- Jan 05, 2026
- 4 min read
Which are the best business schools in Europe?
Studying an MBA or business master's in Europe offers dynamic cultural experiences and diverse career opportunities—here are the top business schools in Europe, according to Bloomberg
SDA Bocconi, IMD, and IESE top the Bloomberg European Best Business Schools Ranking 2025-2026 ©SDA Bocconi/Facebook
TL;DR
- SDA Bocconi, IMD, IESE, and London Business School are some of the top business schools in Europe, according to Bloomberg
- Bloomberg's ranking of the best business schools in Europe is based on student, alumni, and recruiter surveys and measures four indexes: compensation, learning, networking, and entrepreneurship
- Spanish schools dominate the 2025-2026 ranking, accounting for six of the top European business schools
Studying in Europe offers students access to some of the world's top business schools, international networking opportunities, and proximity to some of the largest global business hubs. With culturally rich cities, diverse career paths, and globally recognised institutions, Europe provides an ideal environment for future business leaders to gain the skills, experience, and connections needed for a successful career in business.
So, what are the top business schools in Europe in 2026?
Bloomberg Businessweek named SDA Bocconi in Italy the best business school in Europe in its latest ranking of European MBA programs, while Switzerland's IMD Business School came second, and IESE in Spain ranked third.
Here is the full breakdown of the best business schools in Europe, according to Bloomberg's 2025-2026 ranking.
Which are the top 10 best business schools in Europe?
Beyond the top three schools in the top 10, the UK's London Business School came fourth and France's INSEAD came fifth. In sixth place this year was Oxford University's Saïd Business School and Madrid-based IE Business School ranked seventh. Rounding off the top 10 was Germany's Mannheim Business School in eighth, the University of St Gallen in Switzerland in ninth, and finally Spain's ESADE Business School, which came 10th.
Spanish schools dominated the 2025/2026 ranking, accounting for three of the top 10 European business schools, with a further three occuping spots between 10 and 20, making for a total of six. The UK accounted for four of the top European business schools, with Cambridge University's Judge Business School coming 11th and Cranfield School of Management ranking 14th.
France, Switzerland, and Italy each had two business schools make the ranking. POLIMI Graduate School of Management in Italy came 12th while EDHEC Business School in France ranked 15th. Denmark's Copenhagen Business School also featured in this year's ranking, placing 13th.
Top business schools in Europe
Bloomberg ranking methodology
To determine the best European business schools, Bloomberg ranks schools based on four indexes: compensation, learning, networking, and entrepreneurship. Students, alumni, and recruiters are surveyed to determine which aspect of business education is most important.
For the 2025-2026 ranking, 40% of those surveyed were alumni, 35% were recruiters, and 25% were current students. The compensation index—which is based on alumni’s earnings and signing bonuses—was weighted highest at 36.1%, followed by learning (25.9%), networking (23.8%), and entrepreneurship (14.1%).
Students, alumni, and recruiters are then asked survey questions on the business school experience, each linked to a specific index. Based on the survey scores and employment and salary data collected from schools, Bloomberg calculates the overall ranking.
Bloomberg vs Financial Times
Bloomberg’s top five is similar to the latest results within the Financial Times’ European Business School Ranking, sharing three names in common. However, INSEAD tops the FT ranking, while coming fifth in the Bloomberg list. HEC Paris ranks second in the FT ranking, while Bloomberg’s top-ranked school, SDA Bocconi, is ranked sixth by the FT.
The methodology of the FT ranking differs from that of Bloomberg, with more attention given to the quality of teaching and the faculty’s diversity in terms of gender and country of origin. The FT also looks at salary increase as a metric, rather than just post-graduation salary or average alumni salary.
Since each ranking is based on different metrics, it’s important to compare different MBA rankings and track a school’s rankings positions over time to get a true picture of a school's performance.
