European Business Schools ranking: profiles

Top European School: HEC Paris

HEC Paris is top of the European Business Schools Ranking for the fifth consecutive year, despite slipping to second place in the custom and open executive education categories, and to fifth place in the Global MBA. The French school has reached the European top spot 12 times since the ranking started in 2004. HEC Paris’s success can be partly attributed to high alumni salaries and its rise to the top of the Masters in Management table.

Highest riser: Bologna Business School

Climbing 24 places to 66th in the European ranking, Bologna is the highest riser. The Italian school is ranked 73rd worldwide in the executive education open programme ranking, and 72nd for custom courses. Its Global MBA alumni had an average salary of $84,170 and a wage increase of 88 per cent. EMBA graduates — with average salaries of $148,139 three years after completion — praised the faculty and networking opportunities.

Top MBA: Insead

Insead’s Global MBA is top in Europe for the eighth consecutive year. The programme is also second worldwide in 2023. Insead’s MBA alumni earn about $200,000 annually three years after completion and it is the only school outside the US in the top 10 for research. The MBA is highly international, with 90 per cent of faculty and 95 per cent of students from overseas. The French school is also top in Europe for custom executive education courses.

Highest new entry: EBS Business School

Germany’s EBS school is the highest new entrant in the European ranking, in 81st place, due to its debut performance in the recent global Masters in Management table. EBS is also joint 58th worldwide in the MiM ranking — the second-highest new entry. Its success is partly due to alumni earning among the highest average salaries, at $97,415, with a 50 per cent salary increase between course completion and now, a period of three years.

Quick facts

By Sam Stephens

Rank 1: Top in Europe
HEC Paris is first for the fifth consecutive year, with top five spots in all the main 2023 rankings used to compile the European table.

Rank 2: Best of British
London Business School is in the top six in all the main 2023 rankings and third for Masters in Management.

Rank 3: Open minded
Spain’s Iese is ranked first globally for open executive education programmes and third in Europe for custom courses.

Rank 4: Executive decision
The top European school in this year’s Executive MBA ranking is ESCP, partly due to high alumni salaries.

Rank 8: Gender agenda
IE Business School is the only institution in the top 25 to achieve gender parity among faculty.

Rank 11: Salary rise
Warwick Business School’s Masters in Management alumni had the highest salary increase in the top 25, at 85 per cent.

Rank 12: Top for docs
Spain’s Esade is one of 33 schools where 100 per cent of faculty have doctorates.

Rank 13: Globally minded
At IMD in Switzerland, 98 per cent of the faculty are from abroad and all hold doctorate degrees.

Rank 14: Going solo
Alumni of Oxford’s Saïd have an average salary of $333,676, top in Europe for an EMBA run by a single school.

Rank 18: Top for MBA
Insead is the top European school in the MBA ranking, and is also first for custom executive education.

Rank 23: Northern highlights
Stockholm School of Economics maintains its top 25 position and is number one in the Nordic region.