Wharton School has claimed the top spot in the 2024 Financial Times Global MBA ranking, bouncing back after its absence from last year’s ranking. INSEAD closely follows at #2, while Columbia Business School is at third.
SDA Bocconi rises impressively to fourth place, with IESE Business School securing fifth spot. Noteworthy shifts include MIT Sloan's ascend to seventh and Cornell Johnson's entry into the top ten.
Last year's rank 4, Harvard and Stanford lost their position in the top 10 and slipped to rank 11 and 23, respectively.
| Business School | Rank (Top 10 MBA) |
| University of Pennsylvania: Wharton | 1 |
| INSEAD | 2 |
| Columbia Business School | 3 |
| SDA Bocconi School of Management | 4 |
| IESE Business School | 5 |
| Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management | 6 |
| MIT: Sloan | 7 |
| London Business School | 8 |
| Cornell University: Johnson | 9 |
| University of Chicago: Booth | 10 |
FT 2024 - MBA Ranking Methodology
In line with last year's methodology, the latest FT Global MBA Ranking maintains its emphasis on diversity and sustainability.
With all criteria remaining unchanged from the previous year, the ranking continues to prioritize outcome measures, including post-MBA salary, value for money, and career progression. Notably, the evaluation of post-MBA salary three years after graduation remains a significant factor, contributing 16% towards the ranking.
The inclusion of environmental considerations, such as carbon footprint rank and ESG teaching, underscores the growing importance of sustainability in business education.
Editor’s Note
The ranking shifts are unlikely to be contributed by sustainability but from the 10 points allocated for FT Research rank –based on the papers published by faculty in top academic journals. A research-driven university is likely to outsmart a top-tier standalone MBA program. Applicants must consider this ‘big’ factor while looking at the overall rank. Another two factors that can contribute towards skewed results are 5 points allocated for international mobility and 5 points for value for money. Such metrics often don’t take into consideration the mid-term value of starting with an impressive post-MBA salary despite the 3 years it takes to recover the cost of a Top MBA program.
International mobility is also a skewed factor as many are forced to move back to their home country or choose international client offices as part of negotiating their offers (in line with their pre-MBA experience).
Top 10 MBA Ranking (Increase in Salary)
In a notable shift, the top 10 MBA programs by percentage salary increase for the year 2024 exhibit a diverse global representation. Indian School of Business retains a strong position, securing the top spot with a remarkable 229% salary increase. Fudan University School of Management follows closely behind, showcasing a significant 194% increase in salary, while Shanghai University of Finance and Economics: College of Business maintains a strong presence in third place with a 190% salary increase.
University of Georgia: Terry emerges as a newcomer in the ranking, claiming the fourth position with an impressive 186% salary increase.
XLRI — Xavier School of Management, also a new entrant, secures the fifth spot with a 178% increase in salary.
Notable changes include the National University of Singapore Business School's rise to sixth position and the University of Rochester: Simon Business School's drop to seventh.
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore secures the eighth spot, while Michigan State University: Broad and Ceibs round up the top ten with impressive gains in salary increase.
Editor’s Note
Asian schools are likely to rank in this ranking from currency conversion and the relatively low cost of living in the region. Post-MBA locations are rarely international in these schools. The cost of borrowing and salary are all streamlined in the same currency, contributing towards an impressive ROI. Except for Shanghai University of Finance and Economics: College of Business, the weighted salary for other top schools in the Increase in Salary ranking is still $100,000 below Harvard and Stanford, emphasizing the need for applicants to not isolate cost as a standalone factor but as an important investment to earn this differential in post-MBA salary. The starting pay post-MBA often determines lifetime earning capacity if you are planning to continue in traditional employer-driven careers. Brand matters.
