UCD’s full-time MBA programme at the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School has been ranked 73rd globally in the Financial Times 2026 MBA Rankings.
It remains Ireland’s only full-time MBA programme to be ranked in the top 100 list, retaining the position it held last year after climbing from 91st place in 2024.
The Financial Times assesses the quality of MBA programmes across several criteria, including the career progression prospects of its graduates, the percentage of graduates employed three months after graduating and the salary increase that graduates can expect after completing their MBA.
The Financial Times found UCD Smurfit School’s MBA alumni saw their salary double from its pre-MBA level within three years of graduation. In addition, UCD Smurfit School was ranked 14th in the world in the value for money category.
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The school was ranked 23rd in the FT European Business Schools Rankings in December – the 10th consecutive year the school was listed in the European top 30.
“We pride ourselves on consistent excellence, both in terms of the academic rigour and experience gained in the MBA programme, as well as outstanding outcomes for our students over time,” said Anthony Brabazon, dean of UCD College of Business.
“A key driver supporting our rankings is the ‘ROI factor’ in our value for money ranking, which consistently ranks in the top 20 globally for return on investment, which presents an extremely attractive investment for those wishing to advance their career.”
UCD Smurfit School said it had recently strengthened its MBA curriculum by embedding artificial intelligence and data literacy into multiple modules so that participants learn how to exploit these tools confidently to improve analysis and decision-making.
It said this was complemented by Leap, the school’s leadership and employability advancement module, which combines structured assessment, coaching, employer engagement and alumni mentoring to translate the MBA experience into accelerated career progression.
