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GORDON INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS SCIENCE
Gordon Institute of Business Science
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13 NOVEMBER 2025
GIBS rises to 23 globally in Corporate Knights rankings

The University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has achieved a major milestone in the Corporate Knights 2025/2026 Better World MBA Ranking, climbing to #23 globally and securing a spot among the Top 40 MBA programmes worldwide. This marks a 16-place rise since its inaugural appearance in 2021 and confirms GIBS’ growing reputation as a sustainability trailblazer in business education.

GIBS was also ranked #7 among the largest MBA schools globally, a category that includes institutions graduating an average of at least 80 MBA students over the past two years. This recognition highlights the school’s ability to scale purpose-driven leadership across a broad and diverse cohort of future business leaders.

The Better World MBA Ranking, conducted by Toronto-based B Corp Corporate Knights, evaluated 179 accredited MBA programmes using two streamlined key performance indicators:
  • Core Courses (90%): assessing the extent to which sustainability is embedded in the curriculum; and
  • Alumni/Graduate Impact (10%): measuring the influence of graduates in advancing sustainability in their careers and communities.
GIBS’ consistent upward trajectory since 2023 reflects the school’s strategic commitment to integrating sustainability into every facet of its MBA programme, from curriculum design and faculty research to partnerships and alumni engagement. The school’s alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its emphasis on inclusive leadership have been central to this progress.

Professor Morris Mthombeni, Dean of GIBS, commenting on the ranking: “This recognition is a powerful affirmation of our mission to develop leaders who are not only commercially capable but also deeply committed to social and environmental stewardship. At GIBS, we believe that business must be a force for good, and our MBA programme is designed to equip future leaders with the mindset and tools to drive sustainable transformation across industries.”

Corporate Knights noted that the top-ranked programmes are those that instil holistic purpose in future leaders, ensuring they have the skills and values to build a more inclusive economy that benefits society and is in harmony with the natural world.

“The sustainable economy is expanding at twice the pace of the rest of the economy, and leading business schools are adapting accordingly,” said Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights. “Our 2025 Better World MBA ranking shows how programs can prepare graduates to thrive where sustainability is the growth engine.”

GIBS’ achievement places the school in the company of globally respected institutions that are redefining business education for the 21st century, where profit, purpose, and planet are no longer competing priorities but integrated imperatives.

For more information on the Corporate Knights Better World MBA Ranking, visit Corporate Knights.
Source:

Gordon Institute of Business Science
 Making an impact to significantly improve the competitive performance of individuals and organisation through business education to build our national competitiveness. GIBS is a leading business school in the heart of Sandton’s business hub, offering a wide range of executive and academic programmes. Visit our InfoCentre or website.

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