Ranking results

The HSG appears in numerous university rankings. Below, you can find a brief overview of the ranking results that are most important for the HSG. These rankings are paramount for the HSG since they are internationally significant while focusing on economic sciences at the same time.

Besides the Financial Times rankings, the University of St.Gallen takes an active part in further selected rankings conducted by other ranking organisations and media, such as QS or Times Higher Education (THE).

All in all, the HSG is currently participating in over 20 rankings (including sub-rankings) and also appears in numerous other rankings. The HSG’s ranking policy covers the following points:

• The HSG defines its objectives in teaching, research and executive education autonomously. Rankings provide us with information, but they are not the central aspect.
• Rankings supply us with valuable feedback and are an important indicator with regard to quality improvements.
• We use ranking results in order to initiate internal discussions about quality improvements (for instance in our academic programmes).
• The HSG participates in rankings which take into consideration the HSG’s profile as a specialised university, use an appropriate and transparent methodology and are managed professionally.

Financial Times (FT) rankings

The various rankings of the Financial Times (FT) underline the broadly based and high-quality programme portfolio of the University of St.Gallen. In the FT Masters in Management Ranking, the HSG’s Master in Strategy and International Management (SIM-HSG) has continuously occupied first place worldwide since 2011. The Master in Banking and Finance (MBF-HSG) also regularly reaches places in the top ten of the FT Masters in Finance Ranking. And in the individual rankings of MBA and Executive MBA programmes, as well as open and customised executive education programmes, the HSG has established itself as a significant contender in the relevant rankings. This results in the fact that the HSG is regularly positioned in the leading group of the European Business Schools Ranking, which consolidates five individual rankings.

WirtschaftsWoche ranking

From 2019, WirtschaftsWoche has published a ranking of the most successful business economists and leading universities in the field of business administration research in German-speaking countries, and from 2023 a ranking of the most successful economists and leading universities in the field of economics. Both rankings were previously carried out by Handelsblatt. HSG has been in first place in the business administration ranking since 2014 and is currently in eighth place in the economics ranking.

QS rankings

QS (Quacquarelli Symonds), a company which operates in the field of education/studying abroad, has conducted worldwide rankings since 2004. On the one hand, these are general university rankings (QS World University Rankings – QS WUR); on the other hand, they are subject-specific rankings (QS World University Rankings by Subject) and programme-specific rankings (such as the QS Business School Rankings). Whereas the general QS university rankings give preference to big, research-intensive universities with a wide range of subjects and a corresponding worldwide reputation, the HSG is able to position itself particularly well in the programme-specific QS rankings.

Times Higher Education (THE) rankings

The Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings are published by the eponymous British magazine, which deals with tertiary education. Similarly to QS, the Times Higher Education also publishes general university rankings (THE World University Rankings – THE WUR) and subject-specific rankings (THE World University Rankings by Subject). Currently, the THE is diversifying its ranking portfolio. To date, the HSG has only appeared in the THE World University Rankings and the THE World University Rankings by Subject. Active participation in further rankings is currently under review.

U-Multirank

U-Multirank is a multidimensional, user-driven approach to the international ranking of higher education institutions. It compares the performances of universities in the five dimensions of university activity: (1) teaching and learning, (2) research, (3) knowledge transfer, (4) international orientation and (5) regional engagement.

U-Multirank does not publish any overall rankings (1st, 2nd, 3rd place, etc.) of universities but offers the various stakeholders tools that enable them to compare universities in the above-mentioned five dimensions. Thus it is not a ranking in the proper sense of the term, but a rating of universities. U-Multirank was set up with the support of the European Union and is registering a growing number of participating institutions. The methodology of U-Multirank is currently being revised.

Other rankings

Examples of further rankings in which aspects of the HSG appear include:
Bloomberg Business Week, U.S. News, Eduniversal, Leiden Ranking, Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU, Shanghai Ranking).