• October 06, 2026
  • 3 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 20252026 SDA BocconiFacebook

IMD, SDA Bocconi and IE top the Bloomberg European Best Business Schools Ranking 2026-2027 ©SDA Bocconi/Facebook

TL;DR

  • IMD, SDA Bocconi, IE, and St.Gallen 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 2026-2027 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 recognized 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 2027?

Bloomberg Businessweek named IMD Business School in Switzerland the best business school in Europe in its latest ranking of European MBA programs, while Italy’s SDA Bocconi School of Management came second, and IE Business School in Spain ranked third.

Here is the full breakdown of the best business schools in Europe, according to Bloomberg's 2026-2027 ranking.

Which are the top 10 best business schools in Europe?

Beyond the top three schools in the top 10, Switzerland’s University of St.Gallen came fourth and Spain’s IESE Business School came fifth. In sixth place this year was the UK’s London Business School and France’s INSEAD ranked seventh. Rounding off the top 10 was Oxford University’s Saïd Business School in eighth, Mannheim Business School in Germany in ninth, and finally Spain's ESADE Business School, which came 10th.

Spanish schools dominated the ranking once again, accounting for three of the top 10 European business schools, with a further three Spanish institutions occupying spots between 10 and 20, making for a total of six.

The UK and Italy both accounted for three of the top European business schools, with Cranfield School of Management ranking 15th. POLIMI Graduate School of Management in Italy came 11th while Rome Business School entered the ranking in 18th place.

France had two business schools make the ranking this year, with EDHEC Business School in 14th place joining INSEAD. Denmark's Copenhagen Business School also featured in this year's ranking, placing 17th.

Bloomberg's 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 2026-2027 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 40.6%, followed by learning (26.6%), networking (21.3%), and entrepreneurship (11.4%).

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.

Molly Baker
Molly Baker
Published in Explore Programs
Molly is a Writer and Content Producer for GMAC. She has an M.A. in Magazine Journalism and a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from Cardiff University.