Best Countries to Study Economics & Finance Abroad
The countries with the deepest options for studying economics and finance abroad are United States, United Kingdom, Europe (Other) — scored by BrightKey on the strength of each country's universities across six dimensions. But "most options" is not the same as "best fit for you": cost, visa, and outcomes matter just as much (see the honest note below).
Economics, finance, and quantitative programs — for international students targeting investment banking, asset management, central banks, policy work, or PhD-track economics research.
Leading universities: University of Chicago, Princeton University, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Leading universities: University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London
Leading universities: HEC Paris, NYU Abu Dhabi, Bocconi University
Leading universities: Waseda University, Keio University, University of Tokyo
Leading universities: University of Zurich, University of St. Gallen, University of Geneva
Leading universities: Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Amsterdam, Maastricht University
Leading universities: Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Leading universities: École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Leading universities: National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University
Leading universities: Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm School of Economics
Leading universities: Universidade de São Paulo, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Leading universities: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Leading universities: KU Leuven, Université catholique de Louvain
Leading universities: University of New South Wales, Macquarie University
Leading universities: Tecnológico de Monterrey, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México
Leading universities: Vietnam National University, Vietnam National University
Leading universities: University of Waterloo
Leading universities: University of Freiburg
Leading universities: University of Vienna
Leading universities: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Leading universities: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Leading universities: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Leading universities: Universidad de los Andes
Leading universities: Charles University
Leading universities: University of Warsaw
Leading universities: Koç University
Leading universities: University of Delhi
Leading universities: Universidad de Buenos Aires
Leading universities: Qatar University
Leading universities: Lahore University of Management Sciences
Leading universities: Universiti Malaya
Leading universities: Universitas Indonesia
Leading universities: University of the Philippines Diliman
Leading universities: University of Pretoria
Leading universities: University of Ghana
Leading universities: Cairo University
Leading universities: University of Lagos
Leading universities: University of Dhaka
Leading universities: University of Colombo
Leading universities: Mohammed V University
How we ranked these
Each country is scored on the depth of its universities offering economics and finance programs, rated across BrightKey's six dimensions (network strength, curriculum relevance, employability, teaching quality, institutional health, student experience; S=3, A=2, B=1). A higher score means the country offers more strong institutions for this field — not a single famous school.
An honest note
This list measures how many strong universities a country offers for economics and finance — which naturally favours countries with larger datasets (like the US). The "best" country for YOU also depends on cost, visa, language, and graduate outcomes — a country with fewer universities but lower fees and a friendlier post-study visa may be the better fit. Treat this as a starting point for exploration, not the final answer.
Reviewed by Priscilla Han. Editorial standards.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best country to study economics and finance abroad?
By depth of strong universities, United States, United Kingdom, Europe (Other) lead. But the "best" country depends on your budget, visa, and goals — see the honest note above.
How is this ranking calculated?
Each country is scored on the depth of its universities offering economics and finance programs, rated across BrightKey's six dimensions (network strength, curriculum relevance, employability, teaching quality, institutional health, student experience; S=3, A=2, B=1). A higher score means the country offers more strong institutions for this field — not a single famous school.
Related answers
Related terms
This ranking is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. BrightKey takes no payment from schools or universities. Our method →