Located in the heart of Milan – Italy’s financial capital – SDA Bocconi School of Management comes third on Forbes’ Best Business Schools global ranking.

Bocconi is one of the oldest business education institutions in Europe and offers an MBA entirely in English. An impressive 83 percent of its students are international, coming from over 30 different countries.

The university’s great location also provides students with the possibility to experience and live in one of the main cultural, artistic and innovative cities in Italy.

Daniel Shavit, a Parisian and recent Bocconi graduate, told The Local the location is“the number one reason” foreigners pick the university.

“The city is undergoing a revival and in every year which passes by, the number and quality of venues for young people just improves,” he said.

Shavit has just completed a Bachelor of International Economics and Management (BIEMF) and said Bocconi is working hard to create interesting courses and attract leading business professors.

“The course satisfied me in every way: good teachers, great classmates, and a large range of classes to partake in. Having met several MBA professors they are of a very high quality; Bocconi is making a visible effort to acquire top-tier talent,” he said.

Within three months of completing Bocconi’s MBA programme 84 percent of graduates are employed, according to the Financial Times. On average they triple their income, according to Forbes, and go on to work in multinationals located all over the world.

Beyond Bocconi

But Bocconi is by no means the only location for foreign students in Milan. The Politecnico di Milano MIP School of Management is the 24th best business school in Europe, behind Bocconi’s sixth place, according to the QS Global 200 Business School Report 2013/2014.

The university also gets the backing of the Financial Times, ranked 38th in Europe compared to Bocconi’s eighth-place. Politecnico di Milano focuses particularly on providing managerial and organizational skills to its students.

Closely behind in the QS ranking, at 47th place, is Luiss Business School. Based in the Italian capital, Luiss offers students the opportunity to develop managerial skills in the heart of Rome.

It provides fantastic opportunities with manufacturing and services companies through its connection with business group Confindustria. Additionally, the business school also maintains relationships and builds career opportunities through with its graduates through the MBA Alumni Association. 

By Tiziana Buscemi