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Key figures
87
Schools rated
>19k
Student responses
32
Countries
8.0
Average PIR score
What the 2026 results reveal
Beyond the headline figures, the 2026 findings reveal where business schools are making progress, where perceptions still diverge and what is needed to turn positive impact commitments into visible change.
Impact is becoming part of the institutional agenda
Most rated schools are already connected to major international frameworks: 80% are PRME signatories, 78% are AACSB accredited and 53% are EQUIS accredited.
PIR therefore provides more than a standalone rating. It offers a shared evidence base for institutional development, impact reporting and accreditation processes.
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Perception gaps reveal where change gets lost
Across the 25 schools that surveyed both students and faculty, faculty consistently perceived the school’s impact more positively.
The closest alignment emerged around Culture, while larger gaps appeared in the Educating area. These differences show where institutional intentions may not yet be fully visible or experienced by students.
The priority is meaningful implementation
Students and faculty are asking for less theory disconnected from practice, less bureaucracy and fewer symbolic sustainability commitments.
They want stronger external partnerships, more applied learning and impact embedded across programs, research, governance and operations. The challenge is no longer awareness. It is implementation.
Relevant Insights
Over seven editions, PIR has evolved from a student-led alternative to traditional rankings into a practical tool for institutional transformation. In 2026, the focus shifts from capturing stakeholder voices to helping schools translate them into governance routines, shared ownership and lasting change.
Faculty consistently perceive their school’s positive impact more positively than students, with particularly visible gaps in governance and the institution’s role as a model. These differences reveal where ambition may not yet be fully experienced, communicated or translated into everyday practice.
PIR Global Summit 2026 online
The PIR Global Online Summit 2026 marked the official launch of the PIR 2026 Report, Closing the implementation gap: proven ways of scaling positive impact at business schools. The summit explored how business schools can move from evidence to action, using PIR results not only to understand student and faculty perspectives, but also to translate them into concrete institutional change. The discussion highlighted the key findings of the 2026 edition, including the growing role of the faculty survey, the introduction of research impact as a new PIR dimension, and the mechanisms schools can use to close the implementation gap through governance routines, student involvement, operating systems, impact measurement and culture. A rich panel discussion brought together representatives from highly engaged PIR schools, including Nottingham University Business School, Monash Business School, Wits Business School and BSB Burgundy School of Business. The lively exchange offered inspiring examples of how schools are embedding responsible management education, strengthening student and faculty alignment, and using PIR insights to advance positive impact across their institutions.
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