The CEMS Alliance, of which Nova SBE has been the exclusive member in Portugal since 2008, has just achieved a historic milestone in global higher education by being recognized in the prestigious Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) 2026 Master’s in Management ranking.
This recognition places the CEMS Master’s in International Management (CEMS MIM) in 4th place worldwide (out of 235 programs evaluated). With an overall score of 92.7 out of 100, the CEMS program delivered an outstanding performance in the Value for Money category (ranking 1st, with a score of 100/100) and in Employability (ranking 9th, with a score of 89.5/100).
With a maximum score of 100 in four sub-indicators (research impact, return, proportion of international students, and gender balance among students) and 99.9 in two others (return on investment and proportion of international faculty), the CEMS MIM achieved consistently above-average scores across all indicator groups. Highlights include 89.1 in Innovative Leadership (global average 50.4), 87 in Alumni Outcomes (global average 48.9), and 85.1 in Diversity (global average 64).
“This result is a recognition of the excellence of the CEMS Alliance, which brings together 33 of the world’s leading business schools, and of the impact it generates in preparing global leaders. The fact that the program has achieved 4th place worldwide in the QS 2026 ranking confirms the strength of this academic network and the relevance of its students and alumni in organizations and in society,” notes Catherine da Silveira, Associate Dean and Academic Director of the CEMS program at Nova SBE. She added: “For Nova SBE, it is a great honor to be part of this international community and to contribute, from Portugal, to a pioneering educational project that creates a positive impact in the world.”
The program’s international prestige is further reinforced by the most recent Financial Times ranking, which highlighted that CEMS alumni earn “higher average salaries three years after the program than graduates from all other business schools.” CEMS graduates also recorded greater salary progression and were more likely to achieve their career goals compared to the global average.
The Financial Times also emphasized the quality of the CEMS academic model, which promotes fluency in three languages, the completion of a consulting project, and an international internship with one of its 70+ corporate partners. These factors translate into strong employability results, with half of students being recruited by these organizations after completing the program.
CEMS is an alliance composed of 33 of the world’s top universities, 70 multinational companies, and an active network of more than 20,000 alumni, who share experiences in a coordinated International Management Master’s program. Nova SBE is the only business school in Portugal to teach the CEMS Master’s in International Management (CEMS MIM).