Top 10 Best Business Schools (MBA) in Europe

Founded in 1989 in Barcelona, ESEI offers an ideal environment for students to learn in a multicultural setting. All students are required to learn Spanish, and during their studies, they gain hands-on experience through internships that combine learning with practical work. ESEI is known for its personalized teaching approach, evaluating each student's abilities and tailoring the education to enhance individual strengths. ESEI’s educational philosophy is ‘providing what society needs,’ ensuring high-quality learning and a supportive environment for personal development. Graduates from ESEI are well-prepared to integrate into the global workforce. ESEI was ranked 8th in the Top 10 Best Business Schools in the World in 2013. The convenient location of the school in Barcelona provides numerous advantages for both academic and student life. The faculty consists of experienced professionals with impressive achievements in the global business industry.

Classes are small, with about 20-30 students, promoting a more personal learning experience and closer interaction with professors. The campus is spacious and well-equipped to meet students' needs. ESEI offers undergraduate, pre-university, and master’s programs. The master's programs are taught in English and are accredited by the UK. Graduates from ESEI can gain internship opportunities at renowned companies in Spain. Although ESEI is based in Barcelona, a major cultural and economic hub in Spain, it is managed under the UK educational system. With a focus on blending theory and practice, ESEI offers high-quality business education that caters to the needs of international students and helps them become experts in their field.

Website: https://www.eseibusinessschool.com/

Bocconi University is located in the heart of Milan, a city renowned for its historic architecture and centuries-old art masterpieces. This vibrant city is a leading hub for growth and innovation in Europe, providing an ideal environment for international students to explore and thrive. Bocconi University, a private institution, is situated in central Milan, next to Parco Ravizza. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, along with dual degree options in the fields of economics, management, finance, and law. Consistently ranked among the world’s top universities, Bocconi provides degrees in both English and Italian. SDA Bocconi School of Management offers MBA programs, and its Executive MBA program was ranked 28th globally by Financial Times in 2011. It was also ranked 18th in Businessweek's Top Global Schools and 5th among European business schools.

Notably, Bocconi was the first university in Italy to offer an economics degree. The university’s programs emphasize international perspectives, focusing on business, economics, and law. Bocconi remains committed to democratic values, openness to the world, and financial and political independence. With over 100 years of history, the university has achieved remarkable success and is now one of Italy’s and Europe’s leading institutions in economics. 94.2% of Bocconi graduates secure employment within their first year, with 68.9% landing jobs right after graduation. This success has greatly enhanced the university’s reputation across Europe. Bocconi also places a strong emphasis on interactive teaching methods that equip students with the skills employers seek. Career support is integral from the outset, with students gaining exposure to a network of top global companies, including Unilever, Heinz, KPMG, and Vodafone, providing excellent opportunities for internships and employment.

Website: https://www.sdabocconi.it/en/home

Spain is centrally located in Europe, part of the EU and Schengen Area, offering free travel within the region without requiring a visa. It has a significantly lower cost of living compared to other European countries, and the tuition fees are subsidized by the government. Students also have numerous opportunities for part-time work and easier visa applications. As a result, many Vietnamese students choose Business Administration as a major, as it provides excellent job prospects with a European degree and is financially accessible. ESADE (Barcelona) is an internationally recognized academic institution with more than 50 years of history. The university promotes education and research through its Business School, with a firm commitment to intellectual rigor, analysis, and academic excellence. ESADE is known for its high-quality education, international focus, and a comprehensive approach to both professional and personal development. With over 50 years of experience and more than 50,000 alumni worldwide, ESADE Business School is globally recognized for its high academic standards and its degree programs.

ESADE Business School offers a variety of high-quality programs with flexible durations ranging from 12 to 18 months. In addition to its headquarters in Barcelona, the school has campuses in Madrid, Buenos Aires, and partnerships in São Paulo and Munich. The teaching methodology at ESADE combines theory with practical application. ESADE has over 50 years of history and ranks 6th among the top business schools in Europe. 95% of ESADE's students are international, and around 60,000 alumni act as ambassadors for the school's values, holding senior positions in companies, public institutions, and non-profits across over 100 countries. The mission of ESADE is to train individuals to become talented professionals with a deep understanding of their social responsibility. The school operates through its Law and Business Schools, with a strong commitment to outstanding academic results.

