Poets&Quants released its 2025–2026 composite MBA rankings and reshuffled the U.S. upper tier, with Northwestern’s Kellogg holding No. 1 and Stanford Graduate School of Business plunging to No. 26 after being excluded from a major ranking. The list shows Harvard rising to No. 2 and Columbia surging to No. 3, driving significant movement across elite programs. Eduniversal published its global assessment of business schools at the same time, naming a new set of 5 Palmes institutions that emphasize international reach. Eduniversal’s list underscores Western Europe’s continued dominance while reaffirming top U.S. programs such as Harvard, Stanford and Wharton among the global elite. Together the releases signal renewed volatility in reputation metrics that influence MBA applicant decisions, employer recruiting and international partnerships. Admissions teams, career services and executive-education units should expect shifting applicant flows and employer expectations as rankings narratives change. Note: Poets&Quants combines several major U.S. rankings into a composite; Eduniversal’s Palmes system ranks schools by international influence across national and regional indicators.