MBA Rankings 2024: Best Business Schools in the World
In business, there is no room for second place. This is truer now than ever before. And what better way to go to the top than by earning an MBA from one of the world's leading international business schools?
Best Business Credit Cards 2023
That's why we've compiled the most prestigious MBA rankings from around the world and put them all in one place so you can compare them and figure out which business school is best for you.
The most important business school rankings in the education industry are:
- The Financial Times' Global MBA Ranking
- The Economist's Full-Time MBA Ranking and Bloomberg Businessweek's Best B-Schools Ranking
- QS Top Universities' Global MBA Rankings
- Times Higher Education's World University Rankings by Subject: Business and Management
- US News & World Report's Best Global Universities for Economics and Business
- Shanghai University's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - Business Administration
"Aren't seven university rankings excessive?" you might wonder.
No way for us! We want to go above and above to provide you with accurate information on the best business university programmes in 2022. We've compiled the most recent listings from the aforementioned business rankings. So, which business schools are the best in the world?
The Financial Times has released its Global MBA Rankings for 2023.
- INSEAD, France/Singapore
- London Business School, UK
- University of Chicago: Booth, USA
- IESE Business School, Spain
- Yale School of Management, US
- Northwestern University: Kellogg, US
- CEIBS, China
- HEC Paris, France
- Duke University: Fuqua, US
- Dartmouth College: Tuck, US
So, how can international business schools wind up on the Financial Times' list of the best business schools in the world? Equis or the AACSB accreditation is required for participating schools, as it attests to their teaching standards. The criteria are based on alumni survey responses for 61% of the criteria, with the rest coming from yearly school audits and university research.
2. The Economist's Full-time MBA Rankings for 2023
Another prominent business journal, The Economist, publishes its own annual rankings. According to them, the following are the best universities for business:
- IESE Business School, Spain
- HEC Paris, France
- University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business, US
- New York University, US
- Georgia Institute of Technology: Scheller, US
- SDA Bocconi – School of Management, Italy
- EDHEC Business School, France
- University of Washington: Foster, US
- Carnegie Mellon University: Tepper, US
- IMD – International Institute for Management Development, Switzerland
3. Best Business Schools 2022-2023 according to Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg News is a well-known journalistic source that conducts reliable in-depth analysis on business matters. Its annual business rankings are part of its quality intelligence study, which is presented in the form of a top 100 university list. According to Bloomberg, the following are the top ten business schools in the world:
- Stanford University, USA
- Dartmouth - Tuck Business School, USA
- Harvard University, USA
- University of Chicago – Booth School of Business, USA
- University of Virginia – Darden School of Business, USA
- IMD Business School, Switzerland
- University of Pennsylvania – Wharton School, USA
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
- University of California at Berkeley: Haas, USA
- Columbia Business School, USA
In 2019, Bloomberg polled 26,699 MBA students, alumni, and recruiters throughout the world on their goals and experiences with business school.
4. US News & World Report's Best Global Universities for Economics and Business in 2023
U.S. News and World Report are two of the most well-known university ranking services in the United States. They publish subject-specific lists as part of their yearly worldwide university rankings. The following is a top ten list of the best business schools in the world:
- Harvard University, USA
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
- University of California-Berkeley, USA
- Stanford University, USA
- University of Chicago, USA
- University of Pennsylvania, USA
- London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
- Columbia University, USA
- New York University, USA
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
When determining the finest institutions in the world, U.S. News considers the percentage of students who continue their studies in their second year as well as the percentage of students who graduate.
It also polls university representatives about their institutions' performance, assessing university resources, instructor salaries, graduation rates, and student academic achievements and satisfaction.
5. 2023 QS Global MBA Rankings
Top Universities' QS Rankings is one of the most well-known university ranking services in the world. Naturally, they compile an annual list of MBA programmes. According to QS, the following are the top ten business schools in the world:
- Stanford University, USA
- University of Pennsylvania – Wharton School, USA
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
- Harvard University, USA
- HEC Paris, France
- INSEAD, France/Singapore
- London Business School, UK
- Columbia Business School, USA
- IE Business School, Spain
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
In 2023, the QS MBA Rankings ranked 240 MBA programmes based on three distinct surveys that included data on graduate wages, employer reputation, alumni career information, class and faculty diversity, and more.
