The Texas Executive MBA program rose to no. 45 on the Financial Times global ranking, up from no. 52 in 2010. McCombs came in at no. 13 among U.S.-based schools and no. 4 among U.S.-based public schools.

The Kellogg/Hong Kong UST Business School executive MBA program topped the list. Other Texas schools in the ranking included Rice (40), Texas A&M (54) and SMU (70).

The Executive MBA program made significant gains on two variables: career progress, which asks alumni about their changes in seniority and the size of their company (ranked 22nd, up from 38th); and aims achieved, which asks alumni the extent to which their most important goals for completing the MBA were fulfilled (19th, up from 42nd).

Alumni surveys comprise 55 percent of the Financial Times Executive MBA ranking, while the other 45 percent is school data on student, faculty, and advisory council profiles, program questions and faculty research.