An MBA in Germany can accelerate your managerial career and set the course of your professional path, especially in the European Union. Germany is one of the best places to pursue an MBA.
Here we look at all the reasons why you should choose this country for your business degree – and the fact that it’s home to some of the world’s top-ranked universities is only one of the reasons.
Germany offers top-quality education and is home to some of the world’s best universities. From internationally recognised degrees to affordable tuition fees and accommodation, there are numerous benefits of studying in Germany. This culturally diverse and vibrant nation promises high employability opportunities for graduates from across disciplines.
Within the last few years, Germany has become one of the favourite global ed destinations for international students, and according to the 2022 official data, there are 416,437 international students studying in Germany, and the country is ranked in the top five countries in the world by the number of international students.
Universities in Germany for MBA are popular for the courses they offer; the universities offer a wide range of specialisations that provide a holistic education for the students to get the best career opportunities in the world. Hamburg, Leipzig, Humboldt, Cologne. Munich, Stuttgart and Berlin are a few of the top global ed destinations preferred by international students.
With a stable economy and the most modern and advanced technological advancements, it will be very easy for graduate students to find placement opportunities. All in all, Germany has many options for international students when it comes to education.
Based on the research impact, placement opportunities, quality of education, and modern facilities and infrastructure, MBA universities and business schools in Germany are top-ranked in all the major ranking lists like the QS ranking and the Times rankings. Varied educational opportunities are another reason why Indian students prefer Germany as their global ed destination for studying MBA and all the other popular courses.
More than 450 universities in the country are run by the state, and they offer more than 17500 programmes and degrees across disciplines; this also means that the university will only charge very minimal tuition fees. The MBA courses in Germany regularly updated to match the industry standards and to make the graduate student job-ready.
MBA is one of the top-paid degrees in Germany; graduates in Germany with an MBA degree or Executive MBA could earn an average salary of about €108,000, and this is among the top three highest-paying degrees in Germany. Post-study residence opportunities are another reason why Indian students prefer studying this degree in Germany; according to the present immigration laws, students can stay back in the country for as long as for years to search for a job that fits their educational qualifications and choice. This may be one of the reasons why some students choose Germany over countries like the UK.
The world’s most popular companies like BMS, Adidas, Mercedes, Siemens, Bosch, and many others companies are based out of Germany, and this means there will be immense job opportunities for graduates, especially in the field of MBA.
The fees in Germany largely depend on the tuition fee and the cost of living. The tuition fee for studying in any of the universities in Germany for MBA will be based on whether the university is a public or a private undertaking institution. The public universities in Germany offer programs with no tuition fee and a very minimal administrative fee.
The semester fee in these universities will be around € 200- € 300 per semester, and the other cost related to books and material charges. In private institutions, the tuition fee varies from course to course; to pursue an MBA, the average cost will be around €25,000 per semester.
Private universities in Germany work with the idea that everyone is entitled to the right to education; they don’t charge tuition fees for both national and international students. For students who wish to pursue an MBA as a non-consecutive course at a public university in Germany, the average cost of studies will be around € 33,00 to € 30,000.
At the same time, to pursue a course in a private university in Germany, the tuition fee will depend on the course selected and also the type of educational institution opted for. Unlike public universities in Germany, private institutions are not funded by the government. According to the Times Higher Education university rankings, presently, there are 43 MBA universities in Germany ranked in the top 500 of the best universities in the world, and out of these 43, only two are private universities, and the rest universities are all public universities.
The other major cost that should be taken into consideration while planning to do an MBA in Germany is the cost of living, travel, food, entertainment, and other expenses. Expenses related to accommodation will be the major expense that the students will have to meet while studying in Germany.
This cost might be slightly higher than that of other European countries and largely depends on the kind of accommodation that the student is looking forward to. Students will have to pay anywhere between € 300 to € 600 per month to live in a comfortable space.
In a few major cities like Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Munich, the accommodation expenses will be higher and will be between € 400 to € 800.
Here are the average monthly accommodation charges in a few of the major cities in Germany :
Transportation cost in Germany is slightly lower than that of many other European countries; traveling across Germany and within Germany’s cities is relatively cheap and convenient as the public transport system is well connected and well planned. Students can get a monthly pass for buses for a price of €70 per month and a train pass for €19-50 per month.
