in the QS World University Rankings® for seven years in a row, and its Sloan School of Management is one of the world’s leading business schools. Ranked third in the world for its Master of Finance degree (MFin), MIT Sloan receives a perfect score for thought leadership, reflecting its reputation of academic excellence and history of ground-breaking ideas in management and finance, such as the Black–Scholes model. Sloan also receives very high scores for employability and alumni outcomes, 650 of its alumni having founded their own business, while 92 percent of 2016 MFin graduates were offered a job within three months of graduating.
Next in our look at the top universities for master’s in finance degrees is HEC Paris, ranked second for its Master in International Finance (MIF) degree. HEC Paris received full marks for alumni outcomes, with 99 percent the class of 2017 finding employment within three months of graduating. Most graduates find work in the financial services or consulting industries, and graduates from the class of 2018 earn an average starting salary of more than US$84,000. HEC’s MIF degree is taught entirely in English and gives students the opportunity to go on a study trip to London, choose from a number of free electives, and follow a specialization track in corporate finance or capital markets.
1. London Business School - MSc in Finance
Location: London, UK
Continuing to rank number one in the world for master’s in finance degrees in the QS Masters in Finance Rankings is London Business School (LBS), which receives very high scores in three indicators: employability, alumni outcomes and thought leadership, a measure of how well-recognized institutions are for their expertise. An ideal course for students who want to accelerate their global finance career, LBS’ Master of Science in Finance degree is a highly specialized program which is best suited to students with three to eight years’ relevant finance experience, allowing them to discover the latest financial tools and techniques, gain a global perspective and build an international network of contacts. As well as international exchange opportunities, LBS now offers a Global Immersion Elective, in which students can spend a week in Boston or New York and develop a deep understanding of the asset management and banking industries of both cities.
This article was originally published in November 2017. It was updated in September 2018 to reflect the latest QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Ranking launch.
