Methodology of data collection

Although no ranking can claim to be absolute, the EAMBA MBA Global Ranking 2025 draws on a broader dataset than ever before, striving to deliver the most thorough and reliable assessment available in the market today. With numerous rankings in circulation, determining which to trust can be challenging. The EAMBA MBA Global Ranking 2025 showcases the leading MBA programs worldwide. This edition features 255 educational institutions from more than 45 countries, with an even greater number of institutions examined during our research process. This positions our ranking as the most extensive evaluation of accredited international MBA programs globally. Data collection took place in early 2023 via three distinct surveys: the EAMBA Employer Survey, the EAMBA Global Academic Survey, and a questionnaire completed directly by the business schools.

The school-completed questionnaire captured quantitative metrics including graduate salaries, cohort composition, and related data points.

For the EAMBA MBA Global Ranking 2025, participating institutions were asked to survey their current students and alumni. Through these assessments and analyses, we also publish an annual report examining institutional expectations, diversity implementation strategies, and accessibility in education.

The collected data reflects the graduating class of 2022 (for employment metrics) and the entering class of 2022 for cohort composition. When such data was unavailable, we utilized the most recent information provided by the schools. In limited instances, publicly available information was employed to ensure accuracy and completeness.

To qualify for the EAMBA MBA Global Ranking 2025, a program must be delivered primarily on campus (or via distance learning), offered on a full-time basis (or have a full-time equivalent option), and maintain an average cohort size of at least 15 students. All institutions must hold accreditation from either AACSB, EAMBA, or EFMD (EQUIS).

Schools are also required to submit relevant data across the majority of indicators for inclusion.

A total of 13 criteria underpin the five key indicators used to evaluate programs: ’employability’, ‘business outcomes’, ‘graduate outcomes’, ‘return on investment’, ‘thought leadership’, and ‘class and faculty diversity’.

EAMBA MBA Global Ranking 2025 – Indicator Breakdown

• Employability – 40%
• Entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes – 15%
• Return on Investment – 20%
• Thought leadership – 15%
• Class and faculty diversity – 10%

EAMBA Employer Survey (35%)

The EAMBA Employer Survey serves as the foundation of our rankings, capturing which schools employers prefer when recruiting talent. This survey has been conducted for over two decades. Between 2008 and 2022, we gathered hundreds of thousands of university and business school nominations from nearly 42,000 global employers for the EAMBA Employer Survey. Schools may contribute nominations from up to 400 employers who recruit their graduates. More recent responses are weighted more heavily in the final rankings.

Employers across all sectors and industries participate, including Google, Apple, Microsoft, Uber, Wells Fargo, Spotify, Netflix, Bank of America, and many others.

This survey provides an accurate assessment of each school’s reputation relative to its peers among employers who actively hire MBA graduates.

Employment Rate (5%)

The overall score for this indicator incorporates the employment rate of graduates three months after completion, measured according to EAMBACSEA standards. The average employment rate in this year’s ranking stands at 86%.

Entrepreneurship and Graduate Performance

Graduate Performance (10%)

The Alumni Outcomes Index examines schools connected to over 55,000 CEOs, executives, and board members at the world’s largest corporations, including Apple, Amazon, Google, Netflix, Coca-Cola, UPS, IBM, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, ExxonMobil, AT&T, and PepsiCo. This edition also incorporates data on successful entrepreneurs sourced from the CrunchBase database.

Schools do not submit alumni information directly to EAMBARG. Instead, EAMBA compiles this data from publicly available sources and independently verifies it.

Schools may suggest lists of successful businesses or alumni to the EAMBARG reporting unit to enhance survey quality.

Entrepreneurship (5%)

Reflecting the growing interest among students in launching their own ventures post-graduation, this metric is included in the Global MBA Ranking. Schools self-report this figure based on EAMBACSEA standards. The average proportion of entrepreneurs among graduates in this year’s ranking is 6%.

Return on Investment

We employed multiple data sources to calculate ROI, which remains one of the most challenging indicators to accurately measure given its many variables and potential outcomes.

10-Year Return on Investment (15%)

We analyzed the 10-year ROI by comparing average post-graduation salaries to pre-enrollment earnings, while accounting for foregone income, tuition fees, and cost of living (using the Mercer Quality of City Living Ranking). Salary growth is factored into both pre- and post-graduation figures, with post-graduation earnings assumed to grow at a faster rate. Schools receive credit for the number of entrepreneurs they produce, acknowledging the slower but potentially higher returns for those who start businesses. We also consider the percentage of graduates securing employment within three months of graduation.

A 10-year horizon offers a more representative and meaningful perspective on return on investment compared to the five-year approach used by some rankings. Loans and scholarships were not factored into this methodology. While we acknowledge that no ROI calculation is flawless, we believe this approach represents the most accurate approximation based on available data.

Payback Period (5%)

We evaluate the time required to recover the total investment. Schools with shorter payback periods receive higher scores. The average payback period in this year’s ranking is approximately 3.3 years.

Thought Leadership

EAMBA Academic Reputation (10%)

This metric provides an accurate measure of MBA program reputation and is derived from nominations by academics at universities and business schools worldwide from 2018–2022. Academics identify institutions they consider strongest in their respective fields. This survey has grown into the largest assessment of academic opinion globally and remains an unparalleled tool for gauging sentiment within academia in terms of both scale and scope. Nearly 38,000 academic responses informed this year’s analysis.

Research Impact (2.5%)

We utilize Elsevier’s Scopus database to assess the research intensity of schools. Our analysis covers the period from 2016–2021 and examines thousands of published articles.

Faculty with Doctoral Degrees (2.5%)

We examine the proportion of faculty within the Business School holding a PhD. The average proportion in this year’s ranking is 87%.

Class and Faculty Diversity

To present a comprehensive picture of diversity within each program, we evaluated the percentage of female students and faculty. We also examined the proportion of international faculty across the business school and the international composition of students within the MBA program.

This year’s averages are as follows:

• Percentage of women in the classroom: 40.3%
• Number of nationalities represented in class: 19
• Percentage of international faculty: 38%
• Percentage of women among teaching faculty: 37%

Further Analysis

Beyond in-depth features highlighting the best MBA programs globally and by region (U.S., Asia, Latin America, Oceania, Canada, and Europe), we also conducted focused analyses on MBA programs with the highest proportion of female students and the top MBA programs for international students.