In the following section, we will look at some of the top universities in Germany for MBA, why you must choose them, their fee structures, eligibility criteria, scholarship options and the different kinds of MBA courses in Germany.
| Name | World Ranking | Acceptance rate | Tuition fees | Eligibility |
| Munich Business School | 90 | 33% | €31,300 | Must have at least two years of relevant work experience after completing the first degree
80% in bachelor An IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL score of 85.0 and above is required |
| University of Mannheim- Mannheim Business School | 24 | 16% | € 42,500 | TOEFL iBT with a minimum score of 95 IELTS Academic score with a minimum of 7.0, or equivalent GMAT/GRE necessary ( GMAT score of 600 APS for applicants from China, Vietnam and India |
| Leipzig University- HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management | 67 | 49 % | € 31,600 | TOEFL iBT with a minimum score of 05 IELTS Academic score with a minimum of 7.0, or equivalent GRE or GMAT required |
| Frankfurt School of Finance & Management | 42 | 40% | € 42,000 | Minimum score TOEFL 90 iBT IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent Good GMAT or GRE score ITP score of 157 |
| University of Cologne | 335 | 72% | € 280 per semester | University degree or equivalent or a minimum of bachelor’s degree English language proficiency: Level B2 (CEFR/GER) TOEFL score of – 100 with at least 70 in each counterpart Transcript of records |
| GISMA School of Business | 20th rank in the World by the Economist in 2017 | 80% | € 18,000 | GMAT is not necessary IELTS with an overall band score from 6.0 Undergraduate degree from a recognised university A minimum work experience of 3 years Personal Interview |
| WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management | 13 | 35% | € 18,000 | GMAT (minimum score of 600) or GRE
TOEFL German/English track score of 95 Or English Track score of 100 |
| EU Business School (Germany) | #61-70 | 69% | € 21,000 | Proof of English level: TOEFL score 89 IELTS 6.5; CAE C1 with a minimum score of 176; English native or equivalent A GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale A satisfactory score on the GMAT or GRE |
Munich Business school is one of the top-ranked business schools to study MBA in Germany. Established in 1991 under the name Europäische Betriebswirtschafts-Akademie by the European Business International, Munich business school is currently awarded the 90th rank for the Masters in Management program by the QS World university ranking 2021.
It was in 2003 that the institution was renamed Munich Business School, and in the same year, they started to offer bachelor’s programmes in business studies. It is a private university with international standards of education and research and a global leader when it comes to the MBA program. In 1999, the Munich business school received state accreditation from the Bavarian Ministry of Education and Culture, Science, and the Arts.
MBA is one of the most popular and highly valued courses in the Munich business school. 75% of the students pursuing this degree from the school are international students. In 2010 Munich business school received state accreditation as well as institutional accreditation from the German Council of Science and Humanities.
The school offered both full-time as well as part-time programs for both fresh graduates and working professionals. The school charges an application fee of € 60 from international students for applying to the programmes offered. In 2015 the school received reaccreditation from the German Council of Science and Humanities.
52% of the graduate MBA students from the business school work in a senior management position, and 72% of graduates have received a raise in the last two years.
A business degree from the Munich Business School helps graduates get their dream job at one of the world’s best companies. Students can apply for companies like Microsoft, General Motors, Deloitte, Lindner, Deutsche Bank, Celonis, EY, Adidas, Accenture, Allianz, and Fluido, as these companies are the major partners in the placement of the Munich Business School.
The average tuition fee at the Munich Business School will be around €31,300 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
Munich Business School offers scholarship options to highly talented students and students with good academic track records. The applicants need to apply for a scholarship by filling out application forms for the scholarship of their choice. Following are a few scholarships that are available for students :
Business school by the University of Mannheim was established in 2005 under the name of Mannheim Business School, and it Is located in the city of Mannheim. The Mannheim Business School has been ranked number one in Germany by famous ranking agencies like The Financial Times, The Economist, and Forbes. Mannheim Business School for its MBA programmes as it holds one of the highest statuses of accreditation which only one percent of the business schools in the world currently have.
The major accreditations are the Triple Crown accreditation from AACSB International, EQUIS, and AMBA. At the Mannheim Business School, students can either complete the programme in 12 months or extend it by three months. Mannheim Business School enrolls around 640 students every year, with 60% of the student population in international destinations.
MBA at the Mannheim Business School is one of the top-rated courses. Accounting and taxation programs in the school are well known for their quality of education, research, and publication outcomes. The school basically offers international MBA programs in four different categories; the Mannheim Master of Business Administration, which is offered as both part-time and full-time, weekend and modular Executive MBA, executive MBA, and the Mannheim & Tongji Executive MBA. The acceptance rate at the school is around 16 %, as it’s one of the top-rated business schools in the country and the world.
An MBA degree from the Mannheim Business School helps graduates find job opportunities in the leading companies in the world. Entrepreneurship, risk analysis, project manager, and digital management are a few major roles for which the graduates are selected.
