Top 10 MBA Programs in Germany

MBA students at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) are able to make the most of the dynamism and diversity of Germany’s capital, Berlin. The school offers a one-year full-time MBA with two specialization options: Managing Innovation and Technology or Global Sustainable Business. ESMT is currently ranked among the top 100 schools in the Financial Times’ Global MBA Ranking, as well as in Bloomberg Businessweek’s Best International Business Schools. ESMT is accredited by AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS.

For those looking for a finance-grounded MBA in Germany, the Frankfurt School is a great choice. Found in Germany’s finance hub Frankfurt, the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management’s location makes it an easy sell for MBA students looking to work in finance and consulting. The program offers parallel German language courses to ensure a smooth transition into the job market in Germany. The Frankfurt School has a strong track record of having graduates placed in finance and consulting roles following graduation.

Located close to Germany’s financial center Frankfurt, Mannheim Business School is home to one of just two MBA programs in Germany currently ranked in the Financial Times’ Global MBA Ranking. The school’s full-time MBA offers five tracks that allow students to prepare for international careers by focusing on one of a selection of international locations: Asia, Europe and North America are three of the options. Mannheim Business School is triple accredited by AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS. Additionally, the school offers strong Executive MBA options, with international study options in China, Singapore and France.

WHU’s full-time MBA was ranked in the top 100 of the Economist’s Full-Time MBA Rankings for 2016. Based in two locations, one in Vallendar and the other in Düsseldorf, the school’s MBA program has excellent salary statistics: the Economist’s survey recently found that graduates’ post-MBA salaries had increased by 89 percent on pre-MBA salaries. WHU has a reputation for graduate placements in the manufacturing sector, both in Germany and in other countries. The joint Executive MBA program that WHU runs with Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management is also highly regarded.

HHL is the reportedly the oldest business school in German-speaking Europe. Its full-time MBA has been ranked among the Top 100 in the Economist’s MBA Ranking 2017 and it has previously been ranked highly in other international rankings for its focus on entrepreneurship. As well as offering full and part-time MBA programs, HHL is part of the Euro*MBA, an executive-level program run by a consortium of European universities, which sees students participate in short residencies at different institutions throughout Europe.

Although it's not located in a hub like Berlin or Frankfurt, Hochschule Pforzeim’s location is a major draw card for MBA students interested in Germany's manufacturing and auto industries. The surrounding Baden-Württemberg region is home to Porsche, Bosch and Daimler, among other manufacturers, and the city Pforzheim marks the northern gateway to the Germany’s picturesque Black Forest. The school’s 21-month MBA in International Management offers concentrations in Innovation and Business Dynamics and Sustainable Globalisation and is extremely good value.

Another business school offering a triple-accredited Executive MBA in Germany, TUM also offers a Master in Management and Technology. Students can choose the Executive MBA in Business and IT, the Executive MBA in Innovation and Business Creation, or a general Executive MBA. The school’s location in historic – and economically humming – Munich puts it in the center of one of Germany’s dynamic hubs.

Another business school located in Germany’s lively capital Berlin is HWR. The school is home to a host of budget MBA options, where students can focus on management in a European context, an Asian-European context or a Transatlantic context. These MBAs include study abroad options in London, Hong Kong, the UK, France or in other EU member states, so that students can get some international experience. Additionally, HWR offers part-time MBA programs in Entrepreneurship, Change Management and Health Care Management.

The University of Cologne Business School is one of Germany's triple-accredited schools and home of the Cologne-Rotterdam MBA, which it offers in partnership with the Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands. The University of Cologne Business School is located within the Ruhr valley, comprising a group of large, industrial cities in northwestern Germany that offer ample business and employment opportunities. The two-year EMBA makes the most of its location at the crossroads of Europe’s trade routes and its local corporate network.

ESCP Europe is a pan-European business school with campuses in London, Paris, Madrid and Berlin, among others. The Berlin campus welcomes students for the MBA in International Management, which sees them spend each of two years at different campuses within Europe, gaining a degree with a multicultural focus while making the most of the school’s multiple locations. ESCP’s Executive MBA was ranked in the top 100 programs by the Financial Times and the school is triple-accredited.