Business schools can play a pivotal role in diversifying the economy. MBA alumni rise through corporations and become business leaders, with the potential to be change agents and set the agenda for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Business schools have been driving towards more equal representation of international and female students in their cohorts, and having effective DEI strategies will elevate a business school’s positions to prospective candidates.
In fact, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Prospective Students Survey, more than two-thirds of graduate business education candidates consider equity and inclusion to be important or very important to their academic experience—and more than half said they wouldn’t consider a school that fails to prioritize them.
So, where can you study a top MBA with strong diversity representation? Here we go through the 20 most diverse MBA programs within the Financial Times’ Top 100 MBA programs.
MBA Diversity Ranking: Top 20
=20. Cranfield School of Management
International Students: 92%, Female Students: 44%
Founded in 1967, the Cranfield School of Management aims to enhance students' networks, knowledge, and career opportunities.
The school’s MBA is a one-year immersive experience that includes opportunities to work with real clients, secure an internship, spend a month abroad, and attend networking and speaker events at a dedicated entrepreneurship hub.
=20. IE Business School
International Students: 95%, Female Students: 41%
Located in Madrid, Spain, the MBA aims to give students a personalized academic journey that builds on their specific skills and unique career goals.
IE allows students to pick from three different course lengths and students are taught by faculty hailing from a vast range of industries including finance, entrepreneurship, law, and technology.
19. Alliance Manchester Business School
International Students: 97%, Female Students: 40%
Based in one of the UK’s most popular cities, Manchester, Alliance Business School is known for being one of the most practical MBA programs, focusing on group work and practice-based learning.
Students take on three consultancy projects, the Social Impact Project, the Commercial Business Project, and the International Business Project, with real-world clients.
They also learn to take structured and data-informed approaches to decision-making, lead and work effectively with multinational groups, and reflect critically and analytically as they solve problems.
18. London Business School
International Students: 93%, Female Students: 45%
London Business School (LBS) frequently ranks among the top 10 business schools globally in the Financial Times MBA Ranking, taking 7th place this year.
LBS also boasts an impressive alumni network, including some of the world’s most influential business figures, such as Jim Ratcliffe, Founder of Ineos; Dmytro Dubilet, Co-founder of Monobank; and Kumar Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group.
In line with its diverse cohort, the LBS MBA Class of 2024 assumed roles across 40 different countries.
17. Bayes Business School
International Students: 95%, Female Students: 44%
Bayes Business School, formerly known as Cass Business School (renamed in 2021), is part of City University of London.
The MBA program at Bayes Business School is designed to stay ahead of the curve, incorporating emerging topics such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), ensuring that students gain the skills needed for a successful, long-term career.
This is demonstrated by the 91.7% of students from the Class of 2024 who received job offers within six months of graduation.
16. Warwick Business School
International Students: 94%, Female Students: 46%
Warwick Business School, part of the University of Warwick, was ranked 8th in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2025.
The Warwick Business School MBA program offers the option to specialize in either entrepreneurship or social and environmental sustainability, allowing students to tailor their MBA to their interests and acquire valuable, in-demand skills.
Students also have the option to participate in a work placement lasting between six and 12 weeks, either in the UK or overseas, providing them with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.
= 13. EMLyon Business School
International Students: 97%, Female Students: 44%
Tying for third place with Imperial College Business School and the National University of Singapore Business School is EMLYON Business School, a new contender this year after not being featured on the 2024 list.
To apply for the International MBA at EMLYON Business School, you will need at least 3 years of professional experience, a Baccalaureate plus 4 years of additional study, and to submit scores from either the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) or TAGE MAGE (Test d’Aptitude aux Études de Gestion et au Management des Entreprises).
= 13. Imperial College Business School
International Students: 96%, Female Students: 45%
Students participating in the Imperial College MBA program benefit from its strategic London location, within touching distance of some of the world’s most influential businesses.
The MBA program blends essential business and management knowledge with the latest technological insights, providing students with a very well-rounded education.
Offering both part-time and full-time study options, Imperial College Business School provides flexibility and convenience.
= 13. National University of Singapore Business School
International Students: 97%, Female Students: 44%
In 13th position is the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, which previously did not make the list.
Located in the heart of Singapore—a key business hub—NUS Business School offers unparalleled access to networking opportunities and career exploration.
The NUS MBA is designed to support professional growth, with more than 50 specialized electives to choose from, including Digital Business, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Strategy & Organisation.
=11. University of Cambridge Judge Business School
International Students: 95%, Female Students: 47%
Located in the UK, at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School looks to help MBA students transform their career journey.
The Cambridge MBA equips students with skills, networks, and confidence to accelerate leadership opportunities, enable a career change, or put students on an entrepreneurial path.
The diverse MBA program offers a rigorous curriculum, tailorable to students' interests and goals and allows them to gain 400+ hours of practical experience, with real client projects.
=11. Hult International Business School
International Students: 98%, Female Students: 44%
Hult focuses on providing students with modern skills that will help them be an asset to companies and make an impact in society.
The MBA’s focus on experiential learning—from professional coaching to cutting-edge simulations—aims to prepare students for workplace success.
Hult's class of 2023 shows this success: 95% of MBA graduates were employed after three months, while 55% of those in the Executive MBA program achieved a salary increase after graduation.
