collageAdmission requirements and top mba colleges in europe with fees differ from institution to institution, so if you wish to complete your master’s degree at one of the best international universities, then you should examine the details carefully.
This article discusses many important topics on CollegeLearners, including top mba colleges in europe with low fees, best mba colleges in europe, top mba colleges in europe without work experience, top mba colleges in europe with gmat score, and mba in europe without gmat.
7 Top Business Schools for an MBA in Europe in 2021
Europe is at the top of its business education game by offering a large variety of MBA (Master’s of Business Administration) programmes of excellent quality. Check out an overview of some of the top European business schools offering English-taught MBA degrees, according to prestigious European business school rankings.
Find MBAs in Europe
- ESMT Berlin, Germany
Founded by leading companies and institutes, ESMT Berlin is located right in the centre of Germany’s bustling capital. ESMT Berlin regularly appears in the tops of international MBA rankings and has an excellent reputation. Besides an MBA and an Executive MBA programme, the school also offers open enrollment and customized executive education programmes.
Tuition for MBA programmes: 38,300 – 43,500 EUR/year
- Erasmus University of Rotterdam, the Netherlands
With the Erasmus University, also a Dutch university made it among the best business schools in Europe. Their full-time MBA programme has been consistently ranked among the Top 30 programmes worldwide and Top 5 in Europe.
The Erasmus University is especially known for its experimental learning environments by living management and the Personal Leadership Development (PLD). If you want to know what students think about the Erasmus University you can check out their reviews here.
Tuition for MBA programmes: 28,900 – 52,000 EUR/year
- IE Business School, Spain
IE Business School is another renowned business school from Spain that regularly ends up in the Top 20 of international MBA rankings. The MBA programmes are offered in English as well as in Spanish and besides the regular MBA courses, a global online MBA is offered as well. It utilises a virtual campus with asynchronous online sessions, live interactive videos, and integration days on campus.
Tuition for MBA programmes: 51,200 – 120,810 EUR/year
- INSEAD Business School, France
One of the unique features of INSEAD is its dual-campus structure. The European one is located in Fontainebleau, France and in parallel, the full-time MBA programme also runs on the second campus in Singapore.
Students on both campuses are from very diverse backgrounds providing a rich multicultural experience. For its accelerated 10-month MBA programme, students can choose from a wide variety of more than 70 elective courses, optimally supporting their individual goals.
Tuition for MBA programmes: 87,000 – 111,940 EUR/year
- Bocconi University, Italy
Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, has a long history in providing quality study programmes in fields of Economics, Business and Finance. Most programmes are English-taught and include practical training and internship opportunities. The institution collaborates with numerous companies and offers students the chance to engage in international exchange programmes across the world.
Tuition for MBA programmes: 59,000 – 89,425 EUR/year
- Warwick Business School, United Kingdom
Warwick Business School is located in Coventry, England and is not only a regular in the top 10 MBA rankings – but also a great business research centre. Besides classical MBA programmes, several double-degree programmes are offered as an answer to the need for multidisciplinary knowledge.
Tuition for MBA programmes: 19,010 – 47,380 EUR/year
- ESADE Business School, Spain
Especially when it comes to career progression, ESADE Business School is among the top European business schools. With currently 48 different nationalities represented, ESADE offers a very rich international environment.
Besides a classical full-time MBA degree, ESADE also offers a part-time Executive MBA as well as a Global Executive MBA that is conducted in Washington, DC, Barcelona & Madrid, New York and Bangalore. You can also find out what other students think of ESADE Business School.
Tuition for MBA programmes: 64,000 – 72,000 EUR/year
The business schools from Europe mentioned above are featured in QS Management Rankings 2021, Financial Times MBA Rankings 2021, and The Economist Rankings 2021.
Compare MBAs in Europe
Ready to study an MBA degree in Europe?
We hope that this article gave you a little overview of European business schools and their MBA programmes. However, not all of the excellent schools of management have been mentioned here. Make sure you check out more than 800 MBA programmes offered in Europe in order to find the best one for you.
