Executive Education: SKEMA Accelerates in the Financial Times rankings

In the global Executive education landscape, business schools are now assessed as much on their capacity for pedagogical innovation as on their international reach and proximity to companies. In this respect, the 2026 edition of the Financial Times Executive Education Rankings confirms the strong momentum of SKEMA Business School, which this year records one of the most significant rises among global institutions.

For the first time, the school enters the global Top 15 in the “Custom” ranking, dedicated to tailor-made programmes developed for companies. SKEMA reaches 14th place worldwide among 100 ranked institutions, climbing five positions in one year. It is also ranked as the 4th French business school.

This progression reflects the growing strength of the school’s Executive Education activities, at a time when major corporations are seeking partners capable of supporting transformations linked to artificial intelligence, geopolitical shifts and the rapid evolution of managerial skills.

Growing international recognition

In detail, SKEMA stands out particularly for the international diversity of its faculty, an indicator on which the school ranks 2nd worldwide. It also reaches 10th place globally for the proportion of international customers, confirming the growing attractiveness of its programmes among global companies.

Another notable rise concerns the “Open” programmes, namely inter-company training programmes open to executives and managers from different organisations. In this segment, SKEMA climbs 18 places in one year to reach 35th worldwide among 90 ranked schools, and 6th among French institutions.

Having appeared in this ranking only since 2023, the school is demonstrating particularly rapid progress. It notably ranks 5th worldwide for the growth of its Executive Education activities and for its international reach. SKEMA also achieves 9th place globally for the quality of its academic partnerships developed with other EQUIS or AACSB accredited institutions.

The bet on hybridisation and internationalisation

These results are fully aligned with the school’s UNVEIL 2025–2030 strategy, which aims to strengthen its positioning as a global higher education platform built around artificial intelligence, skills hybridisation and the internationalisation of academic pathways.

The development of executive programmes has now become a major strategic priority for leading business schools, at a time when companies are accelerating investment in the upskilling of senior executives.

“These results reflect the international recognition of the model we are developing: executive education that is deeply connected to corporate transformation, capable of combining academic excellence, tangible impact and global exposure. In a rapidly changing economic environment, executives expect business schools to become genuine transformation partners,” says Alice Guilhon, Dean and Executive President of SKEMA Business School.