According to the official data, more than 80% of the 2018 business graduates worked abroad before starting the program, and more than 75% remained in Germany. Graduates receiving a job offer within three months after graduation was the highest for the year 2018, with a whopping 93%. The average Post-MBA base salary was 103.200 USD
The following are the major recruiting partners of the Mannheim Business School :
The average tuition fee at the Mannheim Business School will be around € 42,500 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
Following are a few scholarships that are available for students pursuing an MBA :
The MBS Network Scholarship will award a scholarship of €12,000 to one successful MBA applicant every year; the MBS Network Scholarship is funded by donations from the network to support a future fellow, Mannheimer.
Scholarship For The Most Outstanding Candidate will provide the student with a Scholarship amount of €7,000.
Leipzig University is one of the oldest universities in Germany. The university was founded in 1409. HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management which is formerly known as Handelshochschule Leipzig is a private business school based in Saxony, Germany. The University of Leipzig offers a 236-degree program, and the popular programs at the University of Leipzig include Law, Medicine, Teaching, and Pharmacy.
They are members of the German u15 network of universities which ensures the quality of education and research outcomes. The take of the university is very less as every year more than 7000 students apply to this particular university.
The university is given the 2nd position in Germany and 23rd position worldwide for the Master of Science in Management Program by the Financial Times Ranking 2020. According to the Financial Times ranking of European Business Schools ranking, the university is given 5th position.
MBA is one of the most popular courses at the HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, as the school is accredited internationally by AACSB and locally by ACQUIN. HHL offers one of the most innovative business programmes in the world and received an ‘outstanding’ score in the AméricaEconomia MBA Ranking 2021; presently, the university plays a leading role in 20 coordinated programs funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
The duration of the program is for 15 months, and it starts in September 2023. Ana Beatriz Ribeiro, Hayat Abed Ali Hashim, Zhang Xiaochen, Dr, and Fruzsina Muller are a few notable alumni of the university. The programme has a 90 % international student representation with an average age of 30.
87% of the graduates of MBA from this school launch their post-degree careers in Germany. Almost 80% of the student’s average salary increased after graduation.
Here are the major companies who have partnered with the school for MBA placement
The average tuition fee at the HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management will be around € 31,600 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
DAAD scholarships are for graduates, doctoral students and postdocs scholars and are awarded for study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany.
Established in 1957, the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management is one of the most popular and highly regarded private business schools in Germany. Initially, this institute was identified as Bankakademi, which means bank academy, as the institution trained bank employees.
Frankfurt School of Finance & Management is accredited by all major agencies like AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA. The school has a student strength of around 2,462 students who are enrolled in a wide range of programmes.
This institution currently offers two undergraduate degrees, which are the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts and also many MBA courses. The school also offers EMBA and Ph.D. programmes in business-related subjects. The school has an acceptance rate of 40%, which is one of the highest when compared to many other top MBA universities in Germany. They have two different intakes, one in the summary and the other in the winter.
MBA at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management is one of the top courses to pursue an aspiring business student. The school is ranked at the top by almost all the major ranking agencies. Graduates of the school have received placement opportunities with a whooping remuneration of € 71,000 per year.
The school is awarded 4th rank by EMBA in Germany and 92nd rank in the world by Financial times for the year 2020. The master of finance program at the school has been awarded the 41st rank in Europe and 65th rank in the world by QS rankings for the year 2020. The following are the major departments in the school :
Business graduates from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management receive one of the highest packages in the field of business studies; most of the graduates take up the role of financial control and strategy with an average remuneration of $123,000, The next most favorable sectors by the graduates are executive management and change and programme & project management.
The average tuition fee at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management will be around € 42,000 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
Following are a few scholarships that are available for students pursuing an MBA :
The University of Cologne was established in the year 1789 and then resettable in 1919. It was the 6th university to be established in central Europe. The college has a student strength of more than 50,000 students and is the largest university in Germany. The university has an academic staff of 4,713, including professorship / Clinical Staff. The university was awarded the 157th rank by the Times Higher Education by taking the quality of education facilities and research outcomes into consideration.
The university has 16 research centers that focus on path-breaking research outcomes. Presently, the university offers 250 programmes taught through eight faculties and schools. The school offers two intakes, one in summer and the other one in winter.
The MBA program at the University of Cologne is one of the finest and top-rated programs in the university and the whole of Germany. The school is accredited by AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS. The graduates of MBA from the school have received placement opportunities with the finest pay of € 100,000. The university collaborates with the Rotterdam School of Management for its executive MBA program.
Following are a few major roles handled by business graduates of the University of Cologne:
The university only charges a social fee of approx € 280 per semester, including a ticket for public transport. Check the university portal for the deadlines for applying for the programme.