| Business School | Tuition Fees (USD) | Tuition Fees (2020/2021) |
|---|---|---|
 London Business School | $112,486 | £87,900 +7.20% |
 INSEAD – (January intake) | $99,623 | €89,000 +2.30% |
| INSEAD – (September intake) | $97,384 | €87,000 +1.75% |
 IESE | $95,239 | €85,084 0.00% |
| HEC Paris – (January intake) | $81,153 | €72,500 +4.32% |
| HEC Paris – (September intake) | $81,153 | €72,500 +4.32% |
| IE Business School | $80,818 | €72,200 0.00% |
| ESADE | $80,594 | €72,000 0.00% |
| Oxford (Saïd) | $76,130 | £59,490 +4.00% |
| Cambridge (Judge) | $72,943 | £57,000 +3.64% |
| Imperial College | $68,464 | £53,500 +2.88% |
 SDA Bocconi | $66,042 | €59,000 +3.51% |
 IMD Business School | $61,904 | Fr.60,000 0.00% |
 Rotterdam School of Management | $60,445 | €54,000 +3.85% |
| Alliance Manchester Business School | $56,307 | £44,000 0.00% |
| Cass Business School | $56,307 | £44,000 0.00% |
| Warwick Business School | $51,764 | £40,450 +1.25% |
 Copenhagen Business School | $50,691 | kr.330,000 0.00% |
| Cranfield School of Management | $49,909 | £39,000 0.00% |
 ESMT | $48,692 | €43,500 0.00% |
| Mannheim Business School | $44,215 | €39,500 0.00% |
 Vlerick Business School | $43,655 | €39,000 +2.63% |
Best Business Schools in Europe
Top B-Schools in Germany, France, UK, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Italy, Denmark
With around 50 countries, comprising the continent of Europe, it houses some of the oldest and the most prestigious universities in the world. Think 9/10 of the oldest bricks, aimed towards higher education, were laid down in Europe. University of Bologna, in Italy, beat University of Oxford by 8 years with its first lectures having begun in 1088.
University of Cambridge, University of Sienna, University of Paris, Salamanca, Padua, Naples Federico, and University of Coimbra, are some of the others that were built somewhere between then and the year 1300.
But age is not the only factor taking the wise-meter off the charts, for European universities. Some 35 of the top 100 universities in the world are European. That’s recent rankings (by QS) not requiring you to dust off the library mites from the pages of history!
In this article, we dive into the study of Business Administration (And related) degrees in Europe. Why study in Europe and what are some of the best Business Schools in Europe? We also look at the various flavours of MBA programs offered by these schools, namely full-time, part-time, executive, and joint MBA.
Best MBA colleges in Europe for International / Indian Students
Why choose Europe for your MBA?
Quality of MBA
Over 35 out of the top 100 MBA spots are coveted by European Business Schools, according to Financial Times Global MBA Rankings (2018). This has been a consistently impressive turnout the past some years, thus catching up with the world dominion of MBA rankings held by USA.
Tuition fees are generally far lower than the North American counterparts. When compared to the highly denting annual college fees amounting to north of $60,000 in USA each year, tuition in Germany for instance is mostly borne by the state or is extremely cheap, within a few thousand Euros.
This may, however, not always be a given for professional degrees like the MBA. However, tuition costs are greatly reduced when you consider the fact that most full-time MBA programs in Europe have a duration of one year.
MBA tuition fees are comparable, though with the advantage of a shorter program structure to begin reaping the ROI and repaying loans, early.
Working in Europe also affords salaries in one of the strongest currencies in the world. As far as professional degrees like MBA are concerned, average salaries in Europe lie in the range of $72,000 to $110,000, the higher range being the second highest after North America.
Location and Networking advantage
Europe’s history and its meticulous preservation as such makes for an education in itself. Even war-torn areas have some historical lessons to serve up. That’s for the traveler in you.
While many European countries have their own languages and the medium of instruction does tend to be in the language of the region, a majority of institutes offer either the opportunity of English medium courses/degrees or have provisions to be taught their language in a formal setting. Thus, gaining the added advantage of a foreign language education in the combined deal.
As for a truly global and international exposure is concerned, Europe offers the whole package – varied cultures, and languages, in relatively free-to-move-around borders within the European Union.
The continent is very well-connected by road, train or cheap local airlines. Traveling around to build on the already global move to study abroad can be an additional blessing for many who yearn for the experiential education. International networking is, thus, a cake-walk.
Employment edge
According to the 2017 GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey Report (received from 959 employers from 628 companies and over 51 countries), 64% respondents in Europe report company expansions.
Hiring projections are also promising. In 2016, 66% of Fortune 100, 500, Global 100, Global 500, as well as publicly traded companies hired MBAs. Among the surveyed, 64% recruiters are open to hiring internationals (22% planned to hire and 42% were willing to hire, back in 2017).
