Business schools can play an important role in diversifying the economy. MBA graduates advance through corporate ranks to become business leaders, having the ability to be change agents and set the agenda for diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Effective DEI policies can improve the representation of international and female students in business schools, increasing their appeal to potential candidates.
According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Prospective Students Survey, over two-thirds of graduate business education candidates prioritize equity and inclusion in their academic experience. Over half would not consider a school that does not prioritize these values.
So, where can you get a top MBA with a strong diversity focus? Here, we look at the 10 most diverse MBA programs among the Financial Times’ Top 100 MBA programs.
1. ESCP Business School
International Students: 100%, Female Students: 50%
Another French Grande Ecole, ESCP Business School in Paris, is tied with Audencia for the most diversified MBA program on our list. While it has the same statistics as Audencia, it ranked 25th in the Financial Times’ 2024 MBA rankings.
Students learn all of the skills and information required to be an international business leader through core courses, a specialization, and two Company Consultancy Projects.
The MBA program covers all aspects of business, and its internationality ensures a rich multicultural experience.
1. Audencia
International Students: 100%, Female Students: 50%
Audencia, based in Nantes, France, is one of only two schools to achieve gender balance and a wholly international cohort, tying for first place on this list.
Audencia collaborates with the corporate world and is a pioneer in sophisticated management techniques and corporate social responsibility. As a result, alumni work for big organizations all over the world, with 85% already hired before graduation.
Program graduates have obtained jobs in Europe (54%), Asia and the Pacific (29%), and Latin America (9%).
The class’s diversity enables students to develop ideas among a close-knit cohort of approximately 30 classmates.
3. ESSEC Business School
International Students: 100%, Female Students: 51%
The French Grande Ecole ESSEC Business School joins the top three on this ranking of the most diversified MBA programs.
ESSEC’s full-time MBA program prepares students to become innovative, accountable, and digitally savvy business leaders.
The program’s primary themes of choice include sustainability, digital leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It also provides career advancement opportunities through internships, a global field project, a venture project, and career and networking study excursions to European hotspots.
4. University of Oxford: Saïd
International Students: 98%, Female Students: 51%
Oxford University Saïd Business institution, the first institution with more women than men, offers a full-time MBA program and ranks fourth in terms of classroom diversity.
Saïd’s business strategy is more traditional than other schools on the list. It aims to offer students with a solid foundation in key business principles while also expanding their thinking and awareness of the role of business in society.
The class offers a wide spectrum of diversity, viewpoints, and skills by bringing together individuals from a variety of fields, including finance, consulting, technology, and healthcare.
5. Grenoble Ecole de Management
International Students: 100%, Female Students: 45%
This full-time MBA program, located in the technical and innovation capital of Grenoble, France, provides a unique worldwide perspective that will affect students’ future professions.
Students enrolled in the MBA program have access to an international cohort of professionals and teachers, as well as a global network of 47,000 alumni, including 2,000 MBA grads.
Students gain hands-on experience with local and international companies through live business cases, and they can immerse themselves in Grenoble’s thriving tech ecosystem.
6. EDHEC Business School
International Students: 97%, Female Students: 47%
EDHEC Business School, based in Nice, France, is just outside the top five on this list of the most diversified MBA programs. It offers a tailored and sustainable Global MBA program.
The program is one of the best in the world for ESG education, and it includes a five-month sustainability challenge as well as a sustainability learning excursion.
Joining a diverse MBA cohort provides opportunity to network across businesses and nations, gain cultural knowledge, and appreciate different leadership.
7. TIAS Business School
International Students: 100%, Female Students: 44%
Another diversified business school in the Netherlands, TIAS Business School, provides an internationally oriented MBA program that immerses students in a diverse atmosphere with peers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
grads have a strong employment success record, with more than 90% of MBA grads finding work within three months after graduation.
According to the Financial Times, the Full-time MBA ranks first for international careers and fourth for international mobility.
8. Cranfield School of Management
International Students: 100%, Female Students: 43%
Cranfield School of Management, based in the United Kingdom, aims to expand students’ networks, expertise, and professional opportunities.
The school’s MBA program is a one-year intensive experience that includes opportunities to engage with real clients, acquire an internship, spend a month abroad, attend networking and speaker events at a dedicated entrepreneurial hub, and participate in one of the most gender diverse cohorts in the world.
9. University of Edinburgh Business School
International Students: 97%, Female Students: 46%
Edinburgh, another UK-based business school offers a diverse full-time MBA program, was founded on three pillars: strategic leadership, professional growth, and a personalized approach.
This strategy helps students improve their professional prospects by emphasizing the role of the highly sought-after strategic leader.
Edinburgh allows students to spend 10-12 weeks abroad in the second semester at one of its partner universities, which include ESSEC Business School in France, HKUST Business School in Hong Kong, and Kellogg School of Management in the United States.
10. Alliance Manchester Business School
International Students: 96%, Female Students: 46%
Alliance Business School, located in one of the UK’s most popular towns, Manchester, is regarded for offering one of the most practical MBA programs, with a focus on group work and practice-based learning.
Students participate in three consultancy projects with real-world clients: the Social Impact Project, the Commercial Business Project, and the International Business Project.
They also learn to make structured and data-driven decisions, to lead and collaborate effectively with global organizations, and to think critically and analytically when solving challenges.