The University of St Gallen has topped the Financial Times’ annual Masters in Management ranking for the third consecutive year and a record 15th time. Its MA in Strategy and International Management led the list, which covers 100 English-taught Masters in Management programmes worldwide. The ranking was compiled from 132 business schools assessed for places, with participation voluntary and schools required to hold approval from either AACSB or EFMD. The FT published the ranking on September 6, 2026, in a report by Andrew Jack.
Nova School of Business and Economics in Portugal ranked second with its International Master's in Management, while Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Antai school in China placed third with its Master in Management. Insead, HEC Paris, ESCP Business School, Vlerick Business School, Iese Business School, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Paris School of Business, Rabat Business School — International University of Rabat, and WHU — Otto Beisheim School of Management also featured among the top programmes. Chicago Booth, Johns Hopkins Carey and the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler school were highlighted as US alternatives for students seeking an MiM.
Global applications for MiM courses rose by 7% in 2025-26, according to a survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council. Average salaries across ranked programmes reached nearly $98,000 after stagnating over the previous 12 months. Graduates from seven Indian programmes reported the highest weighted salaries three years after completion, adjusted for international purchasing power parity, led by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad at $199,706. Alumni of St Gallen earned an average of $150,490, the eighth highest weighted salary in the ranking.
Three years after completion, half of graduates were working in financial services, insurance, banking or consulting, while nearly 10% were employed in technology. Smaller numbers moved into sales, manufacturing and other sectors. Paris School of Business recorded the highest proportion of alumni who said they had achieved their aims for studying, at 94%.
Among the 100 ranked schools, nine reported gender parity among faculty and 10 had more women than men. Sixteen schools had gender parity among students, while 30 had more women than men. ESCP had the highest share of international students, at 98% across its six European campuses. The 14 Indian schools had the lowest international-student proportions, ranging from zero to 2%.
Björn Ambos, dean of St Gallen’s School of Management, said the critical value of a professor today is to moderate, orchestrate and choreograph discussion, create content and lead students to engage in critical thinking and make decisions at a time of uncertainty with incomplete information.