Nearly all European countries have favourable student to work visa options to enable a transition from learner to being gainfully employed. Germany, France, and other European countries have the EU Blue Card work permit for non-EU nationals with jobs with a minimum required salary.
UK offers an extended student visa to provide enough time for job hunting, etc. France also offers a “Talent Passport” permit to specialized professionals who have something significant to offer to the French economy. MBA with good credentials might be a contender.
Excellent work-life conditions
Working in Europe also means that you may be able to access some of the countries with the best work life balance in the world. Countries like Germany, Norway, Denmark, and France are known for their labor friendly laws that make working over the weekends tantamount to some sort of a minor crime!
Also, maternity and paternity leaves are among the friendliest in the continent. For instance, France offers over 3 months of paid family leave, while countries like Italy and and UK offer between nearly five and nine months off with a percentage of the full pay guaranteed. Germany has been known to grant up to 14 months between both parents.
Quality of life in Europe
It is difficult to assimilate the living costs throughout Europe, considering the different economies that comprise it. However, to give a general idea, we have listed below some of the countries that have the best business schools in the world – Germany, UK, France, and Spain (source Numbeo).
| Cost Per Month | Germany (Munich) | UK (Oxford) | France(Paris) | Spain(Barcelona) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | $300 | $230 | $380 | $250 |
| Rent for one BHK | $900 | $1,100 | $1,000 | $700 |
| Quality of Life Index* | 189 | 162 | 129 | 140 |
*Overall quality based on safety, pollution, health, purchasing power, commute, climate, income, and cost of living. Higher the index, the better is the quality of life. Prices are in USD. For comparison, Quality of Life Index is 139 in New York City and 88 in New Delhi.
Top Business Schools for an MBA in Europe
These have been obtained from well-known MBA ranking sites like Financial Times and QS MBA Rankings, and have particularly performed well over the years.
We have not included the top Business Schools in UK, in this list, as there is already another article dedicated to the same. Regardless, do keep in mind that the UK B-Schools rank among the top in Europe’s best business schools. Some of the top UK B-Schools are:
University of Oxford Said Business School
London Business School
University of Cambridge Judge Business School
Imperial College Business School
Alliance Manchester Business School
University of Strathclyde Business School
Warwick Business School
and many more we have talked about in the article – Best MBA in UK for International and Indian students
Here are the other top business schools in Europe, aside from UK’s.
| No. | Business School | Country | Average Post MBA Base Salary (Approx. based on 2017 reports) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | INSEAD | France/Singapore | $104,000 |
| 2 | HEC Paris | France | $113,000 |
| 3 | ESADE | Spain | $109,000 |
| 4 | IMD | Switzerland | $113,000 |
| 5 | IE Business School | Spain | $90,000 |
| 6 | SDA Bocconi | Italy | $93,500 |
| 7 | IESE Business School-University of Navarra | Spain | $82,000 – $105,000 based on Industry |
| 8 | Erasmus Rotterdam School of Management | Netherlands | $70,000 – $90,000 |
| 9 | Copenhagen Business School | Denmark | $92,000 |
| 10 | ESSEC | France/Singapore | $102,000 |
| 11 | EDHEC | France | $107,000 |
| 12 | University of St. Gallen | Switzerland | $111,300 |
| 13 | Mannheim Business School | Germany | $118,000 |
| 14 | The Lisbon MBA | Portugal | $113,500 |
| 15 | ESMT Berlin | Germany | $101,000 |
Full & Part Time MBA in Top B-Schools in Europe
| Program | Duration | Total Tuition (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| INSEAD Full-Time MBA | 1 year | $97,000 |
| HEC Paris Full-Time MBA | 16 months | $76,000 |
| ESADE – Full-Time MBA | 12-18 months | $79,200 |
| IMD Full-Time MBA | 15 months | $62,000 |
| IE Business School Global MBA | 18 months | $59,200 |
| IE Business School International MBA | 1 year | $83,500 |
| SDA Bocconi Full-Time MBA | 1 year | $66,000 |
| IESE Business School Full-Time MBA | 19 months | $102,000 |
| Erasmus (RSM) International Full-Time MBA | 1 year | $58,500 |
| Copenhagen Business School Full-Time MBA | 1 year | $51,200 |
| ESSEC Full-Time Global MBA | 1 year | $52,000 on campus |
| EDHEC Full-Time Global MBA | 10 months | $51,000 |
| University of St. Gallen Full-Time MBA | 11 months | $58,000 |
| University of St. Gallen Part-Time MBA | 4 days on campus per month | $72,000 |
