London Business School and Milan’s SDA Bocconi School of Management lead the twin 2026 FT executive education rankings, at a time of rapid disruption in demand from managers and employers for training and development.
LBS — followed by HEC Paris and Iese Business School in Barcelona — came top among 90 ranked providers of open-enrolment programmes: short, non-degree courses accessible to a broad range of executives and professionals. The London school was assessed as best in categories including preparation, course design, teaching and faculty.
Among the 100 FT ranked custom programmes, which are tailored to the needs of specific clients, SDA Bocconi came top for the first time. LBS was in second place, ahead of IMD — International Institute for Management Development, in Switzerland.
Across the range of all custom and open programmes ranked by the FT, AI has been the fastest rising topic, and now features in three-quarters, only just behind leadership and finance.
FT Executive Education Rankings 2026
