2008 Ranking | 2007 Ranking | Top 10 US Programs | Other Ranking & Methodology

There are various organizations that rank executive education programs. These include but is not limited to:

BusinessWeek

• BusinessWeek Business School Ranking Microsite
• BusinessWeek Rankings Methodology

Financial Times Rankings

• Top 45 Executive Education Combined Rankings 2008 (pdf)
• Executive Education – customized – 2008
• Executive Education – open – 2008
• Executive Education – customized-2007
• Executive Education – open – 2007

Whitefield Consulting Worldwide

• Executive Global Custom Programme Providers Rankings 2007
• Executive Global Open Enrollment Programme Providers Rankings 2007
• WCW Business School Rankings: methodology

It is important to understand how rankings are compiled for executive education programs. Each school is unique in its own way and culture. Executive rank can be determined by:

• Its existing MBA and undergraduate business program rankings
• Each year, business publications such as Business Week, US News & World Report, Fortune, Financial Times, and the Wall Street Journal publish rankings of selected MBA programs that. These rankings are purely based on3rd party methodologies. While some have critiqued the accuracy and usefulness of these rankings, it is believed by insiders that there do directly influence the prestige and revenue of schools that achieve high ranking scores.

It is important to note:

• Rankings do not include all MBA programs and many less popular schools with executive education centers are often left out of the publications. The “top 25 – 50″ list is intended to increase magazine sales, as opposed to offer an ongoing benchmark of real educational value.
• The same list of well-known schools appears in each ranking with some variation in ranks, and these rarely change year to year. Schools that do move on to the list do so slowly every year.
• Rankings tend to concentrate on the school itself, but some schools offer programs of different qualities that may be better suited for different students. For example, just because Stanford Executive Education is well known, it does not mean that it is the best choice for a medium sized manufacturing company on the east coast.
• A high rank or low rank in a national publication, year after year, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

While the critics have some valid points, overall, the top schools do offer significant value in their programs. In general, the following criteria are ranked to determine the quality of an executive education program:

• The school’s MBA rankings play a big role, as many factors such as professor reputation, subject matter expertise and school legacies also influence executive programs as well.
• Growth of revenue and accounts with a school’s executive education center, and the prestige of the school’s list of clients.
• Within industry circles, the popularity of the executive education program’s professors play a big role.
• Existing relationships (alums/business partners) of Fortune 500 companies to the school
• Feedback and insight from management students that have participated in the programs.
• Within industry circles, the branching out of innovative programs, new countries, and new organizations (for example, government organizations seeking entrepreneurial leadership training) influences the rise of a school’s executive education ranking and revenues.