TL;DR: ESCP Business School is first in the Financial Times Masters in Finance pre-experience 2026 ranking for the third year running, and MIT Sloan, at 25th, is the highest ranked of the seven US programs among the 70 listed. Two of the best masters in finance programs for US applicants are not in the table at all: Princeton, which reports an average acceptance rate of about 5% over the last five years for a class of approximately 40, and the London School of Economics, which reports 1,581 applications for 136 places on its MSc Finance. Tuition runs from €32,800 at ESCP to US$133,007 for the 18 month format at MIT Sloan (Sources: Financial Times Masters in Finance pre-experience 2026; the program pages of each school). If you are building a list of finance masters programs, Oriel Admissions can help you choose and apply: schedule a consultation.
Which Are the Best Masters in Finance Programs in the FT 2026 Ranking?
There is no official list. The ranking most often cited is the Financial Times Masters in Finance pre-experience ranking, published on June 15, 2026. It covers 70 programs for students with little or no work experience and reports the salary of graduates three years after the degree. French schools take five of the first seven places.
| FT 2026 rank | School | Country | Salary today (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ESCP Business School | France | 183,214 |
| 2 | Skema Business School | France | 159,879 |
| 3 | Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management | China | 209,000 |
| 4 | Essec Business School | France | 166,715 |
| 5 | Edhec Business School | France | 155,178 |
| 6 | Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance | China | 218,057 |
| 7 | HEC Paris | France | 175,483 |
| 8 | Nova School of Business and Economics | Portugal | 150,126 |
| 9 | London Business School | UK | 149,923 |
| 10 | IE Business School | Spain | 145,562 |
| 13 (tie) | Oxford Saïd | UK | 168,873 |
| 17 | Imperial Business School | UK | 132,564 |
| 25 | MIT Sloan | US | 195,072 |
Two cautions apply. A program has to take part in the FT survey to be ranked, so a school that is missing has not been judged and found wanting. And the table is European by weight: 13 of the 70 programs are in the UK, 12 are in France and seven are in the United States.
Which US Schools Have the Best Masters in Finance Programs?
Seven US programs appear in the FT table: MIT Sloan at 25th, Hult at 39th, Fordham Gabelli at 40th, Texas McCombs at 49th, Bentley at 53rd, Texas A&M Mays at 65th and Brandeis at 67th. MIT Sloan has the highest salary figure of the seven, US$195,072.
The best known US program is not in the table. The Princeton Master in Finance, run by the Bendheim Center for Finance, is a two year program that admits approximately 40 students a year. Princeton states that its average acceptance rate over the last five years was about 5%. One page of its site puts the applicant pool at more than 800 and another at around 1,000. The program has three tracks for the class entering in 2027: quantitative asset management, data science and financial technologies, and valuation and macroeconomic analysis.
The MIT Sloan Master of Finance is the other US program most applicants consider. It runs 18 months with an option to finish in 12, and MIT reports that 97% of its 2025 graduates received job offers within six months, at a median base salary of US$125,000. Both programs are STEM designated, which matters if you are an international student who wants to work in the United States after the degree.
How Do the Best Masters in Finance Programs Compare on Cost and Length?
The table uses the tuition each school publishes for the most recent intake it lists. Class sizes are shown where the school publishes one.
| Program | FT 2026 rank | Length | Tuition | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESCP MSc in Finance | 1 | 15 months to 2 years | €32,800 | Not stated |
| HEC Paris Master in International Finance | 7 | One academic year | €48,485 | Not stated |
| London Business School Masters in Financial Analysis | 9 | 12 months | £52,950 | 322 |
| Oxford MSc in Financial Economics | 13 | 9 months | £66,690 | 88 |
| Imperial MSc Finance | 17 | One year | £54,000 | 88 |
| MIT Sloan Master of Finance | 25 | 12 or 18 months | US$96,884 or US$133,007 | Not stated |
| LSE MSc Finance (full-time) | Not in the table | 10 months | £51,000 | 136 |
| Princeton Master in Finance | Not in the table | Two years | Set by the Graduate School | About 40 |
| INSEAD Master in Finance | New program | 14 months | €57,870 | First intake in August 2027 |
The spread is wide. The ESCP MSc in Finance, which is taught in Paris and then London and includes an internship of at least four months, costs €32,800 for students entering in September 2027. The 18 month MIT Sloan format costs several times that in tuition. The UK programs sit between £51,000 and £66,690 for nine to twelve months.
How Selective Are the Best Masters in Finance Programs?
Only two of the schools in this guide publish numbers that let you judge. Princeton publishes an acceptance rate of about 5%. LSE publishes application counts: 1,581 applications for an intake of 136 on the MSc Finance, a ratio of 12 to 1, and 677 applications for an intake of 43 on the MSc Finance and Private Equity, a ratio of 16 to 1. The LSE ratio counts enrolled students, not offers, so it is a measure of demand and not an offer rate. Our page on the LSE MSc Finance has the detail, and our guide to LSE masters programs covers the rest of the school.
The other schools publish class sizes and no application counts. Oxford and Imperial each report a class of 88. London Business School reports 322 students on its Masters in Financial Analysis. A small class at a well known school is a reasonable sign of strong competition, but it is not a published rate, and you should treat any acceptance rate you see quoted for these programs with caution.
What Do These Programs Require?