| FT Global MBA Ranking Factor | Weightage |
| Weighted salary | 16 |
| Salary increase | 16 |
| Value for money | 5 |
| Career progress | 3 |
| Aims achieved | 4 |
| Alumni network rank | 4 |
| Careers service | 3 |
| Employed at three months | 2 |
| Sector diversity rank | 3 |
| Female faculty | 3 |
| Female students | 3 |
| Women on board | 1 |
| International Faculty | 3 |
| International students | 3 |
| International Board | 1 |
| International mobility | 5 |
| International course experience | 3 |
| Faculty with doctorates | 5 |
| FT research rank | 10 |
| Carbon footprint rank | 4 |
| ESG and net zero teaching rank | 3 |
| Rank | Global MBA Rank | School Name | Percentage Salary Increase | Weighted Salary ($) |
| 1 | 31 | Indian School of Business | 229 | $174,421 |
| 2 | 27 | Fudan University School of Management | 194 | $169,057 |
| 3 | 24 | Shanghai University of Finance and Economics: College of Business | 190 | $211,973 |
| 4 | 40 | University of Georgia: Terry | 186 | $143,382 |
| 5 | 99 | XLRI — Xavier School of Management | 178 | $132,534 |
| 6 | 27 | National University of Singapore Business School | 170 | $165,973 |
| 7 | 55 | University of Rochester: Simon Business School | 170 | $158,563 |
| 8 | 47 | Indian Institute of Management Bangalore | 169 | $167,425 |
| 9 | 51 | Michigan State University: Broad | 167 | $153,384 |
| 10 | 21 | Ceibs | 163 | $189,348 |
Top 10 Ranking (Career Aims Achieved)
The 2024 rankings for career aims achieved underscore the importance of students prioritizing the effectiveness of schools in fulfilling professional aspirations.
Stanford Graduate School of Business leads the pack with a weighted salary of $250,650 and an impressive 94% of graduates achieving their career goals.
Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business and the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business share the second position with 92% aims achieved.
Noteworthy mentions include IESE Business School and London Business School, alongside Cornell University's Johnson School and HEC Paris, all boasting a 91% rate of aims achieved, although the European and 15-30 ranked US schools featured in the top 10 list earns candidates below the $200,000 benchmark. This should not matter if the post-MBA location is anywhere in Asia apart from leading cities in China or Singapore where the cost of living is matching the US counterparts.
Editor’s Note
On Aims achieved by 90% of the students surveyed and a $200,000 weighted salary as a benchmark, schools worth prioritizing include Stanford, Tuck, Darden, Duke Fuqua, NYU Stern, Booth, Harvard, and Haas. MIT Sloan narrowly misses out on this evaluation criteria.
| Rank | Global MBA Rank | School Name | Weighted Salary | Aims Achieved |
| 1 | 23 | Stanford Graduate School of Business | $250,650 | 94 |
| 2 | 12 | Dartmouth College: Tuck | $211,515 | 92 |
| 2 | 16 | University of Virginia: Darden | $202,371 | 92 |
| 3 | 5 | IESE Business School | $186,339 | 91 |
| 3 | 8 | London Business School | $192,331 | 91 |
| 3 | 9 | Cornell University: Johnson | $194,542 | 91 |
| 3 | 12 | HEC Paris | $175,673 | 91 |
| 3 | 14 | Duke University's Fuqua School of Business | $204,186 | 91 |
| 3 | 15 | Yale School of Management | $199,746 | 91 |
| 3 | 21 | New York University: Stern | $205,262 | 91 |
| 3 | 29 | University of Cambridge: Judge | $176,786 | 91 |
| 3 | 30 | University of Washington: Michael G. Foster | $179,547 | 91 |
| 3 | 42 | Rice University: Jones | $176,551 | 91 |
| 3 | 51 | Michigan State University: Broad | $153,384 | 91 |
| 3 | 55 | University of Texas at Dallas: Jindal | $133,834 | 91 |
| 4 | 6 | Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management | $216,134 | 90 |
| 4 | 10 | University of Chicago: Booth | $228,901 | 90 |
| 4 | 11 | Harvard Business School | $246,509 | 90 |
| 4 | 19 | University of California at Berkeley: Haas | $218,992 | 90 |
| 4 | 33 | University of Southern California: Marshall | $181,854 | 90 |
| 4 | 38 | Georgetown University: McDonough | $186,125 | 90 |
| 4 | 40 | University of Georgia: Terry | $143,382 | 90 |