The University of Cologne offers scholarship options to highly talented students and students with good academic track records. The applicants need to apply for a scholarship by filling out application forms for the scholarship of their choice. Following are a few scholarships that are available for students :
The university also offers loans and education funds; the following are the major loans and ed KfW-Studienkredit: monthly payment of up to € 650
GISMA School of Business was established in 1999 as a joint initiative by the German state of Lower Saxony and several large private-sector companies. It is one of six AMBA-accredited B-schools, which is popular for its research contribution and modern facilities. GISMA has been ranked top 20th in the World by the Economist in 2017 and offers a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, including MBAs.
GISMA is home to students from over 40 countries, and they are spread across five campuses in Germany and the UK. GISMA was awarded 18th rank in the year 2019 by the America Economia ranking list considering the teaching and research outcomes. Students pursuing their education in GISMA will not have a language barrier as all the programs offered by GISMA are taught in the English language.
GISMA is one of the top-ranked business schools in Germany. The school offers a 25% to 30% discount to international students in terms of tuition fees. The European business school ranking 2019 awarded the GISMA school of business 25th position considering the research outcomes and the quality of education.
Over 69% of MBA graduates of the GISMA business school are recruited by the best companies around the world, with an average annual remuneration of € 62,000. GISMA business school is partnered with various other educational institutions around the world to provide the best quality of education and resources.
Partners of GISMA include the prestigious Grenoble Ecole de Management, a triple-accredited French business school, Kingston University, and the University of Law, which are based out of the UK.MBA at the GISMA is an AMBA-accredited programme, an honour shared by only five other German business schools and 2% of business schools worldwide.
Completing an MBA from a prestigious B-school like the GISMA will help the students land the best career opportunities in the top companies around the world. Graduates from this school take on the role of marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, finance management, corporate finance, and global innovation.
Following are the top career opportunities available for GISMA business school graduates :
The average tuition fee at the GISMA School of Business will be around €18,000 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses. Students can pay the fee in up to six installments if required.
GISMA Business School offers a myriad of scholarships, and the business school also offers around 25% early bird discounts exclusively for international applicants. Even though the school does not offer full scholarships, students can look for scholarships offered by the government, non-government, public, and alumni associations.
Following are a few scholarships that students can apply for while studying at GISMA :
Established in 1984, WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management is one of the leading German business schools in the world. The school has more than 1700 students and is accredited by the Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS).
WHU is popular for its unique future-oriented research and teaching model in the field of business economics. WHU business school has two campuses located in Vallendar and Rhine Palatinate. WHU has a big network of universities and colleges; this international network of around 200 schools and 160 companies and a strong alumni network allows the students to get the best quality education and top placement opportunities.
WHU was awarded the 20th rank by the Financial Times European Business School in 2021, and the institution was awarded the 74th rank worldwide by the Financial Times Global MBA rankings list. The WHU offers an executive MBA program in collaboration with the Kellogg School of Management. The business program offered by the WHU is awarded 3rd position in Germany and 66th globally by the QS World University Rankings in 2020.
MBA graduates from the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, earn an average of €63,500 in the first year after graduating and 93 percent of WHU’s students get a new position within six months of graduating.
Following are the top career opportunities available for WHU business school graduates :
Following are the major sectors of work in which MBA graduates of the college work :
The following are the major recruiting partners of the WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management :
The average tuition fee at the WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management will be around €18,000 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses. Students can pay the fee in up to six installments if required.
WHU offers scholarships for students with good academic achievements and for students who are genuinely in need of financial assistance. The applicants need to apply for a scholarship by filling out application forms.
WHU Diversity Scholarship: Life Experience
Following are the major scholarships offered by WHU :
EU business school was established in 1971 with a goal to offer top-quality education in the field of business studies. The school is currently located in Munich and has been awarded the 70th rank by the QS World ranking for its management courses. The EU business school has a strong representation of international students from over 80 countries.
EU business school is accredited by the FIBAA based on the quality of education and placement opportunities received by the graduate students. EU business school has collaborated with 229 universities across the world to provide a world-class leading experience. 95% of graduates of the EU business school have career options in the world’s best companies.
Capital Magazine has been awarded 6th rank for the EU business school based on the world for females. China Economic Magazine has awarded the school 20th rank in the world for Business Education.
51 companies visit the EU business school for campus recruitment annually and 383
job opportunities are posted in the last year.6 months is the average time within which students find their first job after graduation and 20 or more events take place every year in over 15 countries.
The following are the major recruiting partners of the EU Business School :
Students can apply for the credit-wise scholarship, following are the major scholarships :
The average tuition fee at the EU Business School (Germany) will be around €21,000 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses
Now that you have all the information about the top MBA universities in Germany for international students, how do you go about the application process? Each university has its own set of requirements and deadlines to keep up with. The prep work can get overwhelming. Here is how you can make the process simpler.
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