Mathematics first. MIT Sloan suggests linear algebra, multivariable calculus, probability, statistics and programming, and requires every student to pass a programming test in Python. Princeton expects linear algebra, multivariable calculus, differential equations, and probability and statistics, and runs a required two week mathematics course before classes begin. LSE requires mathematics to the level of the UK A level for its MSc Finance.
Test rules differ more than most applicants expect. Princeton does not require the GRE or GMAT and states that not submitting a score will not affect your application; among students who do submit, the median quantitative GRE score of entering classes is 167. MIT Sloan makes the tests optional. Imperial says the GMAT or GRE is not mandatory but is highly recommended for candidates with less quantitative degrees. LSE requires one of the two tests from every applicant without a UK undergraduate degree. Our GMAT prep guide covers how to plan.
Work experience is not required for the pre-experience programs, but internships are. Princeton states that it expects applicants to have completed one or more internships. Imperial says it expects to see evidence that you have been building professional experience throughout your undergraduate degree.
Which Programs Are for Experienced Professionals?
A separate group of finance masters admits people who already work in the field. The London Business School Masters in Finance is for finance professionals, with a class that averages five years of experience and tuition of £67,950 for the 2026 intake. The Cambridge Master of Finance requires at least two years of financial work experience after graduation; its class of 106 averages five years, and tuition for 2027/28 is £65,500. If you are in that position, compare these with an MBA, using our guide to masters in finance vs MBA and our page on MBA acceptance rates at the M7.
When Are the Deadlines for 2027 Entry?
| Program | Deadline for 2027 entry |
|---|---|
| Imperial MSc Finance | Round 1 September 29, 2026; Round 2 January 6, 2027; see the school for later rounds |
| Princeton Master in Finance | December 15, 2026 |
| MIT Sloan Master of Finance | January 5, 2027 |
| LSE MSc Finance (full-time) | Rolling; closes when full |
| Cambridge Master of Finance | Rolling until May 31, 2027 |
Princeton and MIT Sloan each have a single deadline, so there is no later round to fall back on. Princeton states that all applicants should receive a response by March 15. At LSE and Cambridge the practical advice is the same: apply early, because places and scholarships are allocated as applications arrive.
How Should You Choose Among the Best Masters in Finance Programs?
Start with the job you want. For quantitative trading, asset management and research roles, Princeton and MIT Sloan are built for that market: Princeton describes its degree as the preferred one for algorithmic trading, quantitative asset management, risk management and derivatives pricing. For investment banking and markets roles in London, the LSE, London Business School, Imperial and Oxford programs put you in or near the city where the recruiting happens.
Then weigh where you can work afterwards. If you are a US citizen, a European degree is a cheaper and shorter route, but you will be recruiting from abroad for US roles. If you are an international student who wants to stay in the United States, the STEM designation of the US programs is a concrete advantage. Finally, check the cost against the length: the French programs at the top of the FT table charge far less than the UK and US programs. If you are considering LSE as an undergraduate destination instead, see our guide on how to get into LSE.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Masters in Finance Programs
In the Financial Times Masters in Finance pre-experience 2026 ranking, ESCP is first, followed by Skema, Tsinghua, Essec and Edhec. HEC Paris is seventh, London Business School ninth and Oxford Said 13th. MIT Sloan is the highest ranked US program at 25th. Princeton and LSE run well known programs that are not in the table.
MIT Sloan is the highest ranked US program in the Financial Times 2026 table, at 25th, with the highest salary figure of the seven US programs listed. The Princeton Master in Finance is not in the table; it admits approximately 40 students a year and reports an acceptance rate of about 5 percent.
Princeton states that its average yearly acceptance rate over the last five years was about 5 percent. The program admits approximately 40 students a year. The application deadline for the class entering in fall 2027 is December 15, 2026.
Tuition ranges widely. The ESCP MSc in Finance costs 32,800 euros and the HEC Paris Master in International Finance 48,485 euros. In the UK, the LSE MSc Finance costs 51,000 pounds, Imperial 54,000 pounds and Oxford 66,690 pounds. The MIT Sloan Master of Finance costs 96,884 US dollars for 12 months or 133,007 US dollars for 18 months.
It depends on the school. Princeton does not require either test and MIT Sloan makes them optional. Imperial says they are not mandatory but recommends them for less quantitative backgrounds. LSE requires the GMAT or GRE from every applicant without a UK undergraduate degree.
Not for the pre-experience programs, although internships are expected. Princeton states that applicants should have completed one or more internships. Post-experience programs differ: the Cambridge Master of Finance requires at least two years of financial work experience.
The two leading US programs are. Both the MIT Sloan Master of Finance and the Princeton Master in Finance are STEM designated, which can extend the period an international graduate may work in the United States. Check the designation for any other US program you consider.
A program has to take part in the Financial Times survey to be ranked. Princeton and LSE do not appear among the 70 programs in the 2026 pre-experience table, so their absence is not a judgment on quality. Both publish their own admissions figures instead.
Sources: Financial Times, Masters in Finance Pre-experience 2026; Princeton Bendheim Center for Finance, Master in Finance; Princeton Bendheim Center for Finance, Common Questions; MIT Sloan, Master of Finance; ESCP Business School, MSc in Finance; London School of Economics, MSc Finance (full-time); Imperial Business School, MSc Finance; Oxford Saïd, MSc in Financial Economics; HEC Paris, Master in International Finance; London Business School, Masters in Financial Analysis; Cambridge Judge, Master of Finance; INSEAD, Master in Finance.
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