Marketing could most simply be defined as an activity that aims to promote a service, product, or even a person. Marketing often has its target groups and involves the use of various techniques and strategies that on a conscious or unconscious level affect the achievement of marketing goals. As modern society developed – so did marketing, as its own, separate category. However, when it comes to marketing studies, precisely because it is still, for the most part, viewed as a subcategory of business studies, not all schools offer the same level of quality marketing studies – so here we will try to both list and separate schools that offer the best undergraduate and the best graduate marketing studies.
Top Marketing Schools in the World
1. Harvard Business School
Credited with designing the world’s first MBA program in 1908, HBS has garnered an unmatched international reputation. Starting with just 33 students, it has grown into a global community of over 90,000 graduates. HBS is the highest-ranked institution for business as per the QS World University Rankings and 3rd in the world according to the Financial Times. It is also known to be one of the world’s best marketing schools.
The university is a pioneer in developing the “Case Method” of teaching, which correlates theory with practical learning and relays skills in critical thinking, decision-making, and group dynamics. Over 80 percent of case studies used at different business schools are written by Harvard faculty.
Harvard Business School offers a multi-disciplinary program in marketing at the doctoral level. Through intensive research and field-based teaching, students understand consumer psychology and gain real-world knowledge.
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MIT is comprised of five schools and a college with 30 departments. It offers a high caliber of education in a competitive environment. Founded in 1861, MIT is a prominent center for learning with over 11,000 students.
It offers a doctoral course in marketing at its business school, The Sloan School of Management, which opened with a vision: to develop principled innovative leaders who improve the world. Taught by an illustrious faculty, students learn the science behind management and participate in advancing global markets.
At MIT, research is at the heart of all programs. Over 85 percent of students participate in research through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.
3. Stanford University
Stanford University is one of the largest universities in the US, boasting an 8000-acre campus. Founded in 1885 by Leland Stanford, the university takes pride in providing high-quality education in leading fields of study. Based in Silicon Valley, the epicenter of technology, and with leading companies like Yahoo and Google nearby, students can find endless opportunities.
Stanford Business School provides courses often described as foundational and cutting-edge, with a strong focus on experiential learning. It offers a Ph.D. in Marketing where learning and research are centered around behavioral science and quantitive marketing. As Stanford University is known to be one of the world’s best schools for marketing, admission to this Ph.D. program is highly competitive.
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4. Cambridge University
Established in 1209, Cambridge University is the fourth oldest university in the world. Its history of 800 years has earned it a reputation that surpasses all others. The university is ranked among the top 3 institutions for education and the top 5 for research by the Complete University Guide.
The Judge Business School offers programs in Marketing at the Master’s and doctoral levels. The curriculum aims to improve foundational knowledge and develop mathematical skills. With over 140 centers and institutes contributing to research, there are infinite opportunities at the doctorate level. The university prides itself on having an extensive network of libraries – with 100 libraries containing nearly 150 million books.
5. University of California, Berkeley
The University of California is a government-funded university with a focus on research. It is a founding member of the Association of American Universities and is a part of the University of California System. The university began with the aim of contributing to the growth of California by empowering the next generations. It is renowned for its standards of education and scientific contributions, including the invention of the cyclotron – which led to the discovery of 16 elements in the periodic table.
The university is comprised of 14 schools, including the acclaimed Haas School of Business. It offers programs in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing. The course provides a unique perspective on marketing strategies and consumer behavior.
6. Yale University
Yale University is a preeminent institute in America and a part of the Ivy League. It was founded in 1701 by the English Puritans, making it the third-oldest university in the world. It is home to over 14,000 students and consists of 14 schools, including the academically reputed School of Management.
Since its establishment, the university has educated individuals who contribute to society and enhance the economy. Yale University is recognized as one of the world’s leading schools for marketing studies. Students who wish to be experts in this field can opt for the doctoral program in either Quantitative Marketing or Behavioural Marketing which combine practical learning with cutting-edge research.
7. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Since its origin in 1885 as the brainchild of Sidney Webb, LSE has admitted students irrespective of gender and nationality. It has ranked among the top universities in London as per the Complete University Guide for eleven consecutive years. With engagement with the wider world at the heart of its mission, LSE represents over 160 countries – a diverse and cosmopolitan community.
According to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, over 58% of the university’s research was described as world-leading. The university offers degrees in Business, Finance, Accounting, and Statistics and has over 140 Master’s programs.
LSE offers a doctoral program in Marketing. It is taught by qualified researchers who focus on tackling critical issues in global markets.
8. National University of Singapore (NUS)
Ranked 21st best university worldwide by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and 3rd best in Asia, NUS is a research-intensive university with an integrated approach to education. It was founded in 1905 as a medical school with 23 regular students. Years later, it has become Singapore’s flagship university, with over 40,000 students from 100 countries.
NUS offers a range of degrees and programs, with research often at the center of education. Marketing programs offered by the NUS Business School are based on analytics ad current market trends. True to its reputation of being one of the top marketing schools in the world, NUS aims to educate each generation through a standard syllabus with a contemporary approach.
