The best executive education schools, ranked by the Financial Times
The Financial Times 2026 Executive Education ranking, and where the schools on Gradia sit in it. 26 ranked schools, led by London Business School.
Last reviewed July 15, 2026 · By Tobias Plewka · How we research this
The Financial Times ranks business schools for open-enrolment executive education each year, based largely on surveys of the organisations that buy the programmes. This report shows the 2026 ranking, focusing on the schools you can study with on Gradia and where they sit. The full ranking and its methodology are published by the FT.
The Financial Times ranks business schools for open-enrolment executive education each year. In the 2026 ranking, London Business School is first, followed by HEC Paris and IESE. 26 of the schools with programs on Gradia appear in the FT ranking of 87 schools.
How the FT ranks executive education
The Financial Times publishes an annual ranking of open-enrolment executive education, the short courses that individuals and companies can sign up for directly. It is based largely on surveys of the client organisations that use the programmes, covering areas such as course design, teaching and value for money. It is a well-regarded ranking, but it is one measure among several, and it covers open-enrolment programmes rather than custom or degree work.
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FT-ranked schools you can study on Gradia
The table below shows the 26 schools with executive programs on Gradia that appear in the FT 2026 open-enrolment ranking, with their position. Where two schools share a rank, that is how the FT reports it. The ranking runs to 87 schools in total, so the gaps are schools we do not currently carry.
| FT rank | School | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London Business School | United Kingdom |
| 2 | HEC Paris | France |
| 3 | IESE Business School | Spain |
| 4 | Fundação Dom Cabral | Brazil |
| 5 | Esade Business School | Spain |
| 7 | International Institute for Management Development (IMD) | Switzerland |
| 7 | Oxford Saïd Business School | United Kingdom |
| 9 | ESMT Berlin | Germany |
| 9 | INSEAD | France |
| 11 | Essec Business School | France |
| 12 | Fundação Getulio Vargas, FGV EAESP | Brazil |
| 13 | SDA Bocconi School of Management | Italy |
| 14 | Stockholm School of Economics | Sweden |
| 16 | Michigan Ross | United States |
| 18 | University of St. Gallen | Switzerland |
| 20 | Nova School of Business & Economics | Portugal |
| 23 | Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad | India |
| 29 | Cranfield School of Management | United Kingdom |
| 29 | WHU, Otto Beisheim School of Management | Germany |
| 31 | Cambridge Judge Business School | United Kingdom |
| 31 | Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management | United States |
| 39 | Gordon Institute of Business Science at UP | South Africa |
| 64 | Indian Institute Of Management Bangalore | India |
| 80 | Frankfurt School of Finance & Management | Germany |
| 83 | Indian Institute of Management Calcutta | India |
| 84 | UBC Sauder School of Business | Canada |
Studying at a top-ranked school
A strong FT ranking is one signal of quality, alongside accreditation and price. Every school in the table offers executive programs you can browse on Gradia. For the accreditation picture, see how many business schools are accredited; for fees, see our cost report.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Financial Times: Executive Education, Open Enrolment 2026 (accessed 2026)