6-Business and Management is ranked sixth in the World University Rankings for 2023.
Times Higher Education's World University Rankings is arguably the most prestigious university ranking in the world. The following is a list of their top ten business degrees:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
- Stanford University, USA
- University of Cambridge, UK
- University of Oxford, UK
- Harvard University, USA
- University of California at Berkeley, USA
- University of Chicago, USA
- Yale University, USA
- London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
- Duke University, USA
Learning environment, university research, times research was mentioned in international publications, how international the personnel and students are, and more were considered to establish Times Higher Education's Business degree rankings.
7. Shanghai Ranking's 2020 Academic Subjects Global Ranking - Business Administration
Shanghai University also publishes the Academic Rankings of World Universities, which is a top university ranking. Examining this worldwide rating is a wonderful approach to learn about how an Asian university views international business studies and the universities that offer MBA programmes. According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the following are the top ten business schools:
- University of Pennsylvania – Wharton School, USA
- Texas A&M University, USA
- Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Harvard University, USA
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, USA
- Tilburg University, Netherlands
- Duke University, USA
- Georgia State University, USA
- Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management, USA
- University of Washington, USA
Shanghai University considers measures such as the number of papers written on the academic subject, the number of citations in the industry, prizes earned by university staff, and more when compiling its lists of top institutions.
Here are other Business schools we recommend:
- Northeastern University, the US
- Swansea University, the UK
- University of Newcastle, Australia
- Central European University, Austria
- KU Leuven, Belgium
You can also earn an MBA online from the convenience of your own home.
Student reviews of the world's greatest business schools
The number of graduates, earnings after graduation, the quantity of research publications, and other characteristics are all taken into account when determining university rankings.
However, at Studyportals, we feel that future international students like you are interested in hearing what other graduates have to say about their schools. On each university page on our portals, you may see reviews made by other students. Here are some perspectives from graduates of some of the aforementioned business schools:
UC Berkeley graduate
"UC Berkeley was a fantastic educational experience. Faculty and students pushed me to my limits. The kids represented a wide range of backgrounds. The rankings have always been high. Professors were approachable. I have the impression that they want you to succeed."
Imperial College London graduate
"It was a fresh adventure in which I investigated various areas of life, academia, and job. The strength of Imperial College London's research infrastructure, as well as their international outreach in various nations throughout the world, appealed to me."
ETH Zurich graduate
"The teaching methods were adequate, the library and staff aid in study concerns were excellent, and all of this contributed to ETH's international ranking; as far as academic excellence is concerned, it would be one of my top picks."
Erasmus University Rotterdam
"First and foremost, the university is vast and diversified. Because all of the faculties are on one campus, you will have access to people from all walks of life. Furthermore, it strongly encourages all of its pupils to be inclusive.
Second, the city itself is spectacular. Everyone speaks English, everyone is friendly, it's a safe city, you can cycle everywhere, and you get the best of both worlds: one part of the city is modern and urban, while the other is more traditional and country-like (even has a lake).
Overall, I would do it all over again! I met fantastic friends with whom I still communicate on a regular basis, and I miss them, as well as Rotterdam!"
University of Minnesota graduate
"I am thrilled to be a student at the University of Minnesota; it is such a terrific school that delivers outstanding education to its students, and the school's quality is hard to surpass!" "Plus, Minneapolis is so large and diverse that there is so much to get involved in as a student and as a tourist."
Conclusions about the best business schools in the world
- The United States is the world leader of business education, according to international rankings. Are you surprised?
- International business rankings can vary a lot depending on the different criteria taken into account.
- There are a few universities which appear in top positions in multiple rankings: Harvard, Stanford and Penn State seem to be the front-runners.
- You probably can’t go wrong with any of the universities listed above. But the real key to decide is finding out which university best fits your needs and goals.
- If the U.S. is too far away from you, you might also be interested to check out the best business schools in Europe. No pressure!
- Even if you won’t study in one of these prestigious business schools, that doesn’t mean you can’t end up being a great business professional. It’s all up to you to give it your best.