This calendar year has been a turning place for masters in management levels, which are analysed and assessed in the FT’s 2020 MiM Rating, printed today. In 2019, when the world wide economy was motoring and careers marketplaces have been booming in Europe and the US, most organization schools supplying this postgraduate qualification have been reporting a drop in demand from customers, in accordance to entrance test administrator the Graduate Management Admission Council.
Then coronavirus burst the economic bubble, reigniting demand from customers for complete-time analyze as the possibility expense of obtaining a postgraduate organization qualification this kind of as the MiM — which is commonly researched straight following a bachelors diploma — fell sharply.
Masters in Management 2020 table — the top rated 90

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“The pandemic has only amplified curiosity in the MiM,” says Tim Mescon, executive vice-president and main officer, Europe, the Center East, and Africa, at organization faculty accreditation physique the Association to Advance Collegiate Educational facilities of Organization. “Globally we are seeing the phenomenon we noticed in 2008-09 when the monetary disaster triggered the final world wide meltdown. Many folks are looking at their situation, indicating maybe this is what I need to do for the future calendar year to do the job on polishing my credentials.”
But for all the sense of déjà vu, 2020 is a new period for MiM providers due to the fact of the need to offer additional online understanding to compensate for campus closures.
Naomi O’Donnell accomplished a to start with diploma in management this calendar year at HEC Lausanne in Switzerland and moved to London to get started the a single-calendar year masters in intercontinental management at Imperial College or university Organization College. The system was generally to go straight from undergraduate analyze to organization faculty, she says, but the restrictions on analyze triggered by coronavirus made her take into consideration even additional very carefully where to analyze.
“I was apprehensive that if my system was likely to be taught partly online it would not have the same amount of recognition among employers as if I had only researched on campus,” O’Donnell says. “There is a check out that online classes don’t have the same amount of understanding as a complete-time diploma.”
Imperial’s skills in electronic educating, and its membership of the Potential of Management Education and learning Alliance with seven other highly rated schools, have been elements in her option. “I appeared at how the situation was being dealt with by other schools, and Imperial was a single of the only types that reported early on in the course of action that they have been perfectly outfitted for this situation,” she says.
The amplified curiosity in MiM classes commonly has led some schools to report history yearly improves in applications, though many others get the possibility to elevate the bar on entry specifications, protected in the know-how they will have additional than sufficient demand from customers to fill the available places.
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The selection of applicants to ESMT Berlin’s MiM fell this calendar year following the faculty introduced an application payment. Yet it was equipped to raise enrolments from a hundred to a hundred twenty five due to the fact of the higher calibre of these who did seek out a area. “This is shown in the selection of interviewed candidates, which is up fifty four for every cent compared to this time final calendar year. We received rid of the rubbish” from the pool of applicants, says Nick Barniville, associate dean for diploma programmes.
The school’s admissions group also discovered an amplified selection of applicants from the US this calendar year, specially in the final several months of the admissions cycle. In distinction, the selection of Asian applicants declining places was a little bit up, suggesting that coronavirus has made some folks unwilling to journey to analyze, in accordance to Barniville. “It’s primarily due to the fact of mother and father indicating we don’t want our child travelling.”
Purposes for the MiM at ESCP Organization College, a multinational organization faculty with campuses in London, Berlin, Paris, Turin, Warsaw and Madrid, rose 30 for every cent between 2018 and 2020. The chance to find out and receive diplomas in a number of nations around the world as section of the MiM has offered a hedge, in accordance to Léon Laulusa, dean for educational affairs and intercontinental relations, as Covid-19 has shut off some places to abroad pupils and Brexit has difficult analyze in Europe.
“You only need to shell out a single semester on the Madrid campus to obtain the ESCP diploma and the Carlos III [university] diploma. This permits our pupils to have up to 5 diplomas, offering them much better intercontinental employability,” says Laulusa. “[Covid] could influence some pupils who desire to ‘put on their own away’ for two several years due to the fact of the economic situation and like a more time schooling, contrary to an MSc or MBA, for illustration.”
Before the pandemic, schools had been broadening their classes, supplying MIMs specialising in management in spots from sport and health care to retail and luxurious. Students looking to get a diploma additional tailor-made to their aspirations now have a considerably bigger option.