9. HEC Paris School of Management
HEC Paris School of Management is the epitome of a modern business school and among the top marketing schools in the world: they offer all the possible studies you can imagine when it comes to business and management through summer programs, executive programs, master’s and PhD studies. Of course, it should not be missed to mention, as the school itself proudly points out on its website, that this school was declared the school with the best master programs in the field of marketing in both 2020 and 2021.
10. University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame was founded in the late 19th century and is recognized as one of the best institutions for marketing across the globe. Since then, the university has gathered several schools and colleges under its auspices. Mendoza College of Business is a part of the University of Notre Dame where its Marketing Department can be found. Although this school also offers master’s degrees in marketing, it is more known for its highly-ranked undergraduate marketing studies and, later, bachelor’s degree in business administration.
11. Columbia University
Not only is Columbia University the oldest university in New York, founded in the 18th century, but also the business school under its auspices, Columbia Business School, is high on the list of the best marketing schools in the world with its Marketing Division. This school offers both master’s and PhD degrees in both marketing and business administration.
12. University of Florida
University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business offers both undergraduate and graduate marketing studies, which means you could earn bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees after finishing your studies there; but, they are most known for their exceptional undergraduate program. According to the college itself, their undergraduate studies will provide all the knowledge about consumers’ needs and how to meet them, in order to become the best on the market one day.
13. Imperial College Business School
Imperial College Business School is an excellent marketing university that is based in London and was founded in the mid-19th century. Today, this school is one of the most modern schools of contemporary economic and business studies, including highly reputable marketing studies. Although this school offers bachelor’s degrees besides master’s and PhD, they are not in the marketing area. Nonetheless, its master’s degree in Strategic Marketing is one of the most known marketing degrees in the world.
14. Saint Joseph’s University
What sets marketing studies at Saint Joseph’s University apart is that its Haub School of Business concentrates on different branches (such as General Marketing, Sports Marketing, Entertainment Marketing, etc) and aspects of marketing (such as Digital Marketing, the factor of Social Media, Sales Techniques and Advertising Strategies, etc). This school is most known for its undergraduate marketing studies, but it also offers graduate (master’s) marketing studies.
15. Esade Business School
Esade Business School is an institution under the private Ramon Llull University in Barcelona. This school is well known for its high-quality graduate marketing studies, especially master’s. It offers a degree in various marketing fields, such as Marketing and Sales, Digital marketing, Marketing Innovation, Marketing Analytics, etc. Offered master’s programs can be attended in both English and Spanish.
16. University of Wisconsin–Madison
Another good choice for marketing studies is the Wisconsin Business School at the University of Wisconsin. The Department of Marketing is affiliated with three centers of expertise and offers both undergraduate and graduate marketing studies; but, it is mostly known for its bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in marketing.
17. ESCP Business School
ESCP Business School, located in Paris, France, offers a wide range of modern business-related studies and programs, including graduate marketing studies. At this school, you can find Specialized master’s studies in fields such as Marketing and Communication, Marketing and Creativity, Marketing and Digital Media, etc.
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18. University of Virginia
The University of Virginia was founded in the early 19th century and since then it has had a long-standing reputation as one of the best American universities, and under its auspices can be found one of the best marketing departments in the world, within the Darden School of Business. Besides valuable knowledge in various areas of marketing, this school also offers help and professional orientation after graduation.
19. Warwick Business School
Warwick Business Schools, based in London, offers both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in marketing but is mostly known for its postgraduate marketing studies in various categories affiliated with marketing, such as Business and Management.
20. Arizona State University–Tempe
The Department of Marketing under the W. P. Carey School of Business delivers world-class marketing for curriculum that offers both undergraduate and graduate studies, and its undergraduate studies are fully focused on Marketing as its own category. After finishing your marketing studies, this school, in addition to a bachelor’s degree in business, also promises a “complete package of marketing knowledge”, which includes market analysis, decision-making skills, communication skills, etc.
21. EDHEC Business School
EDHEC Business School offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields of economics, business and management studies, and its master’s degree in Marketing Management is considered one of the best master’s programs in the area of marketing in the world. In addition to theoretical knowledge, this school offers practical work through cooperation with global companies on various projects, in order to improve students’ marketing skills in the best way possible.
22. Bocconi University
Bocconi University is known to ensure a high standard of education. Its master’s program in Marketing Management uses a multidisciplinary approach and in-depth coursework to create competent leaders.
The university has a reputation in research and partners with corporations at the local and international levels, along with like-minded universities in America and Europe. Intending to provide intellectually rigorous and professionally relevant teaching, Bocconi University answers the needs of the global economy and educates individuals who are experts in the field.
23. Tsinghua University
Situated on a scenic landscape where the gardens of the Qing Dynasty once thrived, Tsinghua has a picturesque and historical campus. From a preparatory school established in 1911, it soon became a university for the people. Tsinghua University is ranked 16th in the world and the best in Asia by the Times Higher Education Rankings.
Tsinghua’s Department of Marketing is led by competent faculty known for their academic expertise and quality of research. Students at Tsinghua benefit from their diligent and creative teaching methods. It is because of this outstanding faculty that Tsinghua University developed a strong reputation as one of the best schools to study marketing in the world.
We hope that this article on Best Universities for Marketing in the World was helpful. Make sure to also check out Available Marketing Programs for International Students!
