Portugal has five master’s degrees in Management among the best in the world
Nova SBE achieved a historic 4th place in the Financial Times ‘Masters in Management’ ranking. New to the list this year is Católica Porto Business School.
Portugal is represented by five institutions in the list of the world’s top 100 places to study for a master’s degree in management. Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE), Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto (FEP), Iscte Business School and Católica Porto Business School (CPBS) are all included in the Financial Times 2025 ranking.
Among the five, Nova SBE stands out for having achieved a record position and a milestone in higher education in Portugal, placing its international master’s degree in Management in fourth place in the table. Only two schools in France (HEC Paris and Insead) and one in Switzerland (University of St Gallen) surpass Nova SBE in higher education in the field of Management.
“This result places a Portuguese school’s management programme among the top five in the world for the first time”, says the director of Nova SBE. “It is proof that Portugal now has a business school capable of training global leaders with a real impact on society. It is a historic milestone for Nova SBE, for the country and for all those who believe that academic excellence and international relevance can go hand in hand”, he adds.
Also noteworthy is the entry of another school from the Portuguese Catholic University – CPBS – which was not included in last year’s Masters in Management ranking by the British newspaper. This time, this Porto-based faculty entered the list and ranked 95th. The newcomer scored highly in the criteria of ‘career progress’ (8th) and ‘percentage salary increase’ (joint 5th) due to the average salary increase of 75% after completing the programme, which is the best result among national schools.
“It is recognition of the academic rigour and strong links with businesses that characterise CBPS. It is also a sign of confidence in the impact our graduates are having on their careers, in Portugal and around the world”, said João Pinto, director of Católica Porto Business School.
Ahead of CPBS are Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics in 30th place (down three places), FEP in 62nd place (up eight places) and Iscte Business School in 87th place (down 27 places).
“The employability and rapid career progression of our graduates are a direct reflection of the quality and relevance of the programme. The FEP Master’s in Management combines solid training in management with an innovative and practical pedagogical approach, designed to respond to the needs of a global job market. This recognition reinforces our confidence that we are offering our students a transformative experience that broadens their opportunities and impact in the professional world”, says Luísa Pinto, director of this FEP master’s programme.
Portugal thus consolidates its position in the European management education landscape, being the sixth most represented country among the 100, behind only larger countries such as France, Germany, India, Spain and the United Kingdom.
For the dean of Iscte Business School, the presence of five Portuguese schools in the list of the 100 best worldwide is “a contribution to positioning Portugal as a destination of excellence in management training”. “These results reinforce the international recognition of the quality of management training in Portugal, enhancing employability, career progression, diversity, internationalisation and the commitment to sustainability of institutions”, says Maria João Cortinhal.
This ranking lists the 100 schools worldwide that meet the most eligibility criteria, namely possession of international accreditations that attest to the quality of the school, such as AACSB. The ranking is the result of an analysis of 19 indicators covering areas such as career progression, diversity, international experience, research and sustainability.
Financial Times Masters in Management 2025:
- Nova School of Business and Economics – 4.º
- Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics – 30.º
- Universidade do Porto – FEP – 62.º
- Iscte Business School – 87.º
- Católica Porto Business School – 95.º
