First African business school to reach Financial Times top 10 as Rabat Business School climbs MiM ranking

The Moroccan business school rises from 32nd to 10th in two years, becoming the first African institution to break into the top 10 of a Financial Times business school ranking

Rabat Business School at the International University of Rabat has become the first African business school to reach the top 10 of a Financial Times business school ranking, after rising to 10th place globally in the 2026 Financial Times Masters in Management ranking.

The landmark result makes Rabat Business School the only African institution included in this year’s Masters in Management ranking, placing it among the world’s highest performing business schools and marking a significant moment for the development of management education on the continent.

The school’s rise has been rapid. After ranking 32nd in 2024, Rabat Business School climbed to 20th in 2025 before reaching 10th in 2026. The school was not included in the Financial Times Masters in Management ranking in 2016.

Nicolas Arnaud, Dean of Rabat Business School, said:

“The Financial Times Masters in Management Ranking is one of the world’s most recognized and respected benchmarks in higher education in management. Seeing Rabat Business School reach 10th place in the world today is, naturally, a great source of pride for our institution, for Morocco and for Africa. This recognition first and foremost celebrates more than ten years of patient, collective work by our entire community.

“Beyond the ranking itself, this achievement demonstrates that an African business school can be recognized among the world’s leading institutions and can, alongside European, North American and Asian schools, contribute to the major developments shaping the future of management education. We receive this recognition with deep gratitude, but also with humility. It encourages us to continue our efforts in serving our students and partners, and contributing to the development of the African continent.”

The ranking reflects particularly strong outcomes for Rabat Business School’s students and graduates. The school records the highest overall satisfaction score in the ranking, at 9.67 out of 10, while graduates report an 81.8% increase in salary, among the highest increases recorded in the 2026 ranking.

Rabat Business School is also ranked fifth globally for career progress and 11th for international work mobility. 90% of graduates are employed within three months, while 91.3% report achieving the aims they set out to accomplish through their Masters in Management.

The results represent a significant development for a relatively young institution. The International University of Rabat was founded in 2010 as Morocco’s first higher education institution established through a public private partnership. In the space of 16 years, Rabat Business School has developed from a newly established business school into an institution competing at the highest levels of global management education.

Its progress has also been supported by a rapid development in international accreditation. Rabat Business School achieved AACSB accreditation in 2020 and EQUIS accreditation in 2025, and expects to receive AMBA accreditation later this year. If achieved, the three accreditations would make Rabat Business School the first Triple Crown accredited business school in North Africa and only the fifth in Africa.

The school’s international outlook is reflected in its community, with 63% of faculty internationally diverse and 36% of students coming from international backgrounds. Its position in Morocco also provides a distinctive setting for a business school seeking to connect African, European and international perspectives.

The Financial Times result comes at a time when the role of Africa in the global economy is becoming increasingly significant. The continent is expected to account for the majority of global growth in the working age population over the coming decades, creating a growing need for institutions capable of developing the managers, entrepreneurs and leaders who will shape its economies.

Rabat Business School’s position in the global top 10 challenges the traditional geography of leading management education. Its rise demonstrates that business schools in Africa can develop the international reach, academic standards and graduate outcomes required to compete alongside established institutions across Europe, North America and Asia.

For the school, the achievement is therefore both a recognition of its progress and an indication of its ambitions for the next stage of development. From its foundation in 2010 to its position among the world’s top 10 Masters in Management providers in 2026, Rabat Business School’s trajectory reflects the growing capacity of African business education to establish a presence on the global stage.

As the school continues to expand its international profile, the latest Financial Times ranking provides a powerful benchmark for what has been achieved so far, while reinforcing its ambition to contribute to the future of management education in Africa and globally.