10. University of St Gallen
International Students: 98%, Female Students: 46%
Located in Switzerland, the University of St Gallen is known for its hyper-localized approach to education, preparing students with the management skills for a successful career in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland).
Its MBA class of 2024 has 23 nationalities, demonstrating its commitment to a diverse cohort.
Of the class of 2023, the healthcare industry was the most popular employer (29%), manufacturing was the second largest (25%), and financial services was third (14%).
9. Rotterdam School of Management
International Students: 99%, Female Students: 47%
The Netherlands-based business school claims a truly international learning environment, with a very strong diversity performance.
The International full-time MBA is designed to build the critical-thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills students will need to launch and sustain a world-class career in business, in any sector, in any management role, anywhere in the world.
Of the class of 2024, 91% found a job within three months of graduation and the MBA boasts a strong alumni network of nearly 50,000 grads across the globe.
8. University of Oxford: Saïd
International Students: 100%, Female Students: 48%
The UK's Oxford University Saïd Business School offers a full-time MBA program that ranks seventh on our list of the most diverse classrooms, marking a slight decline from last year when it held the fourth position with 98% international students and 51% female students.
Saïd's approach to business is relatively traditional compared with other schools on the list. It looks to provide students with a solid foundation in core business principles while developing a broadened mindset and understanding of the role of business in society.
The class represents a breadth of diversity, perspectives, and expertise, through crafting a cohort of professionals from a range of industries, from finance to consulting, and tech to healthcare.
7. Audencia
International Students: 100%, Female Students: 50%
Audencia is the only school on the list to achieve gender parity. It was also ranked first by Happy at School, which is based on student recommendations.
The school works in tandem with the corporate world and is a leader in advanced management practices and corporate social responsibility.
With over 10 campuses spread across four countries—including its main campuses in Nantes and additional campuses in China, Brazil, and Australia—Audencia offers an enriching international experience.
6. ESCP Business School
International Students: 100%, Female Students: 51%
Another French Grande Ecole, located in Paris, ESCP Business School takes sixth place.
Through core modules, a specialization, and two Company Consultancy Projects, students learn all the skills and knowledge needed to become an international business leader.
The MBA covers all the functional areas of management, and the internationality of the program provides a rich multicultural experience.
MBA Diversity Ranking: Top 5
5. Grenoble Ecole de Management
International Students: 100%, Female Students: 52%
Maintaining its fifth-place position is Grenoble Ecole de Management. Located in the technological and innovation hub of Grenoble, France, this full-time MBA offers a unique global perspective designed to shape students’ careers for the future.
During the MBA, students can access an international cohort of professionals and faculty, and a global network of 47,000 alumni including 2,000 graduates of the MBA program.
Students receive hands-on learning experiences with local and international companies with live business cases and can immerse themselves in Grenoble's vibrant tech ecosystem.
4. EDHEC Business School
International Students: 96%, Female Students: 57%
Sitting in fourth place is EDHEC Business School, located in Nice, France, which offers a personalized and sustainable Global MBA program.
One of the best in the world for an ESG education, the program includes a sustainability learning expedition and a five-month sustainability challenge.
Being part of such a diverse MBA cohort leads to networking opportunities and relationships across industries and countries, increased awareness of cultural differences in business, and appreciation of diverse leadership.
3. University of Edinburgh Business School
International Students: 98%, Female Students: 56%
The UK-based business school, located in Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, offers a diverse full-time MBA program built on three pillars: strategic leadership, professional development, and a personalized approach.
This approach helps enhance students’ career potential by giving a clear focus on the role of the highly sought strategic leader.
Edinburgh allows students to spend 10-12 weeks abroad in the second semester at one of its partner universities including ESSEC Business School in France, HKUST Business School in Hong Kong, and Kellogg School of Management in the US.
2. ESSEC Business School
International Students: 100%, Female Students: 57%
The French Grande École, ESSEC Business School, which ranked third last year, claims second place this year, boasting 100% international students and 57% female students.
ESSEC’s full-time MBA program provides students a pathway to become an innovative, responsible, and digital-savvy business leader.
Within the program, the key topics of choice are Sustainability, Digital Leadership, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. It also offers career accelerator options through internships, a global field project, a venturing project, and career and networking study trips to European hubs.
1. University of Glasgow: Adam Smith Business School
International Students: 95%, Female Students: 64%
Usurping ESCP Business School from its top spot as the most diverse MBA program is the University of Glasgow: Adam Smith Business School (ASBS).
Making a dramatic entrance this year after not featuring on the list last year, ASBS has firmly established itself in the top ranks.
Consistently ranked among the Financial Times' top 100 MBA programs, it holds the 97th position overall this year.
The school has also earned the prestigious Triple Crown accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA), a distinction achieved by only 1% of the world’s business schools.
table to go here:
This year’s list of the top 20 most diverse MBA programs has seen significant changes compared to the previous year, including several newcomers such as The University of Glasgow: Adam Smith, EMLyon Business School, and the National University of Singapore.
Several institutions dropped out of the list altogether, including IMD—International Institute for Management Development, HEC Paris, Esade Business School, and Copenhagen Business School.
Among those that maintained their position in the top 20, there was also considerable movement. The most notable shift was Cranfield School of Management's decline from eighth place to joint 20th with IE Business School.
*Methodology: We have ranked the schools in this order based on the average combined score of female and international students
