FT Executive Education Ranking 2022: the top business schools

French company university HEC Paris has topped the FT’s twin yearly government instruction rankings for open-enrolment programmes and customized programs for corporate customers for the first time. The school’s double results comes as numerous of the world’s leading educational institutions report a surge in demand from customers for non-diploma courses as the Covid-19 pandemic eases.

This advancement demonstrates quick-phrase appetite from senior supervisors to meet in individual and off web page after months of performing remotely. But it also reveals a very long-time period drive to study clean techniques, these types of as digital transformation, and retain drive at a time of high employment and personnel turnover.

“Demand is selecting up noticeably,” suggests Anne-Valérie Corboz, affiliate dean of govt schooling at HEC Paris. “There have been a large amount of requests immediately after a halt for two many years, specifically from senior govt groups who have not experienced the option to satisfy and reconnect around new methods to performing, organisational layout and coping with Era Z.”

The sample is reflected in the FT’s parallel study of main studying officers who get programs for their organisations all over the globe. This demonstrates that a vast majority hope budgets to increase this yr, with a emphasis on classes supplying insights into management, range and inclusion, and digital abilities.

Competitiveness from in-property “corporate universities” and consultancies is intensifying, as is on line understanding from organisations these as LinkedIn. A escalating amount of electronic coaching begin-ups funded by enterprise money are also disrupting the sector, with new technological know-how and flexibility in their choices.

But “the most interesting query at the moment”, claims Tom O’Toole, associate dean for govt training at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Illinois, “is, how sustainable are these new entrants? There is massive promoting opposition ideal now and their returns are beneath pressure. We have the brand name of our school, the university, the associations that go back again years and a fantastic offer of reliability.”

Corboz adds: “Business faculties are in a one of a kind position to merge investigation with real-world encounter.”

Among the 65 business enterprise educational facilities rated for normal and sophisticated administration open up-enrolment programmes this 12 months, the 19 top rated-tier elite providers include 4 with their key campuses in France, three from Spain and two each from the United kingdom, the US and Switzerland.

Of the 70 educational facilities that characteristic in the position for custom programmes, customized to organisations’ demands, HEC Paris is a person of 18 in the prime tier. That elite team contains 5 educational institutions from France and four based in the US, together with institutions in Spain, the United kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and China.

The mixed position of educational institutions assessed for equally open up and customized programmes is also headed by HEC Paris, adopted by 4 other European establishments: Spanish university Iese, IMD in Switzerland, Esade, also in Spain, and London Organization Faculty in the United kingdom.

These executive education rankings are the 1st the FT has printed due to the fact May 2020. The pandemic brought about sharp disruption as business faculties were pressured to adapt to on the web understanding at small recognize and quite a few organizations cancelled training.

Amongst open programmes, HEC Paris was top rated with an in general fulfillment rating of 9.72 out of 10, position greatest in the perspective of contributors for instructing strategies, high quality of classmates, observe-up, and new abilities and discovering. IMD was judged major for aims reached Ivey Small business School at Western College, which provides open up programmes in Canada and Hong Kong, was rated best for planning and faculty and UCLA Anderson came first for system style.

In the custom made rating, HEC Paris, which available programmes at its campuses near Paris and in Qatar, was prime for planning, instructing methods and supplies, school, new expertise learnt, follow-up, aims reached and price for funds. Duke Corporate Training was judged top for programme design and style Iese for faculty diversity, intercontinental shoppers and expansion and SDA Bocconi for long term use.

To be eligible for the rankings, business schools must be accredited by at the very least one of the two primary businesses, AACSB or EFMD. They ought to also have noted revenues of at the very least $1mn a 12 months from their tailor made or open programmes in get to get component in the related position.

For personalized programmes, educational institutions will have to have a minimum amount of 15 company purchasers that commissioned courses ending in 2021, of which at least five should return an FT suggestions study. For open up programmes, educational facilities post up to two common administration courses long lasting a minimum of 3 days and up to two state-of-the-art courses long lasting five days or additional. At minimum 20 per cent of individuals, and 20 persons, must reply to the study for a college to be regarded.

This year, the ranking was adapted in reaction to responses immediately after the pandemic to clear away the assessment of on-web page amenities. For custom made programmes, responses ended up also weighted based mostly on the seniority of respondents, the sizing of their organisations and the amount of company colleges with which they get the job done.