WashU Fudan EMBA ranked highest in U.S., third globally by Financial Times

WashU Olin’s executive MBA partnership with Shanghai’s Fudan University was named the #1 EMBA program in the United States by the Financial Times as part of its top global EMBA ranking.

The ranking, which places the Shanghai-based program third globally, was primarily due to its graduates’ soaring executive salaries: WashU-Fudan alumni reported an average salary of $627,737 three years after EMBA completion, the highest salary in the rankings. That’s up a whopping 57% from WashU-Fudan’s reported average salary in 2022 (the program was not ranked in 2023 because of COVID-related delays).

“We are all incredibly excited and proud of the result,” said Paul Shao, managing director of the WashU-Fudan EMBA program.

It’s a great testament to the excellence of the program and the fruitful partnership between the two universities.  

Paul Shao

In addition to its chart-topping salary performance, the WashU-Fudan partnership was also ranked highly by the Financial Times in research (#11) and in salary increase from pre-EMBA (#8).

In an interview with Poets & Quants, Markus Baer, Olin professor of organizational behavior and vice dean of executive education, said the success of the WashU-Fudan EMBA program is a “reflection of the commitment and passion of everyone involved— students, staff, and faculty.”

It is a testament to the fact that maintaining a global perspective while honoring our local heritage is a winning combination for developing the next generation of leaders. We are very pleased with the latest ranking and are excited about what we can accomplish in the years to come.  

Markus Baer

Established in 2002, the WashU-Fudan EMBA program prepares senior-level professionals in China—and other parts of Asia—for global leadership. Courses are taught jointly by Olin and Fudan faculty, primarily in English. 

The program ends with a two-week U.S. residency in Washington, D.C., and St. Louis. The Financial Times’ announcement came just as this year’s EMBA cohort, Class 21, arrived in Washington for that residency, which will finish with a graduation ceremony at Olin on October 25.