The 17 best universities in Europe to do an MBA, according to The Economist

The Economist has released its annual ranking of the world’s best MBAs.

A Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) is a fast-track to success and can catapult its graduates into a high-paying career.

The Economist’s ranking is one of the most comprehensive of its kind and covers all parts of the globe. We decided to take a look at which European universities and business schools made the list.

Institutions are sorted and ranked into four categories before finding an overall score. These categories are:

The opening of new career opportunitiesPersonal development and educational experience Increase in salaryPotential to network

Warwick Business School hosts the best UK-based MBA while schools in France, Spain, and Germany also appear on the list.

17) University of Cambridge, Judge Business School, United Kingdom — Despite being one of the top universities in the world, Cambridge's MBA course didn't crack the top 10. However, The Economist still recognised its extremely high "quality of students" who can enjoy a comparatively​ large class size of circa-170.

16) University of Bath, United Kingdom —Bath's MBA program​ is available in both full-time and part-time and has been AMBA-accredited since 1976. (Association of MBAs).

15) ESADE Business School, Spain — ESADE was recognised in particular for its diverse student body. The majority of its students come from outside Europe. It was also named the "2nd Best Programme in Europe for Salary Increase" by the Financial Times.

14) European School of Management and Technology, Germany — ESMT in Berlin was founded by 25 global companies and institutions including Bosch, KPMG, Siemens and T-Mobile. Students go on to earn an average starting salary of around £76,000.

13) City University, Cass Business School, United Kingdom — Founded in 1966, Cass has consistently appeared in rankings of the world's top business schools and is accredited by AMBA.

12) Cranfield School of Management, United Kingdom — Cranfield will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017, and according to its website has a global alumni network of over 28,000 members in over 130 countries worldwide.

11) Mannheim Business School, Germany — Mannheim's MBA offers five international tracks with up to two three-month stays abroad at renowned partner institutions. The programme is made up of students from more than 20 countries.

10) SDA Bocconi – School of Management, Italy — With a location in the heart of Milan, one of Italy's business and cultural capitals, SDA Bocconi's diverse student population has the opportunity to enjoy unrivalled access to the country's biggest companies.

9) Henley Business School, United Kingdom — Graduates of Henley's MBA programme have gone on to enjoy careers for big names including Mars Foods, Lloyds Banking Group, KPMG, Microsoft, and PwC. Its diverse student body — 83% of students are international — provides students with a unique learning experience.

8) London Business School, United Kingdom — This MBA is consistently regarded as one of the best in the world. 93% of students receive an offer of employment three months after graduation with a mean salary of £76,127.

7) EDHEC Business School, France — The Economist ranked EDHEC third in the world for the 'education experience' for students. But its position was worsened by a lack of 'breadth' in its alumni network. Its MBA is also the third best in the world in terms of value for money.

6) International Institute for Management Development, Switzerland — IMD's class size of just 90 students provides an intimate learning experience. The course focuses more on personal development and leadership instead of functional expertise, which means the majority of graduates typically get positions in the industrial rather than the financial sector.

5) Warwick Business School, United Kingdom — The UK's best MBA is also one of the world's most prestigious. It has been accredited by AMBA for 22 years and offers its highly-employable students unlimited career coaching.

4) IE University, IE Business School, Spain — IE Business School is internationally recognised for its prestigious MBA, which was also named the best in Europe by the Financial Times. The Economist recognised its student diversity as being particularly impressive.

Source: Financial Times

3) INSEAD, France —With campuses in France, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi, INSEAD's accelerated 10-month MBA program teaches students to lead and innovate across cultures. At $69,700 for tuition and fees, INSEAD is one of the best-value business schools in the world.

2) HEC School of Management, Paris, France —It's easy to see why HEC's MBA has earned its reputation as one of the best in the world — an impressive 90% of students are employed within three months of graduating from this prestigious school.

1) University of Navarra, IESE Business School, Spain — The Economist's named this Spanish school's MBA course the best in Europe and the 8th-best in the world. Only 293 graduates make it onto the programme each year, the majority of whom come from outside Europe.