Ranking of French Business Schools 2023

Every year, business schools are highly sought after by post-grad students looking to pursue a career in the world of commerce, finance, and management, among others.

 

There are many business schools in France. Some are particularly renowned and select student profiles on an individual basis according to their academic records. Among them are the best known: HEC, ESCP Europe, ESSEC or EDHEC. These schools also attract many foreign students from all over the world, especially for the quality of teaching provided within these institutes.

 

To get in, you usually have to do an intensive preparatory year in order to reach the level of knowledge required to pursue and successfully complete your post-prep course, but this is not always the case. Some schools are accessible directly after completing your bachelor’s degree. Others will offer both entry methods, leaving you with a choice: with or without prep.

 

These schools are private and fee-based. They require a considerable budget and are part of the most expensive courses in France and the world. Most students therefore opt for a student loan from their bank to finance their years of study, since public grants generally do not take them into account. Count on an average between 12000 € and 16000 € per year in a French business school, knowing that your course will last between 3 and 5 years before obtaining your diploma depending on the program chosen and your previous trainings.

 

The choice is wide among French business schools. If you have chosen to pursue your studies in this field, you are certainly wondering which institution to choose and which criteria to use to select it. You will probably apply to several establishments in order to maximize your chances. Studapart reviews the ranking of business schools in 2023 to help you decide.

 

Ranking of French Business Schools in 2023: What are the Criteria?

 

Upon completion of your studies in business school, if you succeed, you will be graded to the rank of Master. Some schools are postbac-accessible, that is, just after obtaining your baccalaureate. Others require a prep year, that is, an intensive repositioning year after high school and before the first year of school. Every year, business schools are ranked according to the quality of their Grande École program (PGE).

 

Several criteria are taken into account to establish the ranking: academic level, international openness and graduate employment. Each category consists of several indicators scored out of 20, with their average constituting the score of the category. When each category is rated, the average of the three gives the final score of the institution and thus the place of the school in the ranking. This information is collected through a questionnaire sent to schools.

 

Here is the detail of the indicators by category:

 

Academic level

 

• Duration of the award of the Master's degree by the CEFDG (Commission for Evaluation of Training and Diploma in Management) ranging from 1 to 5 years.
• Ratio between the number of tenured faculty members and the number of enrolled students in the program.
• Proportion of research professors.
• Proportion of tenured faculty members who have published an article in a ranked journal.
• Number of articles published in ranked journals by the appointed faculty members at the institution.
• Ranking place in Shanghai, based on the number of articles published in ranked journals internationally.

 

Social and International Opening

 

• International accreditations.
• Proportion of tenured faculty members graduating from abroad.
• Proportion of foreign graduates.
• Number of countries that have hosted students from the institution in exchange or double degree.
• Proportion of students in a double degree in an accredited or ranked institution among the top 500 in the Shanghai Ranking.

 

Graduate Employment

 

• Size of the school's alumni network.

• School's reputation among employers with its “employability” score.
• Gross salary in France upon graduation from the school.
• Average salary three years after graduation from the school.
• Turnover of the Junior Enterprise.
• Number of laureates in Choiseul 200, which rewards the most promising young managers.

 

As every year, L'Etudiant has listed the business schools in its ranking. For an overview, here is a brief summary of its top 10 best French business schools in 2023 ranked on a total of 76 points:

 

 

Studapart stands alongside business school students to help them find accommodation easily, conveniently and close to their schools during their studies.

 

Partner of business schools Kedge, Excelia Business School, HEC, ESSEC, ESCP, Rennes School Business, Institut Mines Telecom, IESEG School Management and TBS Education, or EMLyon BS, we list the available housing on the campuses of these institutions and nearby to allow you to stay there with ease and best support you in starting your post-baccalaureate life as a business school student.

 

Our mission is to make your housing easier so that your installation and integration are as serene as possible.

 

Changes in the TOP 20 in 2023

 

The Top 20 of business schools changes each year and the various institutions compete in order to be at the top of the ranking. To do so, they focus on the criteria mentioned above to be as competitive as possible and to attract new students.

 

Between 2022 and 2023, the top 3 business schools remain the same with HEC Paris in first place, then ESSEC and finally ESCP BS Paris.

 

The main changes occur in the Top 20: EM Lyon passes Edhec Lille, Skema Lille loses a place and Neoma Paris gains one. Grenoble EM goes from 9th to 8th place while Kedge loses 2 places. ICN Business gains a place and Esca loses 4. Significant changes to take into consideration when choosing your school.