HEC Paris Retains N°1 Spot in Europe for Combined Performances

Today’s FT classification of top European business schools sees HEC Paris consolidate its number one spot for the fourth consecutive year. In total, the school has topped this European table a record 11 times in the 19 years the British daily has published the table.

This annual ranking is based on the overall scores that these institutions achieve for the five main program rankings featuring the MBA, Executive MBA, Master in Management and customs and open non-degree executive education programs. 

According to the FT, the overall European showing (notably 24 French, 18 UK and eight German institutions among the top 95 business schools) has significant geopolitical resonance. The FT’s Andrew Jack notes: “The data come at an important moment for European business schools, amid intensifying global competition for students and rising international tensions as Russia and China become more isolated. European schools remain popular,” Jack pursues, citing a major accreditation body for business schools: “They provide a quality education for a fraction of the cost charged by leading business schools in the US, have a tradition of international mobility and collaborative spirit, are rooted in the European spirit of diversity and liberal values and are located in very attractive destinations, which helps in their global branding.”

Success for HEC Programs Across all Levels

HEC ranked consistently among the first four in Europe in all FT classifications this year. It topped the table for its open executives and short custom programs, which have also been ranked number one worldwide in the FT’s Custom, Open-enrolment and Combined classification. This has allowed the French institution to widen the gap with the rest of the schools. The composite ranking is not only based on the aggregation of published ranking positions, however. “They are calculated using Z-scores,” notes Judith Pizer who acts as the FT’s database consultant, “formulas that reflect the range between the top and bottom school — for the individual criteria that make up each component ranking. “ The results reflect the investment of all the school’s academic staff and professors across pre-experience (MiM), post-experience (MBA and EMBA) and executive education programs.