UCD Smurfit School marks ten years in top 30 of Financial Times European Business Schools rankings
Posted 1 December, 2025
Professor Anthony Brabazon, Dean of UCD College of Business and Professor Federica Pazzaglia, Director of UCD Smurfit School
The (opens in a new window)UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School has again been recognised as Ireland’s leading business education and research school by the Financial Times.
This year marks a significant milestone as Smurfit celebrates its tenth consecutive year in the prestigious rankings’ top 30.
(opens in a new window)The School is ranked 23rd overall in 2025, maintaining its decade-long presence among Europe’s most respected business schools.
"UCD Smurfit School once again stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Europe’s heavyweights in business education, achieving a strong position in an exceptionally competitive Financial Times ranking,” said (opens in a new window)Professor Anthony Brabazon, Dean of UCD College of Business.
"This latest ranking reinforces UCD Smurfit School’s position as Ireland’s top business school, consistently placing year on year amongst Europe’s leading institutions. It is a testament to our faculty, staff, students and alumni.
“This continued success reflects the strength, ambition and global impact of UCD College of Business and we are proud to continue shaping business leaders who have global influence."
The FT rankings are widely regarded as the "ranking of rankings”, and this year’s European Business School ranking were compiled using its 2025 global rankings of a number of programmes, including Smurfit’s MSc in International Management which is ranked 33rd globally, its Executive MBA, ranked 86th, and the School’s full-time MBA which is ranked 73rd.
It also includes a number of executive education rankings, with UCD Smurfit Executive Development achieving an FT ranking of 47th globally for its Open Enrolment programmes, and 56th for Custom programmes.
The individual programme rankings considers graduate outcomes, including salary and career progress, as well as factors such as quality of research, and the international and gender diversity of students and faculty.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations (with materials from Beth Gormley, UCD College of Business)
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