Purposes for London Organization School’s MiM are up 46 for every cent on final calendar year, and the good quality of candidates is on a par with 2019, says Stephanie Thrane, admissions director for early vocation programmes. The faculty also presents a masters in analytics and management and masters of monetary evaluation applications for both equally have amplified by 41 for every cent calendar year on calendar year.
“Applicants also find the UK’s two-calendar year post-graduation do the job visa quite beautiful. When looking at our world wide figures, applications are up in pretty much all of our important marketplaces,” Thrane says.

The major obstacle for schools this calendar year is obtaining abroad pupils to campus. Travel is very likely to stay tricky for pupils from nations around the world with high Covid-19 infection rates. But this is not holding back some pupils.
Aiman Saeed, 24, has spent her whole life in Islamabad, Pakistan. She had to defer a area on ESMT Berlin’s MiM due to the fact of a bureaucratic delay in approving her university student visa. But this calendar year she moved to the German capital to begin her reports, hopeful that she will be equipped to do some European do the job working experience following graduation.
“I received blessed due to the fact I received affirmation of my visa just in advance of Pakistan went into lockdown,” she says. “It is a blessing that I can target on my reports for the future two several years, even if some of that is online. I can then confront the world much better outfitted.”
Leading faculty: St Gallen
The University of St Gallen tops the ranking for the 10th calendar year in a row with its MA in Technique and Intercontinental Management. Not only do the Swiss school’s alumni boast a single of the highest weighted salaries 3 several years following graduation, at $113,175, but it is also best for its careers services and university student gender range. The alumni of St Gallen also rank top rated for professional aims obtained (ninety four for every cent). Sam Stephens
Most important salary raise: Antai
Shanghai Jiao Tong University: Antai has the highest salary raise for the fourth calendar year in a row. Alumni documented an typical a hundred twenty five for every cent salary raise 3 several years following graduation. The share of female school and female and intercontinental pupils are also up this calendar year. Nevertheless, Antai’s general rank was down 9 places to 23rd, partly due to a fall in ranks for two categories in which the faculty usually performs perfectly — benefit for dollars and careers services. Tatjana Mitevska
Most important increase: Lancaster
Returning to kind, Lancaster University Management College climbs 21 places to 58th in the ranking. Enhanced effectiveness in the intercontinental system working experience and vocation services categories have propelled the faculty further up the table. A sizeable boost came from benefit for dollars (up from fiftieth to fortieth) and a developing selection of abroad pupils, creating up 92 per cent of the consumption, as opposed with 78 per cent final calendar year. Leo Cremonezi
Leading 25 schools
Right here are some fast details about the top rated schools in the FT Masters in Management 2020 ranking.
Wai Kwen Chan
Ranked one: Document breaker
St Gallen is top rated for the 10th calendar year in a row — a feat no other faculty has obtained in any FT ranking.
Ranked four: Overseas mix
London Organization College has the most assorted cohorts, with ninety seven for every cent of recently enrolled pupils from abroad.
Ranked five: Globetrotters
Rotterdam College of Management alumni have been the most internationally cell between just in advance of their diploma and today.
Ranked seven: On the up
Stockholm College of Economics is the highest riser in the top rated 25 — achieving the top rated ten for the to start with time because 2007.
Ranked ten: Various school
London’s Imperial College or university Organization College has the most complete-time long lasting educating team from abroad, at ninety six for every cent.
Ranked 14: Leading newcomer
The joint masters taught by World wide 3: McIntire/Lingnan/Esade is this year’s highest new entrant.
Ranked 16: Gender equality
Edhec, in France, is a single of thirteen schools where fifty for every cent of recently enrolled pupils are female.
Ranked 16: Careering in advance
For 3 several years in a row, Warwick Organization College alumni recorded the major leaps in seniority 3 several years following graduating.
Ranked 19: Teamwork
The masters in management operate by IQS/FJU/USF is a single of only two joint MiMs to be rated.
Ranked twenty: Substantial earners
Alumni from IIM Ahmedabad took household the highest weighted typical salary, of $141,759, 3 several years following graduating.
Ranked 23: Salary booster
Shanghai Jiao Tong: Antai documented the major alumni salary raise, of a hundred twenty five for every cent, because graduation 3 several years back.