2026 Subject Ranking

Best Business Schools for an MBA

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) ranking compares universities for graduate study using subject strength and applicant demand. This page shows positions 1–30 from the full ranking. Each position belongs to a university, not an individual degree program. Open a university's program count to see and compare its matching graduate programs. It considers employment outcomes, employer access, alumni networks and applicant demand across MBA programs.

University homepage. For program-level links, use GSN Explorer.

Rank	University	Country
1	Stanford University	United States
6 programs Doctoral Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Organization Studies Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Behavior Master's Programs Joint MS&E and Master of Public Policy degree Master of Arts in Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies MS in Management Science and Engineering (MS&E) Other Programs MSx Program
2	Harvard University	United States
3 programs Doctoral Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Management Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Behavior Master's Programs MA in Global Thought
3	University of Pennsylvania	United States
2 programs Doctoral Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Management Master's Programs Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics
4	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	United States
4 programs Doctoral Programs PhD in Management (Sloan) PhD in Organizational Studies PhD in Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management Master's Programs Master of Science in Management Studies
5	University of Chicago	United States
2 programs Doctoral Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Organizations and Markets Master's Programs Master in Management
6	Northwestern University	United States
3 programs Doctoral Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Management & Organizations & Sociology PhD program in Management and Organizations Master's Programs Master in Management
7	Columbia University	United States
1 program Doctoral Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Management
8	University of California, Berkeley	United States
1 program Doctoral Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Management of Organizations
9	Yale University	United States
5 programs Master's Programs Master of Advanced Management Master of Science in Management in Global Business and Society Master of Science in Management in Systemic Risk Other Programs M2M Programs Silver Scholars Management
10	New York University	United States
5 programs Doctoral Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Management Master's Programs Master of Science in Construction Management (SPS) Master of Science in Construction Management (Tandon) Master's in Event Management (MSEM) MS in Organization Management and Strategy
11	INSEAD	France
4 programs Doctoral Programs PhD in entrepreneurship & family entrepreneur PhD in Management Master's Programs Master in Management MBA
12	London Business School	United Kingdom
5 programs Doctoral Programs PhD in Management Science and Operations PhD in Strategy and Entrepreneurship Master's Programs Global Masters in Management Masters in Analytics and Management Masters in Management
13	Duke University	United States
4 programs Doctoral Programs Doctor in Strategy PhD in Management and Organization Master's Programs Master of Management Studies: Foundations of Business Master of Quantitative Management-business analytics
14	University of Michigan--Ann Arbor	United States
5 programs Doctoral Programs PhD in Strategy PhD program in Management & Organizations Master's Programs Master of Management Master of Management Dual Degree Other Programs MSE in Construction Engineering and Management
15	University of Oxford	United Kingdom
1 program Doctoral Programs DPhil in Management Studies
16	University of Cambridge	United Kingdom
4 programs Doctoral Programs PhD in Management Studies Master's Programs Master of Research in Management MPhil in Innovation, Strategy & Organization MPhil in Management
17	HEC Paris	France
7 programs Master's Programs Master in Management Master in Management & Innovation Master in Management-Grande Ecole MSc Strategic Management MSc X-HEC Entrepreneurs Other Programs M2M HEC-HKUST M2M Programs
18	IESE Business School	Spain

19	Dartmouth College	United States

20	Cornell University	United States
8 programs Doctoral Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Management Doctor of Philosophy in Organizations, Human Resources and Labor Relations PhD in Management and Organization PhD Program in Organizational Behavior Master's Programs Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Applied Economics and Management (AEM) Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Applied Economics and Management with the CEMS Master in International Management (MIM) Master of Professional Studies in Management Master of Professional Studies in Management - Accounting Specialization
21	University of California, Los Angeles	United States
1 program Doctoral Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Management & Organizations
22	Carnegie Mellon University	United States
4 programs Doctoral Programs Doctoral program in the Management of Manufacturing and Automation joint with the Robotics Institute PhD Program in Business Technologies PhD Program in Organizational Behavior and Theory Master's Programs Master of Science in Management (MSM)
23	University of Virginia	United States
1 program Doctoral Programs PhD programs: Ethics Entrepreneurship Leadership in Organizations
24	National University of Singapore	Singapore
3 programs Doctoral Programs PhD in Management Master's Programs MSc in Management + Master's in International Management (CEMS MIM) MSc in Management programme
25	The University of Texas at Austin	United States
1 program Doctoral Programs PhD in Management
26	University of Southern California	United States
3 programs Doctoral Programs PhD in Management and Organizations Master's Programs Executive Master of Leadership Master of Management Studies
27	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	Hong Kong
6 programs Doctoral Programs PhD in Management Master's Programs EMBA Masters of Science in International Management MSc in Engineering Enterprise Management MSc in International Management-Yale M2M Option MSc Investment and Wealth Management
28	ESADE	Spain
2 programs Master's Programs Master in Business Administration MSc in International Management
29	Bocconi University	Italy
2 programs Master's Programs Master in Strategy and International Management Master of Science in Management in English
30	IE Business School	Spain
1 program Master's Programs Master in Management

How this ranking is built

Graduate study is a career decision. These subject rankings help applicants compare where a degree may create the strongest long-term value, using evidence that reflects how graduate students actually choose and what they gain from their degrees.

We build subject rankings across 37 disciplines and publish the top 30 universities in each. Each university receives one position in the published table for that subject. That position reflects how the university performs across key ranking components, combined consistently for every institution in scope.

Key ranking components

Research strengthDepth, quality, and influence of scholarship and faculty in the university or field.
Employability and career outcomesGraduate placement, employer access, professional standing, alumni networks, and long-term options created by the degree.
Global engagementInternational reach, cross-border relevance, and breadth of academic and professional networks.
Learning experienceQuality and breadth of graduate study and the environment in which students learn, collaborate, and develop.
Applicant demand and revealed preferenceApplication demand and choices admitted applicants make when they hold more than one offer.

Independent expert judgment calibrates the weight given to each component and checks that the resulting order makes sense. There is no one-size-fits-all balance across subjects: research-led fields place more emphasis on academic depth, while professional fields place more emphasis on career outcomes and professional training.

Questions About the Master of Business Administration (MBA) Ranking

What does the Master of Business Administration (MBA) ranking measure?: It compares the strength of graduate study in Master of Business Administration (MBA) across universities using key ranking components: research strength; employability and career outcomes; global engagement; learning experience; and applicant demand and revealed preference. Independent expert judgment calibrates the weight given to each component for the field and checks that the resulting order makes sense.
Does the Master of Business Administration (MBA) ranking compare universities or individual programs?: The ranking compares universities, not individual programs. Each university receives one position based on how its graduate offering in Master of Business Administration (MBA) performs across the key ranking components. The programs listed beneath it help you explore your options; they do not receive separate ranks.
How should I use the Master of Business Administration (MBA) ranking to build my shortlist?: Use it to identify universities worth investigating, then compare the linked programs for academic fit, admissions requirements, deadlines and costs. A higher position should inform your shortlist, not decide it for you.
Which countries are represented in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) ranking?: United States (19), Spain (3), United Kingdom (3), France (2), Hong Kong (1), Italy (1), and Singapore (1). The ranking is global and does not use a country quota.
Are higher-ranked universities usually harder to get into?: Often, but not always. Applicant demand and revealed preference are only part of the ranking. Research strength, career outcomes, global engagement, learning experience and field-specific calibration also shape the order. Admission standards still vary by degree level, specialization and individual program, even within the same university.

Best Business Schools for an MBA

How this ranking is built

Key ranking components

Questions About the Master of Business Administration (MBA) Ranking

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