The Financial Times has released the 2020 edition of one of its prestigious business school rankings. Professionals interested in MBA or Master’s studies can now browse the best business schools in Europe – a total of 90 institutions with campuses located in France, the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, and more top destinations.
► Explore top schools to find the best one for you.
A challenging year
News of the ranking comes at a time when business schools are drawing important conclusions about the challenges and opportunities of 2020. Amid a global pandemic, European campuses had to transition to an online, and eventually blended, format. At the same time, Brexit continues to add to the uncertainty of future inter-European relations.
Yet interest in business and management education on the old continent is steady, if not even rising. International cohorts with class participants from diverse backgrounds are one of the major assets of European MBA and Master’s programmes. “A cosmopolitan mix, along with the opportunity to obtain a work visa and pursue an international career have been the big draws of European business schools,” FT contributor Seb Murray highlights.
France and the UK predominate
A total of 22 French schools and 19 UK institutions are presented in this year’s Financial Times ranking – combined they make up nearly half of the 90 schools that constitute the full list.
The “top 10” features four institutions in and around Paris – HEC Paris, INSEAD, ESSEC Business School, and ESCP Business School. Syrian architect Raneem Alnrshe is one of the ambitious professionals who gained admission to the MBA programme at HEC Paris earlier in 2020. “Getting an MBA in these hard times could be more intriguing and attractive to recruiters,” she told the Financial Times.
Two UK schools are also ranked in the top 10. London Business School takes second place overall while Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford is #10. Despite the predominance of French and UK institutions, the ranking features 20 European countries in total, pointing to the great diversity of business education on the continent.
Meet the top to reach the top
While the ranking is not an exhaustive catalogue of the schools that might be a good fit for you, it can be an excellent starting point when choosing your MBA or Master’s. The best way to land at the right school is to personally meet with these top-ranked institutions in advance.
Even in pandemic times, there is a range of virtual opportunities that enable you to talk directly to business school representatives, ask questions, and get a feel for the most prestigious campuses in Europe. Access MBA invites you to do just that. The online events include personalised virtual meetings with business schools featured in the FT ranking and beyond.
Read: How to Select the Right MBA Programme for You and Your Career
Aspiring leaders who are keen on grounding their decisions on data while choosing a good business school can try Unimy’s AI matching tool. Fill in your MBA preferences and the unique algorithm will generate the top institutions where you are most likely to apply.
How the FT ranking works
This Financial Times ranking takes into account several types of programmes when assessing business schools – MBA, Executive MBA, and Master’s in Management. The publication looks at salary outcomes and non-degree custom and open executive education courses, among other aspects. “The composite ranking is weighted to adjust for the fact that some schools do not offer all programmes,” the FT explains.
