QS Global MBA Rankings 2026: 11 French schools with the world’s best

The Global MBA 2026 ranking made by Quacquarelli Symonds is defined as the largest information network in the world for higher education relies on five metrics: employability, entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes, return on investment, thought leadership and class & faculty diversity, for both women/men and the international quality of professors and students. In total, 346 institutions in the world were assessed using these indicators.

Good score for diversity

“France scored exceptional results in the diversity indicator (...) with a high level of women students and staff, and high international diversity in student groups and teaching staff.” QS commented the results stressing that French institutions score high in diversity. 

It’s the case for the first French schools included in the ranking, starting with two institutions reaching the Top 10 of best programmes in the world:

• HEC Paris, first school in France, first school in Europe and fifth worldwide, up one position in the world ranking;
• INSEAD, 2nd in France, 4th in Europe, 8th in the world, up three positions in the world ranking.

Eight French schools in the Top 100

Beyond the Top 10 and the two French schools in it, six additional institutions are in the Top 100, ranked at world and European level, totalling eight schools in the Top 100, with all schools registering a clear progress:

• ESCP Business School, 26th worldwide, 12th in Europe, in progress;
• ESSEC, 29th worldwide, 14th in Europe;
• EDHEC, 43rd worldwide, 19th in Europe, in progress;
• emlyon Business School, 49th worldwide, 22nd in Europe, in progress;
• Grenoble Ecole de Management, 66th worldwide, 26th in Europe, with an exceptional 26-ranks jump;
• Audencia Business School, 77th worldwide, 30th in Europe, in clear progress (+12 ranks).

Three French institutions complement the ranking: IÉSEG School of Management, EMLV (Ecole de management Léonard de Vinci) and Paris School of Business.

France is sixth in the world

Out of 346 schools examined and forming the full list of the QS Full-Time MBA ranking 2026, France is sixth most present in the ranking. 

The USA usually lead the ranking with 110 institutions, followed by the United Kingdom (35 institutions), and Canada (17). Australia is next, with 13 institutions in the ranking, followed by India (12 schools) and France in 6th position, tied with Spain and ahead of China and the United Arab Emirates with respectively 10 and 8 MBAs ranked. 

Management and business programmes are indeed one of the best assets of French higher education. Masters in Management and MBAs in French schools are among the best in the world, as reflected in the QS ranking.