Masters in management programs continue to grow in popularity, as application numbers rise 3% year-over-year. Let’s take a look at how this rise in application numbers played out in the FT ranking for this year:
The Top 10
1. University of St.Gallen
2. HEC Paris
3. London Business School
3. ESSEC Business School
5. ESCP Europe
6. Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
7. University College Dublin: Smurfit
8. CEMS Global Alliance
9. Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU)
10. Bocconi University
2019 vs 2018
The ranking has remained relatively stable among the top 10, with quite a few programs holding on to their 2018 positions. Last year’s top 3 schools remain the same, with St.Gallen in 1st, HEC Paris in 2nd and LBS rounding out 3rd. Moreover, ESCP and Smurfit have held on to their 5th and 7th place positions, respectively. On the winning side, WU in Austria showed the biggest gains, moving up from 13th to 9th position. Rotterdam also experienced a nice boost from 8th to 6th place, while LBS, ESSEC and CEMS rose one spot each. As for drops, there were only two schools: IE, which fell 6 places, landing outside the top echelon in 16th; and Bocconi, which slid from 6th to 10th.
What does this ranking mean?
The appeal of a ranking is undeniable: a list that provides you with a clear indication of which schools to aim for. The reality, however, is that rankings are based on subjective formulas. In the case of the Financial Times, those formulas and the raw data behind them are not even released to the public. What we do know is that there is a PPP (purchasing price parity) adjustment carried out on the revenue figures, which can significantly impact reported salaries when a large portion of a program’s students are employed in less wealthy regions.
Ultimately, rankings from any reporting agency should only be used to understand the general options that you have available and for identifying relevant details behind programs you might be interested in targeting. To accurately choose a group of MiM programs to apply to, you’ll first need to identify those schools that meet your post-master’s objectives (region, industry, role, salary, etc.), as well as your academic requirements (quality of professors, classes, student organizations, competitions, structure, etc.). Of course, you shouldn’t neglect to dig deeper into your research of various schools, as there may be a slew of other factors that might be relevant for you.
If you need help identifying the best master’s programs, be sure to connect with our MiM Admissions Experts, as soon as you can.
