Top Business Schools for Luxury Brand Management 2024

From Madison Avenue to the Waldorf Hotel, New York City radiates luxury. Stern taps into this by offering a specialized MBA in Luxury and Retail, which is one year long and includes practical exposure to the luxury market. Stern MBA graduates have been employed by high-end companies like Burberry, Oscar de la Renta, and Coach. As part of its traditional full-time MBA, the school also offers a specialization in Luxury Marketing, through which students learn about brand strategy, innovation, and other relevant topics. 

As part of its MBA program, ESSEC offers a career learning lab in Luxury, where students equip themselves with skills to break into the industry. According to the school, 28 percent of MBA students go into the luxury field, and some grads find themselves placed in top firms like Gucci, Coty, and LVMH, among others. 

London has always been a good place for those interested in the luxury industry, and LBS has nurtured interest in the industry through a variety of means, including special scholarships. In partnership with the Walpole organization, the school also hosts the “Luxury Leaders of Tomorrow,” which helps luxury-minded students aim for jobs in the industry. 

This school has partnered with GUCCI, LVMH and Valentino to offer an MBA concentration in Luxury Brand Management. Students in this track get hands-on experience in the field, with an in-company project at a luxury firm. The school’s Milan location puts it in the heart of one of the world’s luxury centers.

Together with the New York-based New School, Columbia offers a semester-long master class in “Design and Marketing of Luxury Goods,” where students learn about developing marketing strategies for luxury brands. Students can also make connections with the local luxury brands through Columbia's Retail and Luxury Goods Club.

Home to brands like Lamborghini and Maserati, Bologna is a good place to be if you're interested in high-end, fast machines. But Bologna Business School's MBA concentration in Design, Fashion, and Luxury Goods covers more than just cars: students learn about marketing clothing, watches, and boats as well.

Luxury brand management is big at INSEAD – there's a Consumer and Luxury Goods student club, which coordinates speakers and activities; brands like L'Oréal and Louis Vuitton regularly recruit grads. The school co-hosts on a Luxury Forum in Paris each year.

Home to high-end labels like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, Paris is a primary destination for those interested in luxury. Given the school’s proximity to the City of Lights, it’s no surprise that some students use it as a diving board into the industry. The school hosts a student led Retail & Luxury Club, where students can make connections with the industry and participate in networking events.

The school's MBA program offers a luxury specialization that covers industry topics like e-commerce and consumer behavior. Meanwhile, the school also offers a specialized 16-month Master in Luxury Goods and Services program, which covers topics in marketing, consumer behavior, trends in digital, as well as how these topics relate to luxury brand management.

Although the French school doesn't offer an MBA in luxury management, it made international waves several years ago when it started offering its tried-and-true MSc in Luxury and Fashion Management on its campus in China, to help students tap into the growing demand for luxury talent in that country.