TL;DR: The London School of Economics reports 1,581 applications for 136 places on its MSc Finance (full-time), a ratio of 12 to 1, and 1,125 applications for 75 places on its Masters in Management, a ratio of 15 to 1. LSE publishes these figures, labelled as 2024 data, on the page of each program, which makes LSE masters programs unusually transparent. Across the 27 programs in this guide the ratio runs from 4 to 1 for the MSc Accounting and Finance to 16 to 1 for the MSc Finance and Private Equity and the MSc Financial Mathematics. Tuition for 2026/27 is £51,000 for the MSc Finance and £39,900 for most management and quantitative programs. Most programs use rolling admissions and close when full (Source: London School of Economics graduate program pages, read October 3, 2026). If you are planning an application, Oriel Admissions can help you choose the program and build the file: schedule a consultation.
How Many People Apply to LSE Masters Programs?
LSE is one of the few universities that publishes application numbers for each graduate program. Every program page shows three figures, labelled as 2024 data: the number of applications, the intake, and the ratio between them. For the MSc Finance (full-time) those figures are 1,581 applications, an intake of 136 and a ratio of 12 to 1.
Read the ratio carefully. The intake is the number of students who enrolled, not the number who received an offer. LSE makes more offers than it has places, because some admitted students choose another university. A ratio of 12 to 1 therefore means about 8.6 enrolled students for every 100 applications, and the share of applicants who received an offer is higher than that. It is a measure of demand, not an offer rate.
With that caution, the ratios are still the best published guide to which LSE masters programs are hardest to enter. The three tables below group 27 programs by field, with the overseas tuition fee for 2026/27, which is the fee a US applicant pays.
Which LSE Masters Programs Are in Finance and Economics?
| Program | Applications | Places | Ratio | Overseas fee 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc Finance and Private Equity | 677 | 43 | 16 to 1 | £51,000 |
| MSc Financial Mathematics | 486 | 31 | 16 to 1 | £39,900 |
| MSc Finance and Economics | 761 | 53 | 14 to 1 | £39,900 |
| MSc Quantitative Methods for Risk Management | 479 | 38 | 13 to 1 | £39,900 |
| MSc Finance (full-time) | 1,581 | 136 | 12 to 1 | £51,000 |
| MSc Economics | 936 | 120 | 8 to 1 | £41,000 |
| MSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics | 381 | 46 | 8 to 1 | £39,900 |
| MSc Real Estate Economics and Finance | 449 | 54 | 8 to 1 | £37,300 |
| MSc Accounting and Finance | 758 | 169 | 4 to 1 | £43,000 |
The LSE MSc Finance is the largest and best known of these, and LSE describes it as a generalist finance degree for graduates whose background is not necessarily in finance. The MSc Finance and Economics is more mathematical: LSE asks for a degree in a quantitative subject, with at least a year of calculus and a semester of linear algebra. The MSc Accounting and Finance has the largest class and the lowest ratio in the group. For Oxford, the nearest comparison is the Oxford MSc in Financial Economics. Our guide to the best masters in finance programs sets LSE beside MIT, Princeton and the FT ranking.
Which LSE Masters Programs Are in Management?
| Program | Applications | Places | Ratio | Overseas fee 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters in Management (12 months) | 1,125 | 75 | 15 to 1 | £42,900 |
| MSc Data Science | 605 | 48 | 13 to 1 | £39,900 |
| MSc Operations Research and Analytics | 290 | 24 | 12 to 1 | £32,500 |
| MSc Management and Strategy | 782 | 69 | 11 to 1 | £39,900 |
| MSc Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 474 | 48 | 10 to 1 | £37,500 |
| MSc Management of Information Systems and Digital Innovation | 764 | 86 | 9 to 1 | £39,900 |
| Global Masters in Management (24 months) | 597 | 75 | 8 to 1 | £42,100 |
| MSc Marketing | 674 | 88 | 8 to 1 | £39,900 |
LSE runs two general management degrees. The Masters in Management takes 12 months and drew almost twice as many applications as the Global Masters in Management, which takes 24 months. Both enrolled 75 students. If you are comparing London options, our guide to the London Business School Masters in Management essays covers the other leading program in the city. For the choice between this degree and waiting for an MBA, see masters in management vs MBA.
Which LSE Masters Programs Are in Policy, Law and Social Science?
| Program | Applications | Places | Ratio | Overseas fee 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc Environmental Economics and Climate Change | 509 | 41 | 12 to 1 | £37,300 |
| MSc International Political Economy | 610 | 70 | 9 to 1 | £32,500 |
| MSc Public Policy and Administration | 455 | 52 | 9 to 1 | £34,700 |
| MSc Media and Communications | 1,100 | 124 | 9 to 1 | £30,400 |
| LLM, Master of Laws | 2,533 | 330 | 8 to 1 | £39,900 |
| MSc International Relations | 1,092 | 147 | 7 to 1 | £32,500 |
| MSc Development Studies | 636 | 97 | 7 to 1 | £30,400 |
| MSc Behavioural Science | 448 | 66 | 7 to 1 | £30,400 |
| MSc International Social and Public Policy | 1,058 | 189 | 6 to 1 | £30,750 |
| MSc Economic History | 416 | 65 | 6 to 1 | £30,400 |
The LLM drew the most applications of any program in this guide, 2,533, for the largest intake, 330. The MSc International Relations and the MSc Media and Communications each drew more than 1,000.
