The International Master’s in Management of Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE) has just achieved a historic milestone by achieving 2nd worldwide in the Financial Times Masters in Management 2026 ranking, climbing two places compared with the previous edition. Nova SBE is once again the highest-ranked Portuguese institution in this global ranking and now also places among the top three business schools worldwide, ahead of schools such as INSEAD, HEC Paris, and London Business School. 

This result confirms the remarkable rise of Portugal’s leading business school. In 2021, Nova SBE’s International Master’s in Management ranked 23rd, having climbed 21 places in just five years. 

Alumni feedback drives the school’s results 

One of the standout indicators in this year’s results is overall alumni satisfaction, with alumni awarding the program a score of 9.53 out of 10, corresponding to 3rd place worldwide in the Overall Satisfaction indicator. This indicator measures alumni’s overall satisfaction with the master’s program. 

Another standout result is the Aims Achieved metric, which measures the extent to which alumni feel they have achieved the objectives they had when they decided to pursue a master’s degree. Nova SBE scores 92% on this indicator, the second-highest result in the ranking, above the 88% average among Tier 1 schools, further reinforcing alumni’s perception of the impact and value of the experience provided by the program. 

Alumni feedback is also reflected in the School’s performance across other complementary indicators, including 7th place worldwide in the Career Service Rank, which assesses the effectiveness of the school’s career services in supporting student employability. This was one of the areas where Nova SBE recorded its strongest improvement, climbing 15 places compared with 2025. 

In the Alumni Network Rank, which assesses the effectiveness of the alumni network in creating career opportunities, developing ideas and businesses, supporting recruitment, and providing access to professional events and information, Nova SBE ranks 11th worldwide. 

In the International Work Mobility Rank, the International Master’s in Management ranks 10th worldwide. This indicator measures alumni’s international professional mobility, considering changes in country of employment between graduation and the time they participated in the FT survey, three years later. 

Also noteworthy is the 100% employment rate, confirming the immediate integration of graduates into the global job market. 

Sustainability remains one of Nova SBE’s strengths, with the School maintaining its 11th place worldwide ranking in the Carbon Footprint indicator, which assesses the school’s strategy to reduce its carbon footprint. 

The Financial Times Master’s in Management ranking annually evaluates the world’s top 100 master’s programs in Management, based on 19 criteria including career progression, internationalization, diversity, and sustainability. 

Pedro Oliveira, Dean of Nova SBE, highlights that “ranking 2nd worldwide in the Financial Times Masters in Management is a historic milestone for Nova SBE and the result of a consistent trajectory of progress. In just five years, our International Master’s in Management has risen from 23rd to 2nd place, establishing itself among the world’s leading programs. More than the ranking itself, this result recognizes the quality of the experience we provide to our students and the impact that journey has on their careers as soon as they graduate. This historic achievement is also a reflection of an academic and professional community that, together, has been building an increasingly international, demanding, and future-oriented school.” 

Catherine da Silveira, Associate Dean for International Affairs & Partnerships at Nova SBE, adds: “We are – and want to remain – an international community that creates concrete opportunities for our students across different markets and prepares them to build careers without borders. Seeing this dimension reflected in our position as the world’s second-best Master’s in Management is a very meaningful recognition of the path we have been building.”