For MBA FT rankings are significant as they emphasise schools that provide good international career prospects, fine alumni achievements and quality education. They are most helpful to students who are looking to work overseas or with international businesses since they indicate how well a school is positioned to prepare graduates for international leadership.

Every year, FT publishes seven separate rankings for Global MBA, Executive MBA, Master in Management (MiM), Master in Finance and Online MBA programs. The rankings come from comprehensive surveys of both the business schools and alumni (asked three years post-graduation). A school is only eligible for ranking if a minimum of 20% of alumni reply and 20 responses are received.

FT ranks colleges based on various criteria such as salary and career advancement after graduation, quality of academic research, student international exposure, classroom and faculty diversity, environmental concern and sustainability in teaching etc. 

A number of India's best business schools including ISB, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and others have appeared in these rankings from time to time reflecting their increasing global recognition. On the whole, FT rankings provide a clear picture of which schools provide global value, outstanding learning outcomes and lasting career gains.

What is FT Global MBA Ranking? 

FT Global MBA Ranking is an annual ranking published by the Financial Times, ranking the world's leading full-time MBA schools. It is one of the most trusted and widely used rankings among students, business professionals and recruiters worldwide. The ranking provides students with insight into which business schools provide the best return on investment, the best career development and the broadest international exposure. It's particularly helpful for those looking to work overseas or get hired at leading global firms such as McKinsey, Amazon and Google.

The rankings are made based on actual data gathered from alumni (three years post-MBA) and the schools themselves. For a school to qualify, at least 20% of its alumni must reply and the FT must get at least 20 completed questionnaires. FT considers over 20 parameters to rank these colleges. These are graduate salaries, salary increase post-MBA, career advancement, international mobility, diversity of students and faculty, research quality and more recent measures like sustainability and environmental responsibility in the curriculum.

In addition to the Global MBA rankings the Financial Times also releases Executive MBA, Masters in Management (MiM), Masters in Finance, Online MBA and general business school rankings. These rankings provide a complete picture of how schools rank across different program types.

A number of the country's leading business schools like ISB Hyderabad, IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore have also been listed in the FT Global MBA Rankings demonstrating the country's international reputation and the increasing quality of management education in India. To put it in simple words, the FT Global MBA Ranking is like a comprehensive report card that guides students towards the correct MBA college which provides international value, excellent career prospects and long-term development.

FT Global Ranking Parameters 

The Financial Times (FT) Global MBA Ranking considers so many different factors to determine which business schools are the best in the world. It's not only about pay, FT examines how successful the MBA was in advancing student's careers, how global the program is, how inclusive and diverse the school is and even how much it prioritises sustainability and climate objectives.

To ensure the rankings are reliable and significant, FT surveys graduates (3 years after MBA) and the schools themselves. These aspects are then categorised into six broad areas such as career development, alumni network, diversity, academic standards, internationalisation and sustainability. Following is a list of all the important parameters used in the FT ranking:

1. Career & Salary Measures

• Weighted Salary: Median salary earned by alumni three years post-graduation.

• Salary Boost: Absolute and percentage progress in salary between pre-MBA and post-MBA.

• Value for Money: Compares program duration, living expenses, tuition fees and post-MBA salary.

• Career Progress: Follows promotions and company size progress where alumni are currently employed.

• Aims Acheived: Measures number of professional or personal objectives alumni achieved via the MBA.

2. Alumni & Career Support

• Alumni Network Rank: Ranks the usefulness of the alumni network in terms of job, mentorship, startup assistance and events.

• Careers Service: Ranks support provided by the institution for internships, placements, networking and guidance.

• Employed at 3 Months: This refers to the proportion of students employed within three months of graduation.

• Sector Diversity Rank: Scores diversity in prior-MBA industry sectors of students.

3. Diversity Indicators

• Female Faculty: This refers to the percentage of female teaching out the entire faculty.

• Female Students: Percentage of women in the MBA batch.

• Women on Board: This refers to the percentage of women on the advisory board of the school.

4. International Exposure

• International Faculty: Faculty whose nationality and location of work differ.

• International Students: Mix of nationalities among students and where they work after the MBA.

• International Board: Measures nationality mix of advisory boards members.

• International Mobility: Tracks he whereabouts of alumni prior to MBA, shortly after and three years hence.

• International Course Experience: Includes international internships, exchanges and projects (minimum of 1 month) outside the home country of the school.

5. Academic Excellence

• Faculty with Doctorates: Percent of full-time faculty with PhDs.

• FT Research Rank: Count of published research articles of faculty in top 50 publications (Jan 2022–May 2024).

6. Sustainability Focus

• Carbon Footprint Rank: If the school has a published carbon emissions review and a year of net-zero goal.

• ESG & Net Zero Teaching Rank: Percentage of core teaching focused on sustainability and aiding companies to net zero.

Weightage of FT Global Parameters

In ranking global MBA schools, the Financial Times (FT) employs a wide range of parameters to judge the general quality and influence of each program. These parameters are salary results, career development, diversity, global exposure, instructor qualifications and others. Every parameter is assigned a certain weightage, reflecting how much each contributes to the final ranking. A list of FT Global Parameters are given below along with the weightage given to them for better unbderstanding of the students: 

Key Changes in the Financial Times (FT Global) Ranking Methodology 

Some of the key changes that have been made are:

• Value for the Money carries a weight of 5% presently.  It includes post-MBA salaries, fees and scholarships.

• The alumni network rank has a weightage of 4%.

• Speaking a language other than English at graduation is not a ranking factor anymore.

• Salary Criteria: In order to make way for more focus to be given to the other factors, the weighting has been reduced from 40% to 32%.

• Recommendations of alumni from other b-schools will not be considered as a ranking parameter from now on. 

• "Diversity of employment background of students" is a new factor with a weightage of 3%.

• The environment is being given due importance now.  Schools will be given credit for submitting the latest available public carbon emissions report

Top Indian Business Schools in the FT Global Ranking 2025, 2024 and 2023 

Financial Times MBA Rankings (Global) are the most prestigious business school rankings in the world. Many top Indian b-schools make it to this international ranking list every year, an achievement that speaks about their increasing popularity, international recognition and excellent alumni success.

The following table illustrates how some of the top Indian institutes such as ISB, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and so on have performed in the FT Global Rankings of 2025, 2024 and 2023.