2026 QS Global Master's Degree Ranking: HEC Paris & ESSEC Continue To Set The Bar

This article by Poets and Quants analyzes the 2026 QS Business Master's Rankings, highlighting the dominance of French business schools in global business education.

The QS rankings reveal French business schools' exceptional performance across five master's disciplines: Management, Finance, Analytics, Marketing, and Supply Chain. HEC Paris claimed the top position in three categories (Management, Finance, and Marketing), while ESSEC Business School consistently ranked in the top 10 across all five disciplines. European programs significantly outperformed their American counterparts, with only a few US schools like MIT Sloan and University of Michigan Ross making notable appearances.

• HEC Paris secured #1 rankings in Management, Finance, and Marketing master's programs, displacing Oxford's Saïd Business School in Finance
• ESSEC Business School ranked in the top 10 for all five disciplines, achieving 2nd place in Marketing and Supply Chain Management
• The ranking methodology weighs Employability (30-35%), Alumni Outcomes (15-20%), Value for Money (20%), Thought Leadership (20%), and Diversity (10%)
• European business schools dominated the rankings, with US programs largely absent from top positions except for MIT Sloan and Michigan Ross