Two IIMs are in the top 50 globally for “entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes indicator,” and two are among the top 50 globally for “employability.”

Global business school and higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds has announced its annual rankings, which list the best places in the world for prospective business leaders to study.The rankings of QS World Universities: The worldwide MBA and Business Master’s 2024 study examines 315 top worldwide MBA programmes as well as a number of in-demand, specialist business master’s degrees, such as those in supply chain management, finance, marketing, management, and analytics. The study covers 48 nations and territories.

US business schools have all three of the top slots in the MBA chart, indicating that the US dominates the elite echelon. The MBA programme at Stanford GSB has been ranked #1 for four years running, with The Wharton School coming in second and surpassing Harvard Business School, which is ranked third. Stanford GSB’s world-class “alumni outcomes and second-best employability” serve as the foundation for its dominance.

India in focus

According to the results, IIM Bangalore has surpassed IIM Ahmedabad as the top MBA programme in India. When it comes to “employability and return on investment,” IIM Bangalore ranks among the best in Asia. Among the top 50 MBA programmes worldwide for “employability” are two from India. The top-ranked university in the country, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore, is ranked fourth in Asia and 39th worldwide. IIM Calcutta, which is ranked 46th overall and eighth in Asia, comes next.

Comparably, two Indian MBA programmes rank in the top 50 for QS’s “entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes indicator.” IIM Ahmedabad, which is ranked second in Asia and 33rd globally, does particularly well, while Indian School of Business is ranked 43rd overall and fifth in Asia. The only Indian MBA programme ranked in the top 50 for “return on investment” is IIM Bangalore, which comes in at number 31. In terms of “thought leadership,” it leads the country as well, coming in at number 57 overall and outside the top 50. Given that no Indian university is ranked in the top 150, diversity is a weak aspect for Indian MBA programmes. In the 151-200 band, Management Development Institute Gurgaon holds the top spot.

Business Master’s Rankings

Thirteen master’s degrees in management, five in finance, three in business analytics, two in marketing, and one in supply chain management are among the twenty-eight specialised business master’s degrees ranked by QS. India’s top master’s programme in management is offered by IIM Bangalore. Since it scores 10th in “alumni outcomes,” it is ranked 31st in the world. The only master’s programme in India to rank in the top 100 is the Master of Business Analytics programme at IIM Calcutta. It is available for this programme in the 61–70 band. IIM Udaipur’s supply chain management programme ranks 51+.

An overview 

The National University of Singapore, which is ranked 24th, has the top MBA in Asia. It obtains Asia’s highest score in the QS “employability” criterion, demonstrating great performance. It also ranks highly among the best in the area for “student diversity and alumni outcomes.” The best MBA programme in Canada is at Toronto (Rotman), which is ranked 40th in the world overall—up one spot from the previous year. In terms of “employability, thought leadership, and student diversity,” it receives the top rating in Canada. The only MBA in the top 50 is from Canada.

Tsinghua University offers the best full-time MBA programme in China; it debuted last year at number 29 and is currently ranked 28th. Because of its “Thought Leadership, Employability and Return on Investment,” it is the second-highest ranked MBA in Asia.

HEC Paris is the finest MBA programme in Continental Europe, driven by its exceptional “alumni outcomes and return on investment” and highest “thought leadership” ranking in Europe. It is the fifth-best MBA in the world. Spain’s IE Business School, which comes in at number eight overall, is next. Mexico’s EGADE Business School comes in at number 62, which is the highest ranking in Latin America. It benefits from the best “alumni outcomes and thought leadership” in Latin America. Because to its “employability,” Costa Rica’s INCAE Business School is the only other top 100 MBA in Latin America, ranking 83rd.

The top full-time MBA programme in the Arab Region is offered by AUB (Suliman S. Olayan) in Lebanon. It has risen 11 spots from previous year to rank 68th overall. This ranking is supported by an outstanding “return on investment.” The greatest MBA programme in Oceania is offered by Melbourne Business School, which leads the country in Australia. Thanks to its exceptional “thought leadership” and the greatest “employability and return on investment” score in the region, it is ranked 30th in the globe. With the third-highest score globally for “employability and alumni outcomes” and one of the top ten worldwide for “thought leadership,” London Business School rises to the top rank in the United Kingdom and to the fourth position worldwide.

World’s best specialised Business Masters 

For the three master’s programs—a master’s in marketing, management, and finance—HEC Paris ranks at the top of the list. Offering the best master’s programme in business analytics globally, UCLA Anderson is renowned for its “alumni outcomes and thought leadership.” The MIT Centre for Transportation and Logistics is the world leader in supply chain management master’s programmes. Excellent “employability, alumni outcomes, value for money, and thought leadership” are among its many advantages.

QS president Nunzio Quacquarelli said: “The QS Graduate Management Education rankings offers unique independent insights for business-minded career-driven students to comparatively assess the next step in their professional development. All prospective students are empowered and encouraged to investigate and discuss the findings with peers, colleagues, business schools and QS’ experts at our in-person and virtual master’s and MBA networking events.”