Top 10 Executive MBA Programs in the World

This year HEC Paris has been ranked the best in the world for executive MBAs in the QS Executive MBA Rankings 2023. 

The QS rankings reveal the top programmes in the world as well as providing a regional breakdown to help you find a top school near you. The rankings also include a separate table of the best joint programmes. 

The schools are ranked based on a methodology that considers factors such as employer reputation, thought leadership, executive profile, diversity, and career outcomes. To learn more about how the schools are ranked, read our methodology. 

Read on to discover the top 10 schools offering executive MBA programmes in the world. 

6) Chicago Booth School of Business

University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business created the world’s first executive MBA programme in 1943, so it's clear to see why the programme retains its prestige. Chicago (Booth) ranked 10th this year and received an almost perfect score for thought leadership and employer reputation. 

Chicago (Booth) aims to give students the opportunity to explore their creativity and innovate new products and business solutions while studying. New ideas are fostered and guided by skilled faculty members into fruition with many students going on to have successful careers. 

9) ESADE Business School

Next in the rankings is ESADE Business School which ranked ninth globally and received a nearly perfect score for thought diversity, ranking second in the world for this indicator, making it the most diverse business school on the top 10 list. 

ESADE Business School prioritises digitised learning to create a modern, forward-thinking cohort of graduates. They aim to always be looking towards new ways of learning which will help their students to develop problem-solving skills, which are vital in the world of business. 

8) INSEAD

INSEAD’s Global Executive MBA programme ranked eighth in the world this year, retaining its position from last year. It received an almost perfect score for employer reputation. 

INSEAD encourages its graduates to create a better world through high-quality teaching, innovative research, and a lively global community. It has campuses all over Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East in order to provide its students with the opportunity to be a part of an international business network and study in an international environment. 

7) London Business School

Ranked seventh this year is London Business School, which receives its highest score for employer reputation. 

London Business School fosters a global outlook on the world of business and challenges conventional ideas about business and society in order to create change. They also pride themselves on the sense of community and inclusion that they aim to cultivate which includes policies around women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ people and people from working-class backgrounds.

6) IE Business School

The sixth highest-ranking EMBA programme this year can be found at IE Business School in Madrid. It receives its highest score for executive profile, suggesting a highly qualified and experienced student body. 

IE Business School aims to teach its students real-world business skills so that they are able to embark on a range of career pathways after graduation. They instil principles such as problem-solving, team building, digital technology and analysing data as well as teaching the importance of sustainable business practice and social innovation in a diverse team. 

5) The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania

In fifth is The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. It receives its highest score for employer reputation, ranked fourth in the world for this indicator. 

Penn (Wharton) offers a range of degree courses for both postgraduate and undergraduate students as well as non-degree courses for anyone who wants to learn more about the world of business. 

 Established in 1881, Penn (Wharton) was an innovative influence on the transformation of the modern business school and prioritises elevation, innovation, and collaboration to produce scalable solutions to business problems. 

4) MIT Sloan School of Business

 The Sloan School of Management at MIT ranks fourth in the world this year. It receives a perfect score in thought leadership, highlighting its innovative approach to business education. 

MIT (Sloan) prides itself on de-prioritising the current business trends and instead focusing on the principles of business and how they can be used to solve new and emerging problems. They aim to create a community of innovative thinkers who are given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience. At MIT (Sloan), students and faculty work together to solve the most pressing contemporary problems in the industry. 

3) Saïd Business School

Beginning our countdown of the top three business schools to offer an executive MBA in the world is Said Business School at the University of Oxford. It also receives its highest score in the thought leadership indicator. 

Oxford (Said) argues that the business world is becoming increasingly important as governments and world leaders rely on business innovation to create meaningful change in the world. Said Business School aims to produce these change-makers through world-class education, cutting edge research, an environment deeply rooted in culture and history, to serve as both learning material and inspiration, and a culture of respect and collaboration within the institution. 

2) IESE Business School

In second this year is IESE Business School in Barcelona. It receives its highest scores for employer reputation and executive profile. 

IESE Business School aims to nurture business leaders who are passionate about making a positive change in the world. Aside from academic excellence, the school encourages its students to pursue a sense of integrity and a spirit of service in their work. They believe that every individual has something unique to contribute to the world of business and should be encouraged to explore their own ideas independently. 

1) HEC Paris

HEC Paris has risen to first place this year and has been named the business school with the best executive MBA programme in the world. It scores very highly across all indicators, especially career outcomes, thought leadership and employer reputation. 

HEC aims to foster an entrepreneurial spirit in order to encourage its students to push the boundaries of contemporary business knowledge. It encourages its students to think critically and remain curious about the world around them so that they are constantly learning and collaborating throughout their studies and in their future careers.