Financial Times' Global MBA Ranking 2025: eight French school in the Top 100

In total, 125 schools, filtered down to 100, participated in the ranking process of the Financial Times (FT) for 2025. To draw up its ranking, the FT surveyed alumni three years after graduating from their MBA: 6,299 former students participated in the survey, a response rate of 36%. In addition to students’ answers, the ranking derives from 21 criteria. They include: students’ employment, salary, salary increase, diversity of staff, but also the share of women in the board or internationalization (both teachers’ and students’).

Two French institutions ranked in the Top 10

Out of 100 schools ranked, in the general ranking, France has eight. The FT explains that all participating schools meet the FT’s entry criteria and are accredited by Equis or the AACSB..

With eight institutions ranked, France is the third country with most quotes, behind the US (41) and the UK (11). 

Out of these eight institutions, two stand out in the Top 10:

• INSEAD, is even in the Top 5 (4th);
• HEC Paris is 9th, going up three positions compared with last year.

In terms of reception of international students, two schools register an excellent score.

Eight French schools in the general ranking

In addition to the first two institutions, six additional schools also had very good results for the reception of international students:

• ESCP Business School, 28th;
• Emlyon Business School jumped 13 positions, from 57th to 44th;
• ESSEC Business School, going up 7positions (47th):
• EDHEC Business School (64th);
• Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) climbing seven positions to rank 89;
• Audencia (90th).

To be noted that no French got out of the ranking this year.