How Much Does Tuition Cost?
Fees are set program by program. For 2026/27 the most expensive programs in this guide are the MSc Finance and the MSc Finance and Private Equity at £51,000. The MSc Accounting and Finance is £43,000, the Masters in Management £42,900 and the MSc Economics £41,000. Most other management and quantitative programs are £39,900, and most social science programs charge overseas students between £30,400 and £37,300.
For the MSc Finance, the Masters in Management and most of the management programs, the fee is the same for home and overseas students. In many social science programs it is not: the MSc Development Studies, for example, charges £19,300 to home students and £30,400 to overseas students. LSE also states that students who completed an undergraduate degree at LSE receive a 10% reduction on taught graduate fees.
These are short degrees, which matters for the total cost. Most of the finance and economics programs run 10 months and most others run 12 months. For comparison, the 12 month MIT Sloan Master of Finance charges US$96,884 in tuition for 2026-27.
What Are the Entry Requirements?
The standard academic requirement is an upper second class honours degree, which LSE writes as 2:1, or the international equivalent. LSE publishes the equivalent for each country on every program page, so check the United States entry for the grade point average it expects. Meeting the minimum is not enough for the most popular programs. For the MSc Finance, LSE states that the majority of students accepted in previous years held first class honours degrees or the equivalent.
Testing rules depend on your degree. For the MSc Finance, the GMAT or GRE is required for all applicants without a UK undergraduate degree, and LSE says the GMAT is strongly preferred. That applies to almost every US applicant. Our GMAT prep guide covers how to plan for it. The MSc Finance also expects mathematics to at least the level of the UK A level, and work experience is not a prerequisite, although LSE says relevant experience may strengthen an application.
When Should You Apply to LSE Masters Programs?
Early. Most programs in this guide use rolling admissions: LSE considers applications as they arrive and closes the program once it is full, with no fixed deadline. The practical deadline is the funding deadline, which was April 23, 2026 for needs-based awards for 2026/27 entry. Several programs, including the Masters in Management, set a final closing date of August 13 for the 2026/27 cycle.
When we read the pages on October 3, 2026, they still showed the 2026/27 academic year, with the finance programs marked as closed. Check each page for the 2027/28 fees and dates before you apply. Because places are filled as applications arrive, a complete application submitted in the autumn is in a stronger position than the same application submitted in the spring.
Who Should Choose an LSE Masters Over a US Graduate Degree?
An LSE masters suits you if you want a one year specialist degree, a London base and a class drawn from many countries, and if you are comfortable with a program that is academic in style. It is a pre-experience degree in most cases: you can apply as a college senior. It is not a substitute for an MBA, which admits people after several years of work, as our guide to MBA acceptance rates at the M7 shows. If you are thinking about LSE as an undergraduate destination instead, see our guide on how to get into LSE.
Frequently Asked Questions About LSE Masters Programs
Among the 27 programs in this guide, the LLM drew the most applications, 2,533, followed by the MSc Finance with 1,581 and the Masters in Management with 1,125. LSE labels these as 2024 figures and publishes them on each program page.
LSE publishes a ratio of applications to places for each program. It is 12 to 1 for the MSc Finance, 15 to 1 for the Masters in Management and 16 to 1 for the MSc Finance and Private Equity. The ratio counts enrolled students, not offers, so the share of applicants who receive an offer is higher than the ratio suggests.
For 2026/27 the overseas fee is 51,000 pounds for the MSc Finance, 42,900 pounds for the Masters in Management, 41,000 pounds for the MSc Economics and 39,900 pounds for most other management and quantitative programs. Most social science programs charge overseas students between 30,400 and 37,300 pounds.
It depends on the program. For the MSc Finance, the GMAT or GRE is required for all applicants without a UK undergraduate degree, and LSE states that the GMAT is strongly preferred. The MSc Finance and Economics also requires a test from applicants without a full three year UK degree.
Most programs use rolling admissions with no fixed deadline and close when they are full. The funding deadline for needs-based awards was April 23, 2026 for 2026/27 entry, and several programs set a final closing date of August 13. Check each program page for the 2027/28 dates.
Most LSE masters programs take 10 or 12 months of full-time study. Most of the finance and economics programs in this guide run 10 months. The Masters in Management runs 12 months and the Global Masters in Management runs 24 months.
Not for the MSc Finance. LSE states that work experience, through internships or full employment, is not a prerequisite, although applicants who have professional experience should include it because it may strengthen the application.
The LSE Masters in Management takes 12 months and drew 1,125 applications for 75 places, a ratio of 15 to 1. The Global Masters in Management takes 24 months and drew 597 applications for 75 places, a ratio of 8 to 1. Fees for 2026/27 are 42,900 and 42,100 pounds.
Sources: London School of Economics, Graduate Study; LSE, MSc Finance (full-time); LSE, MSc Finance and Economics; LSE, MSc Finance and Private Equity; LSE, Masters in Management; LSE, Global Masters in Management; LSE, MSc Economics; LSE, LLM; MIT Sloan, Master of Finance Tuition.
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