Cranfield School of Management has once again been recognised as one of the top international business schools in rankings. For the second consecutive year, Cranfield's full-time MBA, known as the Transformation MBA, has been ranked 12th overall in Europe and 4th in the UK. The School of Management also retained its prestigious position as 1st in Europe for Learning and was placed 2nd in Europe for Entrepreneurship, and 7th for Networking.
Professor Leila Alinaghian, Professor of Business Relations and Impact, and Director of Cranfield’s full-time MBA, commented: “Being top of the rankings for learning is particularly pleasing as this shows our offering is really hitting the mark for our students. Our unique philosophy and approach to teaching and learning exposes our MBA students to the real world of practice and enables them to develop skills and mindsets that are required for the future world of work. We know that students and employers alike really value Cranfield’s practice-based learning, so it’s fantastic to see our top ranking in this specific area."
The Learning category, where Cranfield is top in Europe, evaluates the quality and depth of teaching, the relevance of the curriculum to real-world business challenges, and the development of innovation, strategic thinking, and collaboration. Smaller class sizes, hands-on executive coaching and mentoring, and experiential learning through UK and international consultancy projects and internships are key elements of Cranfield's approach, which focuses on close ties to business practice.
Bloomberg is currently the only MBA ranking that assesses entrepreneurial quality. In the Entrepreneurship category, Cranfield is 2nd in Europe, with students and alumni praising the entrepreneurship focus of the programme. Professor Stephanie Hussels, Director of the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship, added: “Entrepreneurship is a core theme at Cranfield, designed to equip our students with an entrepreneurial mindset, which is vital for competing in today’s business environment, whether they join a startup, family business, or the corporate world post-MBA."
The Networking category, where Cranfield is placed 7th in Europe, highlights the strength of the school’s global and diverse network. It assesses the quality of connections students build, alumni engagement, career services, and the school’s brand recognition among employers.
The Bloomberg Businessweek Best B-Schools List 2024-25 measures MBA programmes based on data from more than 15,000 survey responses from graduating students, recent alumni, and recruiters. Cranfield's strong performance in these rankings adds to an already successful year, with the MBA, Executive Education programmes and Management MSc all rising in the Financial Times rankings.