QS MBA Ranking 2025: The QS Full-Time MBA Ranking 2025 has been released, highlighting 340 leading business schools in 58 countries and territories. The rankings include not only full-time MBA programs but also Master of Business programs in Management, Finance, Marketing, Business Analysis, and Supply Chain Management. This year’s edition continues to showcase the dominance of the United States, with the institution taking the top three spots.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) holds the prestigious title of the world’s best full-time MBA provider. Close to 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, London Business School ranks as the best, placing fifth globally, down from one a year ago.
QS Global Full-Time MBA 2025: Look at the Top-10 Global Institutes
The top 10 MBA programs worldwide include a mix of institutions from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain. The MIT Sloan School of Management made significant progress, rising from sixth to fourth place this year. London Business School, despite being the top non-US institution, dropped from fourth to fifth place. HEC Paris, one of Europe’s elite schools, ranks sixth, marking a slight drop from the previous fifth position in 2024. Cambridge Judge Business School climbed two places from ninth to seventh, while Columbia Business School dropped from seventh to eighth. Spain has two places in the top 10, with IE Business School ranked ninth and IESE Business School in tenth, both seeing little change from the previous year.
QS Global Full-Time MBA 2025: How the top 10 Global Institutions performed on various parameters
In terms of overall scores, Stanford GSB leads the pack with a perfect score of 100, followed by Wharton (99.8) and Harvard (99.4). In particular, Stanford’s leadership is supported by an outstanding self-reliance score of 97.6, indicating a strong demand for graduates in the global job market. Wharton, while slightly behind in the overall score, edges ahead of Stanford in employability with a score of 98.6, and offers a strong return on investment (ROI) at 95, more than Stanford 90.9. Harvard, although third in the overall rankings, has excellent employability (96.4) and the same ROI (90.4) as 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 top-ranked non-US institution, presents a balanced profile with an independence 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 emphasizes the financial graduates can expect from a French institution.
Cambridge Judge Business School, ranked seventh, scored 94.9 in employability and 94.4 in ROI, showing strength in both employment results and financial returns. Columbia Business School, in eighth place, scored 97.3 in employment and 95.7 in ROI, maintaining its strong position despite the drop in the ranking. The IE Business School and the IESE Business School, representing Spain in ninth and tenth place, respectively, gave a solid ROI score of 98.7 and 98.4, reinforcing their reputation as a solid choice for those looking for strong financial returns from their MBA investment.
Key Trends in 2025 Rankings
The 2025 QS Full-Time MBA rankings show the dominance of US-based business schools, with Stanford, Wharton, and Harvard maintaining their top positions. European institutions such as London Business School, HEC Paris, and Cambridge Judge also remain competitive, especially in terms of ROI and employability. The overall trend shows stability among the top programs, with slight changes in the rankings, indicating consistent quality of education and results at these elite institutions.
As demand for MBAs continues to grow worldwide, these top 10 institutions will serve as benchmarks for business leaders looking to make their mark in the corporate world.
