University of Exeter Business School’s One Planet MBA is UK’s best for sustainability
The University of Exeter Business School has for the third-year running been named top UK business school for integrating sustainability and ESG themes into its MBA programme.
Exeter’s One Planet MBA programme, formerly known as The Exeter MBA, retained its position of 10th in the world as well as number one in the UK in this year’s Corporate Knights Better World MBA rankings.
The 2025 ranking assessed 179 MBA programmes spanning 12 countries, drawn from leading global MBA listings such as the Financial Times top 100 MBA ranking, the Princeton Review Best Green MBA as well as the top 40 from the last year’s Better World MBA ranking and all current PRME Champions.
MBA programmes were evaluated on both the proportion of core courses integrating sustainable development themes – including biodiversity, Indigenous partnership models, climate finance, supply chain ethics, and equity – and the proportion of graduates working at impact organizations (non-profits, clean economy firms, or sustainability leaders).
Alumni employment outcomes accounted for 10% of the overall score with curriculum content accounting for 90%.
A total of 13 of the top 40 MBA programmes were UK-based, showing how the UK has become a global hub for sustainability-focused business education – with the University of Exeter Business School leading the way.
Professor Donald Lancaster, Director of the One Planet MBA, said he was delighted, adding: “Environmental sustainability is and always has been at the core of our MBA curriculum so I am proud that it once again has been recognised as the best MBA programme in the UK and in the top 10 globally.”
Professor Steve Wood, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the University of Exeter Business School, said: “Through its forward-thinking curriculum and outstanding teaching, our One Planet MBA prepares future business leaders with the knowledge, skills and principles needed to make a genuine impact on the world’s most pressing challenges – from addressing climate change to building more equitable societies.
“We have always been deeply committed to harnessing the power of research and education to drive positive change, so we’re thrilled that our MBA has been recognised among the best in the world and the leading programme in the UK.”
Corporate Knights CEO Toby Heaps said: “The sustainable economy is expanding at twice the pace of the rest of the economy, and leading business schools are adapting accordingly. Our 2025 Better World MBA ranking shows how programs can prepare graduates to thrive where sustainability is the growth engine.”
Find out more about the University of Exeter Business School’s One Planet MBA.
