First Russian Business School Enters Top 50 of Financial Times Global Ranking

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – September 15, 2015)

St. Petersburg State University has become the first Russian institution to enter the top 50 of a Financial Times global ranking of business schools.

The English-language Masters in Management program at St. Petersburg State University’s Graduate School of Management placed 46th in the survey, up from 56th last year and 65th in 2013.

The 2015 Masters in Management rankings, published Sunday, were topped for the third year by the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, followed by HEC Paris and the ESSEC Business School in France.

The FT placed St. Petersburg State University’s Graduate School of Management 5th for the number of international teachers and 11th for the number of foreign students. In terms of career progress, the program ranked 33rd. The school’s alumni earn on average $50,090 three years after graduation, according to the paper.

St. Petersburg State University’s dean, Nikolai Kropachyov, said in a statement Monday that no other business school in the country could boast a $50,000 average salary for their students within three years of graduation.

According to the FT, the program at St. Petersburg State University Graduate School of Management lasts 22 months and costs 770,000 rubles ($11,400). In 2014-15, 90 students were enrolled.

In March, St. Petersburg State University entered the annual Times Higher Education World University Ranking for the first time, ranking in the 71-80 band among 100 international universities.