Top 10 Best Business Schools in France 2024
by Pierre Blach茅
France is a popular country for international Business students, in large part because its business schools do très bien in global rankings. Let us explore some of the leading institutions.
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If you want to get a Business degree from a top school, rankings are an important factor to help guide you to the right decision. They are certainly not the only one - subject focus, location, fees, partner companies, and others are also relevant. But with an education from a highly ranked French school you can be certain that you’ll have a good chance at scoring the jobs you are interested in.
One of the most popular rankings is released every year by the Financial Times (). In the most recent edition, out of the 90 best European business schools, 23 were based in France or had branch campuses in the country:
| Rank in France | Business school |
|---|---|
| 1 | HEC Paris |
| 2 | ESCP Business School |
| 3 | Edhec Business School |
| 4 | ESSEC Business School |
| 5 | emlyon Business School |
| 6 | Insead |
| 7 | Audencia Business School |
| 8 | Kedge Business School |
| 9 | Grenoble Ecole de Management |
| 10 | Neoma Business School |
Looking further into the top 20, you’ll also find other reputed institutions such as TBS Education (formerly Toulouse Business School) and Burgundy School of Business (BSB).
A Master in Management (MiM) is a popular degree and also a great alternative to an MBA. A large number of French business schools offer it. In the most recent subject ranking, these were the top:
| Rank in France | Business school |
|---|---|
| 1 | HEC Paris |
| 2 | ESSEC Business School |
| 3 | INSEAD |
| 4 | ESCP Business School |
| 5 | CEMS Master in International Management |
| 6 | emlyon Business School |
| 7 | Edhec Business School |
| 8 | Skema Business School |
| 9 | Grenoble Ecole de Management |
| 10 | Audencia Business School |
With a Master’s degree in Finance, you pave the way for a successful career in a financial or banking role. For Finance MSc’s, French business schools frequently score among the top worldwide; the most recent subject ranking lists these as the top 10:
| Rank in France | Business school |
|---|---|
| 1 | HEC Paris |
| 2 | ESSEC Business School |
| 3 | ESCP Business School |
| 4 | emlyon Business School |
| 5 | Edhec Business School |
| 6 | Skema Business School |
| 7 | Audencia Business School |
| 8 | IÉSEG School of Management |
| 9 | Grenoble Ecole de Management |
| 10 | Kedge Business School |
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The last ranking finds these business schools to be the best choice to get a Marketing Master in France:
| Rank in France | Business school |
|---|---|
| 1 | HEC Paris |
| 2 | ESSEC Business School |
| 3 | ESCP Business School |
| 4 | emlyon Business School |
| 5 | Edhec Business School |
| 6 | Skema Business School |
| 7 | Audencia Business School |
| 8 | Grenoble Ecole de Management |
| 9 | IÉSEG School of Management |
| 10 | Kedge Business School |
Beyond rankings, one reliable indicator for quality education are the accreditations that a business school has received. The most reputed are AACSB, AMBA and EFMD/EQUIS. If an institution or a programme is accredited by any of these, you can be sure that it has high standards (and recruiters know it, too!).
A select few business schools are even accredited by all three of the above. This is also referred to as the “Triple Crown”. In Europe, France has the most triple-accredited business schools after the UK.
Tuition fees at the best business schools in France can be quite high. As the top schools, HEC Paris and Insead charge eye-watering amounts - up to €70,000 for Masters and €90,000 for an MBA. At other leading schools like emlyon or Audencia you will find more modest fees of around €10-12,000 for Bachelors, €20-25,000 for Masters and €35-40,000 for MBAs.
That’s still quite a lot but, at the same time, an investment with a good return over the long run. Our guide on studying Business in France has more details on fee levels.
You can bet that getting a degree from a highly-ranked business school is a great choice for your first (or next) career steps - whether from France or not.
France stands out in that the country has such a high density of top-ranked, well-renowned schools with reputable accreditation. The likes of Insead or HEC Paris are target schools of leading investment banks and consulting companies. They and others like emlyon, Audencia or KEDGE all have impressive partnerships with large global corporations, and they are well-known across France’s borders.
If you want to stay in France, a degree from a leading French management school is almost a guarantee to score a great job - if you speak fluent French! Through guest lecturers, project work, internships and career fairs you will be able to make connections with local employers during your degree. You’ll probably find opportunities where no or basic French are sufficient, but if you use the time to work on your language skills, you can maximise your chances.
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