Financial Times Executive MBA ranking: SKEMA Business School enters the world’s Top 5

SKEMA Business School has climbed eight places in the Financial Times 2025 ranking, with its Global Executive MBA now recognised as one of the world’s top-performing programmes.

The Financial Times has just released its annual ranking of the world’s top 100 Executive MBA programmes.

In only its second year of inclusion in this prestigious table, SKEMA Business School’s Global Executive MBA has reached 5th place worldwide, advancing eight spots in a single year. A result that confirms both the strength of the school’s strategy and the impact of its global programme.

The Global EMBA’s rise is underpinned by outstanding results in five key Financial Times criteria, notably career progression (3rd worldwide) and alumni satisfaction, where it achieved the highest overall score in the ranking with 9.88 out of 10.

“This result reflects the coherence between the pedagogical vision of the Global Executive MBA and the transformations taking place within organisations. The programme develops leaders capable of articulating performance and purpose, leaders who bring meaning in a world increasingly shaped by technology and artificial intelligence. We help them find and strengthen their ethical compass in the pursuit of sustainable impact. Alongside strong foundations in management, sustainability and AI, participants benefit from deep international and intercultural exposure, essential to leading effectively in a global and complex environment “explains Marine Hadengue, Associate Dean, Global Executive MBA.

Accelerated career progression

The Financial Times ranks SKEMA’s Global EMBA 3rd worldwide for career progression, a criterion that measures both the advancement in participants’ job seniority and the growth in the size of the organisations they work for. This distinction highlights the significant career acceleration experienced by many alumni, who now occupy high-level strategic positions.

A powerful and international alumni network

Alumni satisfaction also reflects the strength of the Global EMBA’s network. A truly global community of influence, it fosters professional connections and experience-sharing among executives from across the world.

Renowned for the quality of its teaching and research, the programme also stands out for its exceptional international diversity. This cultural mix enriches exchanges and cultivates a genuinely global management perspective.

A global programme designed as a true career accelerator

Operating across seven countries, SKEMA offers a truly global Executive MBA, featuring residential weeks on four continents. Participants explore diverse economic and technological ecosystems in France, Brazil, China and the United States, gaining deep insight into the challenges of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and ecological transition.

The Financial Times ranking also recognises the programme’s strong ESG focus, placing it 5th worldwide in the “ESG and Net Zero Teaching” category. This accolade underlines the school’s commitment to addressing climate and societal challenges through education. “What makes the programme truly distinctive is the richness of the profiles and the diversity of backgrounds,” adds Anke Middelmann, Programme Director of the Global EMBA. “Our participants come from all parts of the globe and very diverse professional backgrounds. 

They share a desire to create lasting impact. To do so successfully, the Global EMBA takes them on a profound personal development and leadership journey that allows them to identify their values and purpose. These are central to the Capstone project, in which our participants can create positive and tangible impact in both their organisations and society at large.”

Through this programme, SKEMA affirms its position as a key player in executive education at the intersection of technology, performance and sustainability.