Again, the main business schools in the Catalan capital are among the best in the world, with IESE, ESADE, and EADA within the top 20 of the global ranking prepared by Financial Times regarding executive education. As in previous editions, IESE and ESADE are on the world podium, and this time they tie for second place in the case of open-enrollment programs, behind HEC Paris and sharing the position with London Business School.
EADA is also included in the most prestigious ranking of higher education, the Executive Education, in which it repeats at number 16. In this edition, Financial Times has separately published the ranking for open programs and the one linked to programs custom-designed for organizations, without disclosing the general ranking that averaged the results of both lists, as it did until last year. In this general classification, IESE was second worldwide last year, while ESADE was fourth, and EADA was in position 25, climbing eight places compared to the previous year.
In the specific case of open-enrollment programs, ESADE moves up one position, as last year it was third in the ranking, while IESE drops one, as in 2023 it rose to first worldwide in this field. This year, IESE has also been second in the ranking of custom programs, a fact that recognizes its "ability to offer an exceptional global experience to executives, entrepreneurs, and corporate clients" according to Andrea Montalvo, Executive Education programs board member on the IESE Management Board.
IESE ranks second globally in this custom programs ranking, behind the French Insead and moving up two positions compared to last year, when it was fourth. For its part, ESADE is at number 12, the same position as in 2023, and EADA improves one step compared to last year and is at 46. Taking into account this position and the sixteenth in terms of open programs, EADA considers itself to be "in a privileged position," according to Jordi Díaz, dean of the business school. "In such a competitive global context, maintaining such a privileged position and attracting so many participants from all over the world reflects our strategy for international excellence," emphasized the also general director of EADA.
In addition to these three, this classification includes another business school in the city: the UPF Barcelona School of Management, which has obtained the 75th position, in a ranking that includes the 90 best business schools in terms of custom programs. UPF-BSM, which annually trains 12,000 employees from renowned companies, is the only institution linked to a public university in Spain that makes a place for itself in this classification. "Having a presence in this important ranking led by prestigious international schools positions us in the elite of the sector worldwide," claimed the general director of UPF-BSM, José Manuel Martínez-Sierra.
This double classification by Financial Times is based on survey responses from clients of custom programs and participants of open programs, combined with data provided by business schools. The ranking of the British publication takes into account factors such as course design, teaching methods and materials, the quality of participants, and partner institutions. The classification is also built on criteria such as international and female participation and the characteristics and facilities of the faculty, in which Barcelona business schools continue to stand out internationally, consolidating the city as a global hub for executive training.