Accreditations and rankings

The Financial Times (FT) rankings are regarded as the gold standard for business schools. ESMT participates in the FT rankings of full-time MBA, executive MBA, master’s in management, and open and customized executive education programs, as well as the composite ranking of European business schools.  

ESMT first entered the FT executive education ranking as a very young school in 2009. Three years later, our EMBA program was ranked, followed by our full-time MBA in 2014. These showed our growing reputation and solidified our position in the global business education landscape. Finally, in 2019, our master’s in management program entered the FT rankings, showcasing our dedication to delivering top quality education across all experience levels. 

A decade after our first FT ranking, we achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first German business school to join the elite ranks of the European top ten. We were the highest-ranked German business school for five consecutive years. Our master in management program climbed to #10 globally in 2022. Our programs have been consistently recognized for their excellence, each milestone reflecting our strategic efforts to enhance our programs.

For the Financial Times rankings alumni are surveyed three years after graduation with significant emphasis on their success, including career progression, salary increases, and overall satisfaction with the program. The quality and impact of the research produced by the institutions also play a crucial role in the rankings. Read more about the ranking methodology of the Financial Times.  

The ranking evaluates more than 100 full-time MBA programs worldwide with a focus on US- based business schools. The survey measures satisfaction with learning, networking, career opportunities, skills development, and more. 

The ranking uniquely evaluates business schools on their commitment to sustainability, social responsibility, and ethical practices. It emphasizes the integration of these values into MBA programs and assesses how well schools prepare graduates to lead responsibly in a sustainable world, aligning with our mission.  

The Poets & Quants rankings are unique due to their comprehensive and holistic approach of evaluating business schools and programs. They combine data from multiple sources, including surveys of schools, students, and alumni, to assess various aspects such as academic experience, employability, faculty quality, and career outcomes.   

These rankings evaluate universities across various metrics to provide a comprehensive assessment of their performance emphasizing sustainability, employability, and international research collaboration.

CEOWORLD magazine's 2025 Best Business Schools ranking evaluates institutions based on confidential surveys of 250,000 professionals. The key metrics are academic reputation, admission eligibility, specialization, global reputation and influence, annual tuition and fees, research performance, and student satisfaction.