When it comes to choosing a master’s program, the rankings are likely to be one of the first things you look at. So what are the current rankings? And how do you figure out which are most relevant to you? We spoke to rankings expert Laurent Ortmans to cover all of this and much more in our guide to business master’s rankings.
There are a range of business school, university, and MBA rankings out there. In this guide, we are going to focus on two of the most widely recognized in the field of business master’s programs:
These two annually published lists are generally considered the most reliable, up-to-date, and widely read. Both high-quality rankings offer valuable insights, but they differ in methodology and weighting criteria. Understanding these differences will help you determine which ranking is most relevant to your career goals.
Now, let’s dive into how Financial Times and QS business master’s rankings compare.
The Financial Times publishes several rankings each year. Along with ranking the top MBAs in the world, FT also publishes a list of the best Master’s in Finance and Master’s in Management programs.
Both use similar criteria to arrive at the final ranking. Topics such as salary, international outlook, research output, and career progress form the basis for ranking criteria.
Alumni survey responses make up 58% of the total weighting of the FT Masters in Finance Methodology. The remaining 42% comes from school data. The weighting is the same for the FT Masters in Management Methodology.
The FT rankings largely draw from alumni salary data, which accounts for 40% of the ranking criteria. Within this category, they measure salary today, salary percentage increase, and value for money.
The Financial Times rankings heavily rely on alumni salary data, which makes up 40% of the ranking score. The key evaluation criteria include:
QS publishes five different business master’s rankings: Business Analytics, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management. They all use the same, or very similar, ranking methodology.
The QS World University Rankings is a straight 50/50 split between surveys and school data. Whereas only 30-35% of the data in the QS Business Master’s Rankings come from survey results.
This contrasts with the Financial Times, which relies on alumni surveys for their rankings. The Financial Times emphasizes alumni salaries in their methodology. QS chooses to focus on employability, which accounts for 30-35% of the total weighting.
To gather the data on post-graduate employment, they ask employers worldwide which schools they tend to hire from.
Unlike the Financial Times, QS focuses more on employability, measured through surveys from global employers. Their ranking criteria include:
*Last Updated 21 March 2025.
With so many master’s programs out there, it can be difficult to know where to start looking. These lists break the task down into subject areas, countries, and institutions. This way you have a good idea of the scope of information on which to base your final decision.
It’s also important to look beyond the rankings: don’t judge a program based solely on its overall position. Where possible, dig a little deeper into the list and find out how it ranks for the things that matter to you. That may be salary growth, employability, or international exposure. Look for schools that reflect your values, be it gender equality, sustainability, or diversity.
You may also want to consider the ranking bodies themselves. Take a look through the criteria for each ranking and try to find the rankings that align with your own beliefs and ambitions. Some rankings place a greater emphasis on student and academic surveys, while others base their methodology on school data. Consider what you value most: the opinions of employers, academics, and students, or quantitative data from schools.
Analyzing the performance of a school over several years is a good way to compare institutions and whether they are improving. Visit the Financial Times Ranking History, and review results from the past few years. Or go to QS Business Master’s Rankings and filter by year, where you can go as far back as 2022.
Rankings should never be the only thing you base your study decision on. But they can help you begin the process of finding a master’s program. Use rankings to shortlist schools, then dive deeper into their curriculum, career services, faculty, and alumni network.
Understanding how rankings work will help you make an informed decision for your business master’s degree in 2025. If you understand how to use them to your advantage, you’ll be one step closer to finding your dream program.
Looking for the latest master’s program rankings? Visit our master’s rankings page to explore more.
