IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta shine in QS International Trade Rankings 2026

Indian business schools have continued to make their mark on the global stage, with IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta achieving notable positions in the QS International Trade Rankings 2026.

IIM Ahmedabad’s Master in Global Management (MGM) program secured the 32nd spot worldwide, while the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) ranked 71st for its MGM offering.

The Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, US, topped the global list, followed by the National University of Singapore (NUS) with its MSc in International Business in second place, and Durham University in third.

IIM Bangalore’s MBA/Mastership program ranked 52nd, while IIM Calcutta was placed 64th in the global top 100 for its MGM program.

IIM Calcutta also made a strong debut in the Executive MBA category, securing the eighth position globally. The University of Cambridge topped the Executive MBA rankings, followed by London Business School.

France’s INSEAD MBA claimed fourth place, Cranfield University ranked fifth, IMD in Switzerland sixth, and the University of Sydney seventh. Universitat Ramon Llull in Spain and the University of Cambridge shared the eighth rank.

QS Quacquarelli Symonds, in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation, assessed 106 programs across 31 countries for the International Trade Rankings 2026, including 30 Executive MBA programs spanning 14 countries.

The rankings evaluate program content, graduate outcomes, and practical relevance in international trade education, offering insights for students, professionals, and academic institutions.

IIM Ahmedabad improved from 42nd to 32nd globally, reflecting higher scores in program content. IIM Calcutta’s EMBA also ranked third worldwide for program content and sixth for graduate outcomes.

Alex Boome, trade program director at the Hinrich Foundation, noted, “The rankings uniquely assess the quality of international trade-focused curricula and teaching delivery.”

“A 22% increase in the number of ranked MBA and master’s programs reflects rising global demand for trade leadership talent amid growing economic fragmentation,” Boome added.

The United States leads with 12 ranked business schools, including three in the global top 20.

Thunderbird tops the list, with Columbia University 11th and Tufts University and Florida International University making their first appearance at 12th and 21st, respectively.

Canada follows with four schools, notably the University of Toronto’s Full-Time MBA, which ranks 13th overall and first worldwide for industry engagement.

The UK saw three institutions enter the global top 10, all new this year. Durham University ranked third globally for its MSc in International Business, Cranfield University fifth for its MBA, and the University of Cambridge joint eighth for its MBA.

The University of Oxford ranked 14th for its MBA, with London Business School’s Global Masters in Management 28th. Oxford also placed second globally for Industry Engagement.

Continental Europe featured 38 schools, led by France with nine entries. INSEAD debuted fourth globally, IMD’s MBA in Switzerland ranked sixth, and Universitat Ramon Llull’s MSc in Spain shared eighth.

Rome Business School ranked 26th globally for its MBA and first worldwide for graduate outcomes, while ENAE Business School’s Master in International Trade topped globally for program content.

Asia recorded 19 ranked institutions across eight countries, including six new entrants. The NUS MBA ranked second globally, performing well in Industry Engagement and Graduate Outcomes.

China Europe International Business School ranked 17th, Tsinghua University 22nd, and City University of Hong Kong 37th.

Universiti Putra Malaysia entered at 64th, and South Korea’s Jeonbuk National University debuted in the 101+ band.

In the Executive MBA rankings, the University of Cambridge retained the top spot, followed by London Business School and Columbia University.

Other top performers included INSEAD (fourth), Georgia Institute of Technology (fifth), and Cornell University (sixth).

New entrants included the University of Miami (14th) and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (17th), with the latter leading globally in program content.

IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta’s strong performances highlight India’s growing prominence in global management education, reflecting improved curricula, faculty expertise, and alignment with international trade and business standards.