Global Executive MBA Rankings 2012 Results

Global Executive MBA rankings are a tool used by many EMBA candidates during their research to find the best fit of Executive MBA programs for their professional and personal needs. QS Top Executive takes a look at the results of the 2012 Financial Times Global EMBA Rankings.

The top three

For the third year in a row, the Executive MBA program jointly run by Kellogg School of Management and Hong Kong UST Business School (Kellogg/HKUST) has topped the Financial Times Global EMBA Rankings table. This result is an indication of the comprehensive strength of the program in all aspects measured, essential for a world class EMBA program. Of particular note is the salaries garnered by alumni three years after graduating. With an average of $465,774 per annum, it is considerably higher than any other program in the top ten, which report salaries of around $250,000 - $300,000 on average.

Those EMBA programs in second and third place of the 2012 rankings have swapped from the previous year: the EMBA Global Americas and Europe program offered jointly by Columbia Business School and the London School of Business is in second place, while HEC, LSE and NYU’s TRIUM Global EMBA program is in third.

Strong performers

Although the results of most Executive MBA programs remain relatively consistent in rankings exercises year-on-year, particularly among the top ten schools, there will undoubtedly be one or two programs that make a performance of particular note each year.

Among the strong performers in the 2012 results is CEIBS’ Global EMBA. Over the last three years, the Chinese program has gained over ten positions from a joint 18th place in 2010 to seventh in 2012. Similarly consistent is the performance of the Asian-American joint venture, the Olin-Fudan EMBA, offered by Washington University’s Olin Business School, which moved from place 18th in 2010 to 15th in 2011. In 2012, it is now one of the top ten EMBA programs in the world, ranked ninth overall.

Asian impact

Asian institutions and Asia-affiliated programs are among the strongest performers in the 2012 Financial Times Global Executive MBA rankings. This strongly reflects a current trend notable throughout higher education rankings but is particularly pronounced in the Executive education landscape. Seven of the top ten programs are either fully or in part taught in Asian countries, while 50% of the top 20 are Asia-affiliated programs.

It is not surprising then that the two highest new entries are Asian contenders. The collaborative EMBA program between Tsingua and INSEAD (the Tsingua - INSEAD EMBA) made an exceptionally strong entrance in fourth place in 2012. Similarly, the Chinese SYSBS EMBA, offered by the Sun Yat-sen Business School in Guangzhou, China, made a noteworthy entrance in 11th place. The Korea University Business School EMBA, having made its debut in the rankings in 2011, has climbed 11 places to be ranked 12th overall.

Less positive are the 2012 EMBA ranking results for some of the traditionally strong UK and US programs. The London Business School EMBA program continued its decline in rank this year and slid out of the top ten into 15th place, while the NYU Stern EMBA could not halt the downward trend of its program and ranks 30th in the 2012 rankings.