The Financial Times has placed the Durham MBA as 86th in the world in its Global MBA Ranking 2025. This is an outstanding achievement in a competitive marketplace and is based on graduate achievements from the 2020/21 cohort, who started during global Covid disruptions. This also sees the Durham MBA extend its run in the global top 100 to 12 consecutive years.
The well-established and highly regarded Financial Times Rankings consider submissions from all business schools with either the AACSB or EQUIS international accreditation and an MBA programme running for at least three years. The comprehensive data set can help potential candidates assess faculty expertise, diversity, international opportunities and career progression.
A leading MBA for career progression
Durham MBA remains strong in career progression, ranking 36th in the world (14th in Europe and 7th in the UK) This is calculated according to changes in the level of seniority and the size of the organisation alumni work in now, compared with before their MBA. This combines with another of the FT’s indicators, average salary growth of 86% from starting the programme to 3 years after graduation (average salary $125,759), to make our programme an attractive proposition.
The FT calculation termed Value for Money in the ranking indicates return on investment for students and in addition to post-MBA salaries it also considers pre-MBA salaries, tuition, scholarships and forgone earnings based on course duration. For the fifth time in the last seven years, we have ranked first in the UK for this variable and rank 16th globally (5th in Europe), a five place rise on last year.
Professor Cathy Cassell, Executive Dean, Durham University Business School:
“It is rewarding to see the MBA continue its Global Top 100 ranking, particularly with this being based on our Covid19 cohort. Regardless of this it delivered the outcomes candidates are looking for in relation to employment prospects and salary growth providing an excellent return on investment. Our MBA matches people's expectations from a global business school and a world Top 100 university.”
In addition to the global 86th, the ranking positions the School’s full-time MBA 9th in the UK. Mr Michael Anthonisz, Associate Dean for MBA Programmes:
"The School works hard with current students, alumni and industry connections, including our advisory boards, to ensure our programme delivers what future business leaders need in terms of knowledge and skills.”
A graduate's view
2023 alumna, Ananya Nath supports this view:
"The Durham MBA has played a very crucial role in empowering me to make informed decisions, develop professionally, and achieve my career objectives. The networking opportunities given to me during my MBA helped me to secure a job before the end of the course. Additionally, my MBA has also given me more clarity towards my career goals and indefinite international exposure. "
The Durham MBA transforms careers, enhancing key business and leadership capabilities. Our programme offers three pathways of Entrepreneurship, Consultancy and Technology, meaning students can tailor their studies to be specific to their career ambitions.
Durham is one of the UK’s longest-established business schools and carries the internationally recognised triple-accreditation of AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS, placing it in the top 1% of business schools across the globe.
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