The Swiss-based school has historically dominated the ranking, retaining the top spot for a 12-year period until 2023, when it briefly lost the crown to France's HEC Paris. St Gallen’s number one position was reclaimed in 2024, and its unparalleled success has continued into this year.
The record-breaking St Gallen SIM
The FT ranking is based on a number of key metrics, including salary performance, career progression, and employment rates. The St Gallen Master in Strategy and International Management (SIM) scored highly across these areas.
Salary prospects for St Gallen graduates are high, with alumni achieving average salaries of almost $140,000 after three years—placing St Gallen among the top 10 of all of the schools listed, and the second highest of European business schools.
The school also displayed strength in metrics related to diversity, with a cohort consisting of 96% international students. Half of St Gallen SiM students are also women.
The St Gallen career service ranked seventh among all schools listed, while 98% of the school's students found jobs within three months of graduating.
The FT ranking also scores schools based on how they prepare students for global business opportunities. International course experience ranks schools according to exchange and internship opportunities in other countries for students during their studies. St Gallen ranked 11th in this area, and 3rd for its international work mobility rank, which ranks schools based on their success in placing students in jobs in new locations.
European schools continue to dominate FT MiM ranking
St Gallen wasn't the only European school to score highly in the 2025 ranking—European schools account for seven of the top 10 Master in Management programs worldwide, according to the FT. HEC Paris and INSEAD secured the second and third spots, while Portugual-based Nova School of Business and Economics ranked joint fourth for its MiM program.
ESCP Business School in France ranked seventh and Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden came in ninth. London Business School, which ranked sixth last year, was the 10th top MiM program in 2025.
MiM degrees, which typically last one to two years, are aimed at early-career students with little or no prior professional experience. These programs were initially established in Europe, but have since been launched by schools in other countries, including Asia and the US.
Three Chinese schools ranked within the FT’s top 10 MiM programs this year, a record showing from schools in China. Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management ranked joint fourth with Nova, and Shanghai Jiao Ton University’s Antai College of Economics and Management placed sixth. Tongji University School of Economics and Management ranked ninth, with 100% of alumni from all three schools securing jobs within three months of graduation.
Only two US schools—Hult International Business School (42nd) and the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business (94th)—featured in the list. Although more US-based business schools now offer MiM programs, the MBA remains the favoured generalist degree offering among business schools.
