In a ranking that illuminates the strengths of Western programs, the Wharton School in the United States takes the number-one position. Wharton’s EMBA course achieves world-leading scores for three of the five metric groups used by QS to compile the ranking. It offers participants excellent employer recognition, world-class thought leadership, and market-leading career outcomes.

What does the 2018 QS Global EMBA Rankings tell students?

• EMBA excellence is heavily concentrated in Anglophone nations: all except one of the top ten program providers are based in the US or UK;
• The UK’s top program is offered by London Business School (3^rd), which is most noteworthy for the outstanding career outcomes it offers its graduates;
• Students seeking to study for their EMBA in continental Europe will find the strongest programs at IESE (10th), INSEAD (12^th), HEC Paris (13^th), and IE Business School (16^th);
• Asia-Pacific’s highest-ranked EMBA course is to be found at Shanghai’s CEIBS (26^th).

The QS EMBA Rankings 2018 are compiled using five metric groups, each designed to provide quantitative data regarding key questions aspiring EMBA candidates seek answers to. These metric groups are:

1. Employer Reputation (30%): do employers regard graduates from this prospective program highly?
2. Thought Leadership (25%): does this school have the capacity to innovate, and to encourage innovation?
3. Executive Profile (15%): the quality of my EMBA peers matters to me – how experienced is the class and how much c-suite representation is in the program?
4. Career Outcomes (20%): is this program likely to support my career in terms of salary increase and promotions after graduation?
5. Diversity (10%): am I likely to be exposed to a wide range of perspectives? Does this program offer high levels of gender and international diversity?

Student readers can consult a suite containing six subdivided tables, designed to cater to those seeking to compare programs globally, within a specific region, or among joint program offerings:

1. QS EMBA Rankings 2018: Global Summary
2. QS EMBA Rankings 2018: Joint Programs
3. QS EMBA Rankings by Region 2018: North America
4. QS EMBA Rankings by Region 2018: Europe
5. QS EMBA Rankings by Region 2018: Asia Pacific
6. QS EMBA Rankings by Region 2018: Latin America.

Alex Chisholm, Head of Business School Analytics at QS, said: “The QS rankings process also uncovers broader insights about pursuing business degrees. For example, the ability to fund the educational experience remains a big consideration for today’s EMBA candidates. Thankfully, many EMBA students are fortunate to have financial support from their employers. Business schools reported to QS that nearly half of their students receive some level of corporate sponsorship, on average, with around 20 percent obtaining full funding. This willingness to invest in talent is a testament to the immediate and long-term value of the degree as perceived by global employers.”

For data regarding one or more of these tables, please email jack@qs.com.

QS Quacquarelli Symonds are an independent high education research company with nearly three decades’ experience of providing intelligence regarding the business school and higher education markets. The full suite of QS EMBA Rankings can be found at https://www.topmba.com/emba-rankings.