QS MBA Rankings 2025: The QS Full-Time MBA Rankings 2025 have been released, highlighting 340 leading business schools across 58 countries and territories. The rankings cover not only full-time MBA programmes but also highly sought-after Business Master’s programmes in Management, Finance, Marketing, Business Analytics, and Supply Chain Management. This year’s edition continues to showcase the dominance of the United States, with its institutions taking the top three spots.
For the fifth consecutive year, Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) holds the prestigious title of the world’s best full-time MBA provider.Closely following Stanford is The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, maintaining its second position from last year, while Harvard Business School remains in third place. Among non-US institutions, the London Business School ranks as the best, placing fifth globally, down one spot from last year.
QS Global Full-Time MBA 2025: A look at the Top-10 Global Institues
The top 10 MBA programmes globally include a mix of institutions from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain. MIT Sloan School of Management made significant progress, climbing from sixth to fourth place this year. London Business School, despite being the top non-US institution, dropped from fourth to fifth. HEC Paris, one of Europe’s elite schools, ranked sixth, marking a slight fall from its previous fifth place in 2024. Cambridge Judge Business School climbed two places from joint ninth to seventh, while Columbia Business School slipped from seventh to eighth. Spain holds two spots in the top 10, with IE Business School ranked ninth and IESE Business School in tenth, both seeing minor shifts from the previous year.
QS Global Full-Time MBA 2025: How the top 10 Global Institues performed on various parameters
In terms of overall scores, Stanford GSB leads the pack with a perfect 100, followed closely by Wharton (99.8) and Harvard (99.4). Notably, Stanford’s lead is backed by an exceptional employability score of 97.6, indicating the strong demand for its graduates in the global job market. Wharton, while trailing slightly in the overall score, edges ahead of Stanford in employability with a score of 98.6, and offers a stronger return on investment (ROI) at 95, higher than Stanford’s 90.9. Harvard, although third in overall ranking, boasts impressive employability (96.4) and a similar ROI (90.4) to Stanford.
MIT Sloan, ranked fourth globally, ties with Wharton in employability at 98.6 and holds an ROI score of 90.5. London Business School, the highest-ranked non-US institution, showcases a balanced profile with an employability score of 98 and an ROI of 90.9, making it highly competitive on the global stage. HEC Paris, ranked sixth, excels in ROI, leading all institutions with a perfect score of 100. This underscores the strong financial returns graduates can expect from the French institution.
Cambridge Judge Business School, ranked seventh, scored 94.9 in employability and 94.4 in ROI, demonstrating its strength in both employment outcomes and financial returns. Columbia Business School, in eighth, scored 97.3 in employability and 95.7 in ROI, maintaining a strong position despite its drop in ranking. Both IE Business School and IESE Business School, representing Spain in the ninth and tenth spots respectively, posted solid ROI scores of 98.7 and 98.4, reinforcing their reputation as strong options for those seeking a solid financial return from their MBA investment.
Key Trends in the 2025 Rankings
The QS Full-Time MBA Rankings 2025 showcase the continued dominance of US-based business schools, with Stanford, Wharton, and Harvard retaining their positions at the top. European institutions such as London Business School, HEC Paris, and Cambridge Judge also remain competitive, particularly in terms of ROI and employability. The overall trend reveals stability among the top programmes, with only slight shifts in rank, demonstrating the consistent quality of education and outcomes at these elite institutions.
As the demand for MBAs continues to grow globally, these top 10 institutions will remain the benchmark for aspiring business leaders looking to make a mark in the corporate world.
