Top 10 Universities for Master's in Finance Degrees in 2021

Location: France, Singapore and Morocco

Dropping one position to joint seventh in this year’s QS Masters in Finance Rankings is ESSEC Business School, a French institution which has grown to open campuses in Singapore and Rabat, Morocco.

ESSEC achieves very strong scores for its alumni outcomes and value for money, with 100 percent of its finance students employed six months after graduation, often in world-renowned banks and companies. In the first year of the 15-month course, students are required to complete a six-month long internship. The degree itself is also incredibly career-orientated and offers three specialised tracks in corporate finance, financial markets and fintech and analytics.

Location: Berkeley, California, US

Back in California, the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business falls one place this year to now ranks sixth in the world for its Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) degree. It also receives a perfect score for the thought leadership indicator, as well as high scores for the alumni outcomes and value for money indicators.

A one-year program, the MFE degree prepares students to take on cutting-edge roles in investment banks, commercial banks and other firms around the world. MFE students take part in a 12-week internship, with placements at companies such as Citibank, BlackRock, and Goldman Sachs. Students also receive continuous personalized careers advice throughout the program.

Location: Cambridge, UK

The University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School is ranked joint for its Master of Finance (MFin) program. The school receives a perfect score for employability and a very high score for alumni outcomes, with students enjoying an average salary increase of 89 percent following completion of the program, bringing their average salary to around US$131,821. Further, 91 percent of students are in employment three months after graduation.

The school’s 12-month MFin course has been designed in consultation with the banking and finance industry and consists of a mix of core courses and electives, allowing students to tailor their course and gain specific skills in topics such as advanced corporate finance, private equity, Asian capital markets and mergers & acquisitions.

Location: Paris, France

Fourth in the world for master’s in finance degrees is HEC Paris, ranked third for its Master in International Finance (MIF) degree. The MIF is taught by world-class researchers and influential practitioners to offer students a blend of theory and practice. HEC’s MIF degree is taught entirely in English and gives students the opportunity to go on a study trip to London, choose from a number of free electives, and follow a specialization track in corporate finance or capital markets.  

HEC Paris received full marks for alumni outcomes and value for money, with 99 percent of graduates finding employment within three months of graduating, with an average starting salary of around US$74,600.

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

In joint second place (alongside London Business School) is Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s Sloan School of Management with its Master of Finance degree (MFin)

MIT Sloan receives perfect scores for alumni outcomes and thought leadership, reflecting its reputation of academic excellence and history of ground-breaking ideas in management and finance, such as the Black–Scholes model. The course places an emphasis on hands-on learning, with its finance action learning courses offering opportunities to engage in real-world business challenges and gain relevant experience. 

Location: London, UK

London Business School (LBS) is up two places this year to rank joint second in the world for master’s in finance degrees in the QS Masters in Finance Rankings. The course is best suited for students with three to eight years’ relevant experience and focuses on key financial concepts including investments, corporate finance and evaluation, and financial analysis. It also offers students the chance to gain a global perspective and build an international network of contacts.

It receives very high scores in three indicators: employability, alumni outcomes and value for money. LBS boasts an excellent career center which helps students through one-to-one coaching, practical networking skills and mock interview skills. Eighty eight percent of the course’s 2019 graduates were employed only three months after graduation.

Location: Oxford, UK

The 2021 edition of the Masters in Finance Rankings sees the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School retain its position in first place in the world for its Master of Science in Financial Economics (MFE) course. This year it earns a perfect score for thought leadership indicator and extremely high scores for employability and alumni outcomes.

Run jointly with the university’s department of economics, the nine-month long MFE degree combines a rigorous academic core with tailored practical applications that have been planned in consultation with leading financial recruiters. The MFE course has four core courses in asset pricing, economics, corporate finance and financial econometrics, as well as five electives to enable students to gain a deeper knowledge in areas of particular interest. 

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