HEC Paris business school
HEC Paris business school is top in the combined ranking © Cyril Marcilhacy/Bloomberg

The combined FT ranking of top 50 executive education providers (below) is based on the data behind the two main rankings for custom and open-enrolment non-degree programmes.

HEC Paris tops the combined ranking for its strong performance for custom programmes, tailored to the needs of individual organisations, and open courses, to which anyone can apply.

Iese in Barcelona is second in the combined table and tops the open-enrolment ranking. Duke Corporate Education in the US, which topped the custom ranking, does not appear in the combined table as it does not offer open-enrolment courses.


Financial Times Executive Education 2023: The top 50 schools*
RankSchoolCountryOpen rankingCustom ranking
1HEC ParisFrance/Qatar23
2Iese Business SchoolSpain/US/Germany/Brazil14
3InseadFrance/Singapore/UAE42
4Esade Business SchoolSpain312
5London Business SchoolUK/UAE68
6IMDSwitzerland/Singapore77
7Fundação Dom CabralBrazil711
8University of Michigan: RossUS156
9Essec Business SchoolFrance1210
10=SDA Bocconi School of ManagementItaly149
10=ESMT BerlinGermany205
12Edhec Business SchoolFrance/UK/Singapore1015
13ESCP Business SchoolFrance/UK/Germany/Spain/Italy/Poland1714
14=University of St GallenSwitzerland922
14=University of Oxford: SaïdUK531
16Western University: IveyCanada/Hong Kong1923
17Stockholm School of EconomicsSweden/Latvia1326
18Nova School of Business and EconomicsPortugal2916
19Ipade Business SchoolMexico2718
20Henley Business SchoolUK/South Africa/Denmark/Finland2125
21Warwick Business SchoolUK3217
22Incae Business SchoolCosta Rica1735
23EMLyon Business SchoolFrance/China/India2128
24Católica Lisbon School of Business and EconomicsPortugal3121
25Eada Business School BarcelonaSpain1647
26CeibsChina/Switzerland/Ghana4019
27Vlerick Business SchoolBelgium2433
28University of Cambridge: JudgeUK2638
29Thunderbird School of Global Management at ASUUS6120
30York University: SchulichCanada/India/Costa Rica3343
31WHU — Otto Beisheim School of ManagementGermany2557
32Gordon Institute of Business Science at UPSouth Africa4144
33Kedge Business SchoolFrance3951
34University of Porto — FEP | PBSPortugal4246
35Indian Institute of Management AhmedabadIndia/UAE4545
36Fundação Getulio Vargas — FGV EAESPBrazil3655
37Aalto UniversityFinland/Singapore5932
38Universidad de los Andes School of ManagementColombia2867
39Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus UniversityNetherlands5740
40NHH Norwegian School of EconomicsNorway3763
41Indian School of BusinessIndia6529
42=Indian Institute of Management BangaloreIndia4753
42=AudenciaFrance3769
44=Lagos Business SchoolNigeria4365
44=UCT Graduate School of BusinessSouth Africa6348
46Skema Business SchoolFrance/Brazil/US/South Africa/China6730
47ISEG — Lisbon School of Economics and ManagementPortugal5952
48Frankfurt School of Finance and ManagementGermany5262
49BI Norwegian Business SchoolNorway5165
50Kozminski UniversityPoland5771
*This table is compiled from the scores underlying the Financial Times Executive Education 2023 open-enrolment and custom rankings, rather than the printed rankings; both sets of data are given equal weight, but the overall result is therefore not equal to the average of the two printed figures for each school.

Financial Times Executive Education rankings 2023

Iese and Duke CE © Alamy Stock Photo

View the twin main rankings of custom and open-enrolment executive education programmes

Custom programme ranking mini profiles

Top for custom programmes: Duke CE

© Alamy Stock Photo

Duke Corporate Education, in the US, was last number one in the custom ranking in 2014. It rose one place in the ranking from 2022 to head the custom table again. Duke CE is also top in two other categories: programme design and teaching methods and materials. Its strong connection with clients was highly praised. The school does not appear in the combined table as it does not offer open-enrolment courses.

Top for overseas programmes: IMD

International Institute for Management Development (IMD) Campus, Switzerland

IMD, in Switzerland, holds onto its top position from last year for overseas programmes in the custom programme ranking, based on the large number of courses developed for clients in more than one country. It also performed well overall, coming seventh in the ranking. The school’s faculty was particularly commended.


Top for future use: ISB

Indian School of Business, Hi-Tech City, Hyderabad
© Robert Harding/Alamy

The Indian School of Business ranks top for future use of its custom programmes. Clients say they are highly likely to return to the school and recommission the same courses. ISB is sixth for growth in revenues from custom courses and 11th for international client locations.


Top in Latin America: Fundação Dom Cabral

Fundação Dom Cabral campus

Brazil’s Fundação Dom Cabral is the highest placed custom school in Latin America and 11th overall. It also makes the top five in the categories for programme design, faculty, level of interaction between clients and school, plus teaching methods and materials.


Highest newcomer: Iéseg

 Students leave the IESEG School of Management building at La Defense business and financial district
© Charles Platiau/Reuters

Iéseg is the highest new entrant in the custom table. The French school is 58th overall and in the top 10 for both faculty diversity — based on citizenship and gender of the teaching staff — and the global reach of its customised programme teaching.


Biggest riser: Grenoble

Grenoble Ecole de Management business and management school
© Hemis/Alamy

Grenoble, in France, climbed 21 places in the custom table, to 39th — the biggest riser. High clientratings for effectiveness of follow-up sessions added to its success, as did the likelihood customers would return to the school for other custom programmes.


Open programme mini profiles

Top for open programmes: Iese

Iese Business School in Barcelona

The Spanish school heads the open ranking for the first time since 2011. It reached the top spot for international location, measuring the global reach of its open courses. Iese is also number one for partner schools, based on the quantity of programmes taught with other accredited institutions.


Top for aims achieved: HEC Paris

Second overall in the open programme ranking and top of the combined table, HEC Paris (pictured top) is also first for aims achieved — the extent to which personal and professional expectations were met. The school is also first in categories including course design, follow-up and quality of teaching methods and materials. Participants praised good interaction with faculty.


Top for faculty diversity: Henley

Henley Business School, Greenlands campus

No other school in the open course ranking could match the diversity of Henley’s faculty, based on citizenship and gender. The UK school was up six places in this category compared with last year. It is also ranked in the top 25 in six other categories, including course design.


Top in Asia: Kaist

Kaist campus
© Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images

South Korea’s Kaist is joint 21st and the top school in Asia for open programmes. Kaist is seventh for follow-up and networking opportunities. The school also performed well in the preparation category.


Highest new entrant: FGV EAESP

FGV EAESP campus

In 36th place, Fundação Getulio Vargas is the highest new entrant and a top five Latin American school in the open ranking. The Brazilian school performed well in course follow-up and new skills and learning.


Biggest riser: EMLyon

stairs of the Emlyon business school
© Lucille Cottin/Alamy

Rising 20 places to joint 21st, EMLyon makes the biggest leap in the open ranking, based on the quality of its participants, the global reach of its open courses, and faculty diversity according to citizenship and gender.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
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