| Mannheim Business School Full-Time MBA | 12-15 months | $46,000 |
| The Lisbon MBA International Full-Time MBA | 1 year | $44,000 |
| ESMT Berlin Full-Time MBA | 1 year | $50,500 |
Executive MBA in Top B-Schools in Europe
| Program | Duration | Total Tuition (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| INSEAD Global Executive MBA | 14-17 month | $138,000 |
| INSEAD-Tsinghua Executive MBA | 22 months with 12 weeks on campus | $125,000 |
| HEC Paris Executive MBA | 3 different part-time tracks in Paris | $84,500 |
| ESADE Executive MBA | 16 months | $72,300 |
| IMD Executive MBA | 15 months | $108,000 |
| IE Business School Executive MBA | 15 months | $65,000 |
| IE Business School Global Executive MBA | 15 months | $90,500 |
| IE Business School – Brown University Executive MBA | 15 months | $135,000 |
| SDA Bocconi Global Executive MBA | 20 months | $92,500 |
| SDA Bocconi Executive MBA | 18 months | – |
| SDA Bocconi Executive MBA weekend | 18 months | – |
| Erasmus (RSM) Executive MBA | 21 months | $59,500 |
| Erasmus (RSM) Global Executive OneMBA | 21 months | $72,300 |
| Erasmus (RSM)-University of Cologne Executive MBA | 24 months | $57,300 |
| ESSEC Executive MBA | 18 months | $54,000 |
| ESSEC-Mannheim Executive MBA: European Track | 18 months | $60,200 |
| EDHEC Executive MBA | 16 months | – |
| The Lisbon Executive MBA | 21 months | $35,000 |
| ESMT Berlin Executive MBA | 18 months | $67,000 |
Besides the above, there are the big names like Belgium’s Vlerick Business School, France’s Grenoble Ecole de Management and EMLyon, Germany’s WHU Otto Beisheim, European Business School, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, and Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Ireland’s UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School, and Netherland’s Amsterdam Business School.
This list is not exhaustive and many other b-schools, not mentioned here, are also recommendable.
Since programs are constantly being updated, to keep up with changes in demands, we encourage you to keep your minds open to some research into the management education opportunities in Europe. Explore the post-MBA options and hope your foray into a business education in the continent yields wonderful success.
The top 10 MBA programmes in Europe – Financial Times
Every year, the Financial Times (FT) compiles its ranking of different kinds of MBA programmes. They survey students 3 years after graduation and put a special focus on both the absolute salary as well as the percent increase in salary after having graduated.
The table below shows their most recent ranking of general full-time MBA programmes at European business schools. You can be sure that with a Master of Business Administration from any of these institutions, you are opening the door to an exciting career path:
| Rank (Europe) | Rank (world) | Business school | Country | Salary increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | INSEAD | France | +104% |
| 2 | 6 | London Business School | United Kingdom | +102% |
| 3 | 12 | Iese Business School | Spain | +128% |
| 4 | 13 | University of Oxford: Saïd | United Kingdom | +118% |
| 5 | 16 | University of Cambridge: Judge | United Kingdom | +98% |
| 6 | 19 | HEC Paris | France | +106% |
| 7 | 21 | Esade Business School | Spain | +116% |
| 8 | 22 | IMD Business School | Switzerland | +76% |
| 9 | 31 | IE Business School | Spain | +100% |
| 10 | 31 | SDA Bocconi | Italy | +124% |
The top 10 MBA programmes in Europe – Economist
Like FT, the Economist ranks business schools every year. They also survey graduates; salary development plays a smaller role than in the FT ranking, but is still important. The larger focus is put on the academic and student life experience as well as how graduates thought the MBA degree enabled them to pursue the career options they were hoping to get.
Although there are differences in the methodology, and handful of top schools are found near the top in both MBA rankings:
| Rank (Europe) | Rank (world) | Business school | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | University of Navarra – IESE Business School | Spain |
| 2 | 13 | HEC School of Management, Paris | France |
| 3 | 18 | University of Warwick – Warwick Business School | United Kingdom |
| 4 | 19 | INSEAD | France |
| 5 | 24 | SDA Bocconi – School of Management | Italy |
| 6 | 27 | London Business School | United Kingdom |
| 7 | 34 | EDHEC Business School | France |
| 8 | 35 | IMD – International Institute for Management Development | Switzerland |
| 9 | 42 | University of Mannheim – Mannheim Business School | Germany |
| 10 | 45 | University of Cambridge – Judge Business School | United Kingdom |
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