Top 10 Best Business Schools in the UK 2022
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The UK is known as a global leader in the field of business education. Many of the world’s most renowned business leaders and entrepreneurs have degrees from UK universities, and they are a popular choice for students from all around the world. Not only do they provide top-quality education, but they offer vast networking opportunities as well as a balanced and fun student life.
If you’re a motivated and ambitious student looking to find the best possible university to further your career, look no further. To help you find the best business school for your particular needs, we’ve compiled an overview of the top 10 UK business schools for 2020. Continue reading to see the full list.
There are many top-ranked business schools in the UK that can give a boost to your CV and help you succeed in today’s competitive job market.
However, it’s vital to keep in mind rankings are not always 100% accurate. This is because it’s almost impossible for any university scoring system to take into account the needs and goals of each particular student. In addition, business school rankings can sometimes be biased due to the role they play in recruitment. As job recruiters often use university rankings to make hiring decisions, this can further increase the score of the top schools, thus leading to more students being hired from that school in the future. If this cycle continues, it can be difficult for lower-ranked schools to ever break into the top 10, even if they improve the standard of education they offer.
Nevertheless, if you rely on only the most reputable rankings, they should definitely be part of your process when deciding which university to attend. One of the most well-respected business school rankings is that of the Financial Times (FT).
Here are the top 10 UK business schools according to the most recent FT top European Business School Rankings:
| Rank in the UK | Business school |
|---|---|
| 1 | London Business School |
| 2 | University of Oxford: Saïd |
| 3 | ESCP Business School |
| 4 | University of Cambridge: Judge |
| 5 | Imperial College Business School |
| 6 | Warwick Business School |
| 7 | City, University of London: Bayes |
| 8 | Alliance Manchester Business School |
| 9 | Henley Business School |
| 10 | Cranfield School of Management |
If you’re looking to attend an MBA programme, the UK has a wide range of excellent schools to choose from. After a brief drop in popularity, the attendance of full-time MBA programs is back in full swing, and it has become a worthwhile choice for many business professionals.
An average MBA in the UK will cost between £15,000 and £25,000, with top schools such as Oxford and Cambridge costing up to £65,000. However, having an MBA degree can lead to very significant salary increases down the line that make it well worth the cost.
In the following overview, we’ve included the top UK MBA programs as ranked by The Economist, as well as the salary increase you can expect after completing one of these courses. These rankings were made using responses to a series of both quantitative and qualitative questions from thousands of former and current MBA students.
| Overall rank | Business school | Salary increase |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warwick Business School | +96.6% |
| 2 | Durham University Business School | +81.6% |
| 3 | University of Nottingham - Nottingham Business School | +149.5% |
| 4 | University of Edinburgh Business School | +36.7% |
| 5 | Cranfield School of Management | +29.4% |
| 6 | Leeds Business School | +40.2% |
| 7 | University of Exeter Business School | +32.8% |
| 8 | Lancaster University Management School | +6.1% |
| 9 | University of Birmingham - Birmingham Business School | +53.5% |
| 10 | University of Glasgow - Adam Smith Business School | +38.5% |
Although rankings are important, as mentioned, they shouldn’t be the only factor you take into account when choosing a business school. The best business schools are usually accredited by reputable external authorities, who vouch for the standard of education provided at these universities. The most respected accreditations are those provided by AACSB, AMBA, and EFMD/EQUIS.
When a school has all three of these accreditations, this indicates that they are providing education of the highest quality and standard. This is known as having a “triple crown”.
Here are some of the top triple-accredited UK business schools:
As business schools in the UK provide their courses in English, students are usually required to provide evidence of their language proficiency. This is most commonly done by taking a test such as the IELTS or TOEFL iBT, or by completing a university-specific English test.
If English is your native language, or you have been studying fully in English for a certain amount of time, you may not be required to take one of these tests. Therefore, it’s important to check the English requirements of the university you’ll be applying to.
Here are the IELTS requirements for the some of the top UK business schools:
Note that these are the overall scores required; these may differ for specific programmes, and you may then also need to meet minimum scores in sub-categories.
In addition to possessing a high level of English, there are various other admission requirements that must be fulfilled to attend a UK business school. These usually include GMAT and/or GRE test results, a motivation letter, a CV, past grade reports, references, a bachelor’s degree if applying to a master’s program, and other supporting documents. In general, you will need a GMAT score of at least 600 to attend a top UK business school.
The exact admission requirements may vary depending on which business school you choose to apply to, so it’s always crucial to check your chosen school’s particular application process.
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