Website: https://www.esade.edu/en

HEC Paris is one of the most prestigious business schools globally and is considered one of the top institutions in France. It has been ranked by the Financial Times as the number one business school in Europe for many consecutive years. In 2017, HEC Paris ranked 12th worldwide in the QS World University Rankings for Business and Management. Consequently, the admissions process is known for being one of the most competitive and rigorous in Europe, with an acceptance rate of only about 8%. HEC Paris has educated numerous renowned political leaders, economists, and business executives. 12 of the 40 largest companies in France have CEOs who are HEC alumni. HEC Paris is a leading institution in Europe for producing CEOs of top global companies in the Fortune Global 500, ranking third globally after Harvard and Stanford. The current President of France, François Hollande, is an alumnus of HEC Paris.

HEC Paris Business School is founded on three core values: quality education, community development, and a diverse system. These values have helped HEC Paris become one of the best business schools in the world. It trains students to become future business leaders, politicians, and entrepreneurs, with a strong commitment to positively contributing to the socio-economic environment. With over 130 years of history, HEC Paris has attracted talented, progressive, passionate, and creative individuals. Collaborating with 125 educational partners, the school has expanded globally, with campuses in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, and six international offices. As one of the top 3 business schools in Europe, HEC Paris offers unique and comprehensive business programs that attract talented students and leaders worldwide. Each year, over 4,500 international students from 111 countries attend HEC Paris, with 500 applicants for the Summer School and 8,000 applicants for advanced education programs.

Website: https://www.hec.edu/en

IMD (International Institute for Management Development) is a prestigious business school located in Lausanne, Switzerland. Specializing in executive education, IMD offers open-enrollment programs for senior executives as well as tailored long-term educational programs for high-level corporate leaders. Unlike traditional universities, IMD is not part of an academic institution and has no departments; instead, it operates as a single, multidisciplinary faculty. Professors at IMD do not have permanent tenure but work on one-year contracts, with compensation linked to performance. The faculty consists of 50 full-time members representing 21 different nationalities. The current president is Jean-Francois Manzoni, succeeding Dominique Turpin, John R. Wells, and Peter Lorange. IMD has been widely recognized for establishing itself as one of the world’s leading business schools.

The IMD MBA program aims to provide top-tier students from all over the world with the skills they need to succeed in business. IMD’s vision is to be the world leader in fostering the development of successful global leaders – individuals, teams, and organizations. The MBA program is designed to ensure that candidates acquire the essential skills for today’s business world while also enhancing their personal awareness. This empowers students to confidently address global business challenges. Annually, about 8,000 executives from over 98 countries participate in various IMD programs. Students benefit from close interaction with executives, as IMD has been recognized as the best business school for open executive education programs from 2012 to 2017. Furthermore, students have the opportunity to partake in a range of international trips, including a discovery expedition (one week in a developed country and one week in a developing country), a European trip, and a reflective journey on strategic dilemmas.

Website: https://www.imd.org/

Spain is not only known for its renowned public universities but also attracts international students with its high-quality private institutions, one of which is IE University. IE University has campuses in both Madrid and Segovia, two vibrant cities that are not only major tourist destinations but also offer excellent transport links and top-tier services. IE is recognized as one of the top business schools globally by prestigious accrediting bodies. The university focuses on shaping future business leaders through programs that emphasize global orientation, entrepreneurial spirit, and human values. The institution leads in applied research and offers a multidisciplinary educational system, integrating both online and on-site learning models.

IE University is a private institution that operates under the Instituto de Empresa, established in 1997. It is one of Spain’s top business schools with a rich history. The factors that make IE highly attractive to international students include: a professional academic environment, experienced and dedicated faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, specialized programs for students, a practical educational foundation, innovative teaching methods, a friendly learning atmosphere, real-world business idea implementation, global business skills, and a strong launchpad for graduates entering the workforce.

Website: https://www.ie.edu/business-school/

Located in Bedfordshire, near the Buckinghamshire border, just an hour's drive north of London, Cranfield University operates two campuses, one in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, and another in Shrivenham, Wiltshire, UK. Cranfield is one of the UK's few universities that specialize in postgraduate programs in Science, Technology, and Business Management. The university collaborates with numerous global corporations, with 75% of its aerospace MSc graduates working within the UK aerospace sector. Cranfield ranks 2nd in the UK and 11th globally for teacher-to-student ratio, maintaining a robust professional transition program. It is 3rd in the UK for research in mechanical engineering, aerospace, and manufacturing; among the top 5 UK research institutions; 85% of its research is internationally recognized (RAE 2009); and 93% of graduates secure employment within six months. Cranfield School of Management is one of the leading MBA providers in the UK, with an intake of just 148 students per cohort.

