By Business & Finance 
The Full-Time MBA programme at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School has been ranked 73rd globally in the highly reputed Financial Times 2026 MBA Rankings. It remains Ireland’s only Full-Time MBA programme ranked in the prestigious top 100 list.
UCD Smurfit School 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.
This is complemented by LEAP, the School’s award-winning leadership and employability advancement module, which combines structured assessment, coaching, employer engagement and alumni mentoring to translate the MBA experience into accelerated career progression.
The Financial Times ranks MBA programmes based on several criteria as part of its analysis. UCD Smurfit School’s notable accomplishments were in the Salary Percentage Increase category, where Smurfit MBA alumni saw an impressive 100% salary increase from their salary before the MBA to the time of the rankings survey, which is three years post-graduation. In addition, UCD Smurfit School ranked 14th in the world in the Value for Money category.
The placement builds on the success of the December 2025 news that placed UCD Smurfit School as 23rd in the FT European Business Schools Rankings, which is considered the ‘Ranking of Rankings’ in terms of measuring business schools’ quality and range of ranked programmes. It was the tenth consecutive year that 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 Professor 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.”
The full Financial Times Full-time MBA Rankings will be viewable here.
