QS Global Executive MBA Rankings 2025: 14 French higher education institutions among the best in the world

QS, for Quacquarelli Symonds, a British and global specialist in higher education, publishes at regular intervals a number of rankings, including the annual general ranking, which is the most eagerly awaited, as well as themed rankings, such as the Executive MBA ranking. This ranking, says QS, “provides unique global comparative and benchmarking tools for prospective EMBA candidates”, as it examines nearly 200 business schools from around the world according to various criteria, such as the school's academic reputation, its reputation among employers and its “diversity” index, i.e. the proportion of women and the number of nationalities among the students on the programme.

With two schools in the Top 10, France ranks 3rd worldwide 

Among the 14 French institutions honoured this year, the presence of two schools in the Top 10 stands out:

• HEC, ranked 2nd (up one place), which is defined as the school offering “one of the best MBA programmes in the world”. According to QS, “HEC Paris MBA students graduate with an international mindset, sharp and relevant business knowledge, and access to a network of 70,000 alumni in 132 countries”. Three months after graduation, QS adds, “93% of graduates accept job offers and nearly 70% find employment outside their home country”;
• INSEAD, ranked 9th, which has the distinction of having “three fully integrated campuses in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, where more than 80 different nationalities are represented”. According to QS, “no other business school offers such a multicultural experience”.

With these two schools in the Top 10, France ranks 3rd in the world, after the United States (four institutions) and the United Kingdom (three institutions), but ahead of Spain (one institution).

Ten French institutions in the Top 100

In addition to the Top 10, more French institutions also feature in the Top 100 of this ranking. This is the case for eight other institutions, including:

• ESCP Europe Business School (22nd), “the oldest business school in the world”, according to QS, which “has chosen to teach responsible leadership, open to the world and based on European multiculturalism”;
• EM Lyon Business School (23rd), “one of the first schools in the world to obtain triple accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA”, according to QS;
  
   
• EDHEC (26th, up 8 places), based in Lille, has been providing “first-class management training for over 100 years and is regularly ranked among Europe's top business schools”;
• Grenoble Ecole de Management (47th), “a leading European business school with an international reputation”, according to QS;
• SKEMA Business School (48th), which offers “a high-level continuing education programme aimed at experienced executives wishing to develop their managerial and strategic skills”;
• Audencia Business School (49th, up 29 places), based in Nantes, “frequently ranked among the world’s top 50 business schools for several of its courses”, as QS points out;
• NEOMA Business School (58th), which “trains students, managers and entrepreneurs” and “generates knowledge to shape the future of business and society in a globalized world”.
• TBS Education (83rd), in Toulouse, “founded in 1903 to answer the needs of local industry”.

In total, ten French institutions form the Top 100 of this new ranking.

In total, 14 French schools recompensed

Four additional French schools are present in the ranking between the 100th and 190th positions:

• Rennes School of Business (between the 101st to the 110th position);
• ICN Business School (121-130, up 30 positions compared to last year), for this training, ICN Business School and EM Strasbourg have decided to merge their Executive programmes;
• ISC Paris Business School (151-160);
• ESC Clermont (181-190), a school that joined the ranking this year.

In total, 14 French schools had their Executive MBAs recompensed.