Inside the Number One School for Marketing: Columbia

This article is about the QS Business Masters Rankings 2019. View the QS Business Masters Rankings 2021.

Included in the QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Ranking 2019 was the first ever QS Masters in Marketing Ranking, which saw Columbia Business School take the top spot for its MS in Marketing Science program. Read on for closer look at why this school and program were ranked number one in the world.

Beating 69 other business schools in the new marketing ranking, Columbia soared to the top thanks to its extremely high scores in two of the five indicators used to compile the ranking: thought leadership and alumni outcomes. This shows that not only is Columbia leading the way in producing innovative ideas in marketing, but graduates of this course are enjoying excellent employment prospects. Looking at the class of 2017, most graduates have found roles within the media, analytics consulting and consumer products industries, working for companies such as Falabella Retail and WeWork.

Columbia’s MS in Marketing Science degree takes two semesters to complete and can be classified as a STEM degree. It focuses on marketing analytics, giving students the invaluable technical skills and expertise needed to pursue careers in industry, consulting firms, non-profits, government, and other organizations. You’ll take five core courses combined with two MBA electives in marketing and a minimum of two electives chosen from the doctoral program or from other schools at Columbia University, such as engineering and statistics. Students are helped by the Career Management Center (CMC) to boost their employability and build lifelong career management skills, and also benefit from Columbia’s location in the global business hub of New York City, giving them access to influential industry leaders.

There’s a 50/50 split between both international students and US nationals and men and women, and the MS class is very small and highly competitive, with 16 students and an acceptance rate of only six percent. To be eligible, you’ll need to have completed an undergraduate probability and statistics course, and ideally also studied marketing management and microeconomics. It’s also highly recommended that you develop some knowledge in the database programming language SQL prior to joining this program.

Tuition fees currently stand at US$62,460 plus $1,065 in mandatory fees. Taking into account all your personal expenses, room and board, books, health insurance and other costs, Columbia estimates that you’ll need a total budget of $96,346. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer merit or need-based scholarships for this course, however students could fund their studies with federal or private loans, or find a scholarship from a different source (see our list of scholarships to study in the US here).

How to apply to the number one marketing school

If you’d like to be one of the lucky few to study MS in Marketing Science at Columbia Business School, you’ll need to apply by submitting an application form along with the following:

• Two-part essay
• Your CV/résumé
• Academic transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation
• English language test results (if applicable)
• GMAT or GRE admissions test results
• Paid application fee ($100).

You should apply by January 7 2019 for admission in Fall 2019.