Financial Times Executive Education Open Ranking 2023

Here are the top ten schools in the Financial Times (FT) Executive Education Open 2023 ranking. 

  1. IESE Business School
  2. HEC Paris
  3. Esade Business School
  4. INSEAD
  5. University of Oxford: Saïd Business School 
  6. London Business School
  7. International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
  8. Fundação Dom Cabra (FDC) 
  9. University of St.Gallen
  10. IE University 

What is The Financial Times Executive Education Open Ranking?

The Financial Times has released its Executive Education Open 2023 Rankings. It’s the 24th edition of the rankings for open enrollment programs. These programs are non-degree courses offered to all working professionals, as opposed to customized programs tailored to specific organizations.

The open-enrollment program rankings combine comprehensive data from business schools and participant evaluations. To be included in the ranking, schools add courses that last at least three to five days and must achieve a 20% response rate with a minimum of 20 complete surveys. This year’s rankings draw from the perspectives of 4,400 participants. 

The remaining 20% of a program’s score comes from school-provided diversity, growth, and international reach data.

What Criteria Does FT Use in Its Executive Education Open Ranking?

A detailed methodology is employed in assessing the quality of open-enrollment management programs, leveraging both participant feedback and school-reported data. 

Fourteen criteria are used, with the bulk of the ranking (80%) hinging on eight participant-rated aspects. These range from Preparation (9.5%), the adequacy of preliminary information provided, to Aims Achieved (10.3%), looking at how well the program met participants’ expectations.  

Overall Satisfaction is also tracked but is not included in the ranking, serving instead as a separate metric of participants’ feedback.

An additional 20% of the ranking comes from the business school’s data.

Weighted Rankings and Criteria

The ranking system weighs the following aspects of participating programs. 

  • New Skills and Learning (10.6%): Practicality and innovation in skills and thinking.
  • Faculty (10.5%): Quality of teaching and faculty’s collaborative effectiveness.
  • Aims Achieved (10.3%): Fulfillment of personal and professional expectations.
  • Course Design (10.3%): Flexibility, structure, and appropriateness of course layout.
  • Teaching Methods and Materials (10.0%): Relevance and modernity of teaching approaches and resources.
  • Quality of Participants (9.7%): Caliber, diversity, and interaction quality among participants.
  • Preparation (9.5%): Clarity of pre-program information and participant selection details.
  • Follow-up (9.1%): Post-course support and networking opportunities.
  • Growth (5.0%): Revenue growth from open programs and repeat business.
  • Faculty Diversity (5.0%): Nationality and gender diversity among faculty.
  • Partner Schools (3.0%): Quality and quantity of collaborative programs with accredited schools.
  • International Participants (3.0%): Percentage of participants from outside the school’s region.
  • International Location (2.0%): Extent of programs conducted globally.
  • Female Participants (2.0%): Proportion of female participants in the program.

 

This approach ensures a balanced representation of a program’s efficacy, encompassing tangible outcomes and participants’ experiences.

Highlights and Trends: FT Executive Education Open-Enrollment Rankings

The 2023 rankings for open-enrollment programs reveal a significant European dominance. IESE  Business School from Barcelona, Spain, takes the lead. While in total, European institutions take 9 out of the top 10 spots.

Among the elite in open enrollment, Fundação Dom Cabral of Brazil breaks the European streak. The school claims a commendable joint seventh place with IMD, which has campuses in Switzerland and Singapore. 

The FT Executive Education Open 2023 Rankings do not represent an exhaustive list. Some abstentions are due to insufficient participant feedback or voluntary non-participation.

Use FT Rankings to Choose the Best Master’s Program

The more options you have, the more complex the choice for continuing your education. The FT Executive Education Open 2023 Rankings offer a starting point for a master’s adventure. 

To utilize these rankings first, pinpoint your career and learning targets. Are you after a global perspective or aiming to enhance specific skills like leadership or digital fluency?

Geographical considerations are also vital. Some programs boast a worldwide footprint, while others are more regionally concentrated. Finally, consider the program costs, scholarships, and probable returns on investment. 

The next step is to investigate program curricula, alum success stories, and faculty prowess to confirm a program’s fit for your aspirations.

Do you want to learn more about using program or university rankings to determine a suitable program? Read our guide to business masters rankings.