The Financial Times ranking for 2012 puts the Swiss university on top of 70 business schools in a list dominated by European institutions.

Other schools in the top five management masters list include ESCP Europe (second) followed by France’s Cems, HEC Paris and Essec Business School.

The FT rankings, now in their eighth year, are based on criteria that include salaries for students three years after graduation, achievement rates, international experience, value for money and career service effectiveness.

The University of Saint Gallen “scored highly in all criteria,” the survey said.

Graduates of the university earn among the highest salaries three years after graduation (averaging just under $82,000 a year), the highest achievement rate and a broad international experience, the FT said.

“The school offers the best value for money and is ranked second for the effectiveness of its career service.”

The specific name of Saint Gallen’s management programme is Master of Arts in Strategy and International Management.

More than 90 percent of the programme’s students come from outside of Switzerland and 46 percent are women.

The programme’s faculty is 78 percent international, a reflection of its global outlook.