Cranfield University is one of the few universities globally to own and operate its own airport, preserving a rich aviation legacy spanning over 70 years. Many of its facilities meet industry standards and are utilized by other universities and serve as key resources across the UK. Cranfield University is ranked among the top 1% of global organizations whose alumni hold CEO positions at top companies worldwide (according to the World University Rankings Centre in 2017). Its full-time MBA program ranks 7th worldwide and 1st in the UK, while the Master's in Finance and Management ranks 6th globally and 2nd in the UK by Times Higher Education/Wall Street Journal. 54% of all aerospace engineering postgraduates and 25% of environmental science and agriculture postgraduates in the UK graduate from Cranfield. It is ranked among the top 15 business schools in Europe and in the top 5 in the UK.

Website: https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som

INSEAD is a prestigious, private, non-profit graduate business school with primary campuses in Fontainebleau, France, and Singapore, as well as research centers in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and San Francisco, USA. Known for its elite graduate-level programs, INSEAD offers full-time MBA, Executive MBA (EMBA), Master of Finance, PhD in Management, Master in Management, and several leadership development programs. The INSEAD MBA is one of the world’s most prestigious, ranking second for producing the highest number of alumni who are currently CEOs of the top 500 global companies, just behind Harvard Business School. It is also ranked sixth globally for producing billionaires and is in the top 20 universities worldwide for generating the most millionaires. INSEAD stands out as the only business school in this category offering exclusively graduate-level education in one field of study.

INSEAD is also credited with creating nine billionaires and three heads of state. Its alumni network includes CEOs of global companies such as Credit Suisse, Erion, WPP, Lloyds Banking Group, LEGO, Philip Morris International, and the founders of major firms like L'Occitane, Octapharma, TransferWise, Business Insider, MongoDB, BlaBlaCar, and PropertyGuru. Founded in 1957 by Georges Doriot, an American-born educator considered the “father of venture capitalism,” INSEAD expanded by opening its Singapore campus in 2000. In 2012, it became a founding member of the Sorbonne University Alliance, aiming to unite and create a top global multidisciplinary institution. INSEAD is globally recognized for its international diversity, admitting no more than 10% of students from any single nationality, and requiring students to be fluent in three languages to graduate.

Website: https://www.insead.edu/

London Business School (LBS) is a prestigious business school and a member of the University of London. In 2014, it was ranked as the best business school in Europe by the Financial Times. LBS offers various graduate-level programs in finance and management, in addition to its flagship MBA and EMBA programs. The school also offers the prestigious Sloan Fellowship program for experienced business managers, a specialized Master’s in Finance (MiF), a Master’s in Management for students with less than a year of work experience, PhD programs, and executive education programs. Every year, more than 2,000 students from over 130 countries graduate from LBS, and more than 3,000 executives participate in its leadership training programs.

London Business School is consistently ranked among the top MBA schools in the UK and is listed in the global top 50 by the Financial Times in 2017. The school’s modern campus features state-of-the-art facilities, including a sports center, restaurant, two cafes, a bar, and a student-only library. According to Emolument, LBS graduates earn an average salary of £154,000 within just three months of completing their studies. The MBA cohort at LBS is highly international, with 93% of students coming from overseas, offering a truly global network and learning environment. Located in London, one of the world’s leading financial hubs, students gain access to world-class companies for work placements and job opportunities.

Website: https://www.london.edu/

Studying business in the UK has long been considered one of the most appealing options for students. The United Kingdom is renowned for its rapidly growing economy and its crucial position on the global economic map. As the second-largest financial economy in Europe (after Germany), the UK also ranks high on the globalization index. Along with New York and Tokyo, London stands as one of the top three financial centers with immense global influence. As a part of the historic University of Oxford, the Saïd Business School benefits from the university's long-standing tradition of academic excellence. Founded in 1996, the school has quickly grown in influence, merging modernity with tradition in the global business culture. The school is a leader in researching fields such as international business, strategy, and innovation.

Oxford Saïd is the business school of Oxford University, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs in business, management, and finance. Undergraduate students are taught as part of the Economics and Management course, alongside the Department of Economics. The business school was renamed Saïd Business School in 1996. The current dean is Peter Tufano, with former deans including Professor Colin Mayer (2006-2011), Professor Anthony Hopwood (1999-2006), and Professor John Kay (1996-1998). The school offers a part-time 21-month MBA program designed for individuals with over five years of management experience. The Oxford EMBA program spans 16 modules over 16 weeks, mostly taught at Oxford, but with at least two modules held in key international markets. Since 2016, the program has run twice a year, with new cohorts starting in both January and September. In September 2016, the class included 60 students from 21 nationalities, with 28% of the students being women. Scholarships are available each year for exceptional female candidates.

Website: https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/