| 4 | 49 | Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business | $163,708 | 90 |
| 4 | 55 | University of Rochester: Simon Business School | $158,563 | 90 |
| 4 | 59 | University of Notre Dame: Mendoza | $158,710 | 90 |
| 4 | 62 | Queen's University: Smith | $118,221 | 90 |
| 4 | 82 | Boston University Questrom School of Business | $134,571 | 90 |
| 5 | 1 | University of Pennsylvania: Wharton | $245,772 | 89 |
| 5 | 3 | Columbia Business School | $232,760 | 89 |
| 5 | 6 | MIT: Sloan | $229,639 | 89 |
| 5 | 18 | UCLA Anderson School of Management | $196,204 | 89 |
| 5 | 26 | University of Oxford: Saïd | $175,338 | 89 |
| 5 | 42 | Emory University: Goizueta | $175,297 | 89 |
| 5 | 44 | University of Texas at Austin: McCombs | $179,349 | 89 |
| 5 | 70 | University of Toronto: Rotman | $119,049 | 89 |
| 5 | 71 | Texas A & M University: Mays | $138,799 | 89 |
| 5 | 83 | McGill University: Desautels | $110,108 | 89 |
| 6 | 2 | Insead | $198,904 | 88 |
| 6 | 46 | Alliance Manchester Business School | $140,238 | 88 |
| 6 | 48 | University of North Carolina: Kenan-Flagler | $173,103 | 88 |
| 6 | 51 | University of California at Irvine: Merage | $154,558 | 88 |
| 6 | 53 | Arizona State University: WP Carey | $135,544 | 88 |
| 6 | 61 | Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University | $123,661 | 88 |
| 6 | 63 | WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management | $123,487 | 88 |
| 6 | 69 | George Washington University | $150,874 | 88 |
| 6 | 81 | Wisconsin School of Business | $138,335 | 88 |
| 7 | 33 | Carnegie Mellon: Tepper | $193,908 | 87 |
| 7 | 35 | HKUST Business School | $169,265 | 87 |
| 7 | 36 | IMD — International Institute for Management Development | $172,325 | 87 |
| 7 | 47 | Indian Institute of Management Bangalore | $167,425 | 87 |
| 7 | 49 | Washington University: Olin | $155,128 | 87 |
| 7 | 84 | Brigham Young University: Marriott | $143,855 | 87 |
| 7 | 100 | Fordham University: Gabelli | $141,950 | 87 |
| 8 | 3 | SDA Bocconi School of Management | $202,534 | 86 |
| 8 | 17 | Esade Business School | $182,414 | 86 |
| 8 | 20 | IE Business School | $172,982 | 86 |
| 8 | 25 | ESCP Business School | $143,907 | 86 |
| 8 | 27 | National University of Singapore Business School | $165,973 | 86 |
| 8 | 27 | Fudan University School of Management | $169,057 | 86 |
| 8 | 45 | HKU Business School | $136,499 | 86 |
| 8 | 79 | AGSM at UNSW Business School | $121,582 | 86 |
| 8 | 90 | Western University: Ivey | $119,306 | 86 |
| 9 | 31 | Indian School of Business | $174,421 | 85 |
| 9 | 32 | Nanyang Business School, NTU Singapore | $158,111 | 85 |
| 9 | 54 | Essec Business School | $115,708 | 85 |
| 9 | 57 | Edhec Business School | $124,405 | 85 |
| 9 | 57 | EMLyon Business School | $132,071 | 85 |
| 9 | 65 | University of St Gallen | $140,774 | 85 |
| 9 | 73 | Mannheim Business School | $140,633 | 85 |
| 9 | 74 | The Lisbon MBA Catolica | Nova | $120,575 | 85 |
| 9 | 76 | William & Mary: Mason | $133,504 | 85 |
| 9 | 91 | University College Dublin: Smurfit | $119,761 | 85 |
| 9 | 93 | Northeastern University: D'Amore-McKim | $127,405 | 85 |
| 9 | 21 | Ceibs | $189,348 | 85 |
| 10 | 37 | Peking University: Guanghua | $171,939 | 84 |
| 10 | 39 | Imperial College Business School | $160,688 | 84 |
| 10 | 41 | Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad | $194,595 | 84 |
| 10 | 67 | Indian Institute of Management Calcutta | $161,676 | 84 |
| 10 | 68 | Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) | $140,902 | 84 |
| 10 | 86 | Rutgers Business School | $139,292 | 84 |
| 10 | 95 | Copenhagen Business School (CBS) | $111,988 | 84 |
| 10 | 98 | Tias Business School, Tilburg University | $89,800 | 84 |
FT Global MBA Ranking 2024 – Sustainability
In the 2024 FT Global MBA Ranking, SDA Bocconi School of Management takes the lead in sustainability efforts, securing the top score for carbon footprint reduction initiatives. Following closely behind is the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, which earned the second position.
Related Service: F1GMAT's Career Planning Service (Choose the right MBA program)
Reference: FT Global MBA Ranking 2024
