FT Executive Education 2024 Rankings and analysis
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French business schools top the FT’s twin rankings of executive education programmes for 2024. For the first time since 1999, Insead heads the table of courses custom-made for individual organisations, while the table of open-enrolment courses is led by HEC Paris, which had dropped to second place last year.
These rankings come as teaching formats continue to evolve after the transformative shock of the Covid-19 pandemic, which accelerated a shift to flexible models, including online and hybrid programmes.
For example, according to the FT data, which covers programmes run in 2023, the percentage of customised courses offered online by participating schools increased from 19 per cent to 30 per cent — despite expectations of a greater focus on campus study after the pandemic’s peak. Hybrid programmes remained stable, at around 22 per cent.
Executive Education Rankings 2024
Read the rankings of custom and open-enrolment programmes
The growth in the range of formats is reflected in the number of schools ranked this year compared to 2023. The table of open-enrolment programmes increased by five schools to 80, while the ranking of customised courses rose by 15 to 90 institutions.
In topping the custom ranking, Insead was also placed first in metrics including programme design, teaching materials and participants’ aims achieved — the extent to which they fulfilled their reasons for taking the course.
Other European schools dominated the top of the custom courses table, with Spain’s Iese in second, Switzerland’s IMD in third, and HEC Paris in joint fourth.
Dropping three places to share that fourth spot, Duke Corporate Education is the only US school in the top 15. Clients surveyed for the ranking praised the alignment of its innovative content delivery for senior managers with their businesses’ requirements.
Trinity College Dublin is the highest new entrant, in joint 27th place. The school is in the top 10 for international clients, based on the percentage that are headquartered outside the school’s base country and region. One client reported: “Faculty drove high engagement and strong outcomes which have lasted.”
University of Oxford: Saïd is the joint highest riser, up 17 places from last year to joint 14th, along with France’s Neoma Business School, in 19th place. The UK school is ranked sixth for overseas programmes, based on the international reach of its customised course teaching.
The survey data indicates that nearly 60 per cent of the clients of ranked schools commission programmes in Europe, where they are also more likely to be taught in-person than in other regions. Programmes for finance companies earning more than $10bn annually and with a workforce of between 5,000 and 50,000 staff were the most commonly-commissioned category.
Most clients commissioned programmes from just one business school, with only 10 per cent using five or more. Fewer than one per cent of clients reported being unlikely to commission a programme again, while 70 per cent said they would.
Among the 80 business schools ranked for general and advanced management open-enrolment courses, the eight top providers include three with primary campuses in France, two schools in Spain, two in the UK, and one in Brazil.
HEC Paris, with campuses in France and Qatar, rose one place to top the open-enrolment table. The school also scored highest for aims achieved and new skills and learning — the latter based on the relevance of skills acquired from the course to the workplace, and the encouragement of innovative thinking.
Esade in Spain, which is ranked joint second overall, came top in categories including: quality of teaching; follow-up offered after participants returned to their workplaces; and opportunity to network with other course attendees.
South Africa’s Gordon Institute of Business Science at UP moved up 15 places to 26th — the biggest riser this year in the open-enrolment table. Participants commended the practical nature of the course and coaching opportunities.
Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics and Iseg, both in Portugal, as well as Rutgers in the US and NHH Norwegian School of Economics, achieved top-scoring gender parity among their open programme participants.
Neoma Business School made its debut in the open-enrolment ranking in 37th place — the highest new entrant. The French school is in the top 10 for faculty diversity. Surveyed participants praised interactive classes on management and the cultural diversity of the course.
Globally, schools in France and Germany stand out as significant providers of executive education courses, jointly accounting for 16 per cent of custom programmes and 20 per cent of open courses. Additionally, schools in India, the US and Canada also make notable contributions. Courses offered by institutions in these top five countries account for 35 per cent of all programmes run by schools that took part in the ranking process.
To be ranked by the FT, business schools must be recognised by at least one of the main accreditation agencies, the AACSB and EFMD. Additionally, they need to have reported annual revenues of at least $1mn generated from their custom or open programmes.
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