Masters in Marketing Degrees: US vs Europe

Discover the QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Rankings 2021

The 2019 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Rankings, out now, includes the new Masters in Marketing Rankings 2021. Featuring 70 of the world’s top universities to study a master’s in marketing degree, the ranking has been calculated based on a methodology which considers each institution on five indicators, including employability, value for money and diversity. There are 44 European institutions in the ranking, including 17 in the UK, while the US has 21 representatives. But if you’re looking to study a master’s in marketing in either the US or Europe, which is best for you? Read on to find out how they compare.

United States

Starting off with the US, which is home to the number one university for master’s in marketing degrees this year: Columbia Business School. Other top business schools for marketing in the US include McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, ranked seventh and eighth respectively.  

Columbia earned its best score for alumni outcomes, with a large number of CEOs and business founders among its alumni. Its MSc in Marketing Analytics is STEM eligible, meaning it can be classed as a STEM degree, takes 12 months to complete, and costs $62,460. As typical with US business schools, this is very high in comparison to the global average tuition fee - $26,304. However, for many students the high fees are offset by the return on their investment, as the high prestige of US business schools improves their employability and salary prospects. According to our research, the average starting salary for 2017 graduates of master’s in marketing degrees around the world is $46,010, but for the US it rises to $61,534.

While Columbia received a high score for the value for money indicator, it was the University of Cincinnati’s Lindner College of Business which earned the highest score of any US institution for this indicator in the QS Masters in Marketing Rankings. Tuition fees at Lindner are actually lower than the global average at $14,398, and the school is ranked 43^rd overall for its MS in Marketing degree.

In terms of diversity, master’s in marketing classes in the US are slightly less diverse than the global average – with 50 percent of students international, whilst the global average is 68 percent. Seven nationalities are represented in the average master’s in marketing class in the US, while the global average is 12. If you want to study in the US and place importance on the class and faculty’s diversity, Columbia and Florida International University College of Business are the two highest ranked US business schools for this indicator. And looking at gender, the US has a slightly higher percentage of women enrolled for master’s in marketing degrees than the global average, at 70 percent.  

Europe

Moving on to Europe, which is home to an impressive seven of the top 10 institutions for master’s in marketing degrees, including Imperial College Business School, ranked second in the world after Columbia for its MSc in Strategic Marketing, which aims to teach students quick problem-solving tactics within authentic business circumstances. Imperial achieves its best score in the employability indicator, with 93 percent of students employed three months after graduation, earning an average starting salary of US$55,000. As is typical with the UK, tuition fees are higher than the global average, standing at £28,300 (equal to around US$37,200).

However, overall, students studying a master’s in marketing degree in Europe can expect to pay lower tuition fees than the global average, with fees averaging US$22,344 (the global average is $26,304).

Unfortunately, in contrast to the US, the typical starting salary for graduates who completed a master’s in marketing in Europe in 2017 was lower than the global average, but is nonetheless high at US$40,434 (the global average is $46,010).

However, if it’s important to you that your chosen business school is highly diverse, you’re in luck if you study in Europe – 83 percent of students in master’s in marketing classes are from outside the host country, while the global average is 69 percent, and an average of 15 nationalities are represented in each class. The university faculty members are highly diverse too, with nearly half (47 percent) coming from outside the host country – this shows another contrast with the US, where only around 21 percent of faculty members are international.

It could also be said that master’s in marketing degrees in Europe are more suitable for those with less work experience, as students tend to have an average of a year of work experience – less than both the global average (two years) and the US (2.7 years).

Other top business schools in Europe for this program include France’s HEC Paris (ranked third in the world) and Spain’s ESADE Business School (fourth), with both receiving a perfect score for the alumni outcomes indicator (higher than Imperial). Both business schools are known as some of the most prestigious in the world, and both have a high proportion of international students.

For those looking for the best value for money in their European business school, the highest-ranked entrant in the region for this indicator is Spain’s ESIC Business and Marketing School, which is ranked 42^nd overall for its Master in Marketing Management. Tuition fees for this course are below the global average at US$24,000, and graduates earned an average starting salary of a whopping $86,900. However, it’s worth mentioning that students at ESIC tend to be older (29) and have more experience under their belt (five years) in contrast to both the global and regional averages, which is likely to be a factor in their higher salaries.

At a glance: Master’s in Marketing Degrees in the US and Europe

Below you can see how the top 10 US and European business schools compare for factors such as average starting salary and tuition fees.

United States

Europe

 Which one gets your vote? Let us know in the comments below, and find out more about studying in a particular country with our study destination guides.