Top 10 MBA Programs for Employability in Europe

MBA graduates from INSEAD have the highest salaries in Europe, nearly $180,000 just three years from graduating. This reflects the school’s strong reputation, having been ranked third in the Financial Times global MBA ranking 2019. INSEAD is also one of the best schools for international mobility, since MBA students split their time between the school’s three campuses in France, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. 

MBA graduates from London Business School also have high salaries, nearly $170,000 just three years after graduating. And good employment rates, too: 94 percent after three months. This reflects LBS’s strong location in the UK’s capital city, close to myriad blue-chip companies, consulting firms and technology businesses. 

MBA students from IESE Business School in Barcelona enjoyed the largest salary increases on the European continent, a 128 percent bump on their pre-MBA pay to $150,417 three years on from the course. An impressive 94 percent of MBA students are hired within three months of graduating. 

The Lisbon MBA in Portugal is not as well-known as some of the other schools in this list. But it punches above its weight, scoring the highest in Europe for career progress in the FT ranking. This is calculated based on the changes in seniority and company size of MBA graduates today versus three years ago when they first graduated. 

Cambridge Judge Business School in the UK also scored well on career progress. Its graduates earn decent salaries too: nearly $165,000 just three years after completing the MBA. Cambridge draws on the prestige of its name to draw in top recruiters. There’s also a thriving entrepreneurial scene in and around the business school. 

At IMD Business School in Switzerland, 90 percent of MBA graduates achieved their career aims. What’s more, the school’s small class size translates into a valuable alumni network, famous for being close-knit and helpful. IMD’s 100,000 alumni span 140 countries in more than 80 industries. 

Warwick Business School in the UK has among Europe’s best career services team, according to the FT ranking. MBA students have unlimited access to one-on-one coaching throughout the course. They are featured in a CV book that is sent to more than 200 top employers. And they learn from and form bonds with leading industry speakers from such companies as Bain & Co, Barclays and Aston Martin. 

HEC Paris in France is among the best schools for a globally mobile career, according to the FT. This may have something to do with the school’s highly diverse student body, with 93 percent of the MBA candidates coming from outside France. It also reflects HEC Paris’ location near the French capital city, with its diverse population and large number of international companies. 

IE Business school in Madrid, Spain is among Europe’s top schools in terms of its reputation among recruiters, suggesting high employability for MBA graduates. Many alumni from the top 100 ranked schools would hire from IE, according to the FT. IE’s own alumni network numbers 60,000, with the graduates based in 160 countries, across sectors. 

At Mannheim Business School in Germany, the employment rates are higher than many more prestigious schools. Some 93 percent of MBAs are hired within three months of graduating. This reflects the school’s location in the heart of the booming German and European economy, which is in dire need of young talent.