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Accreditations and rankings

Our rankings and accreditations reflect our commitment to excellence and provide a benchmark for our continuous development. They validate the quality of our programs, the expertise of our faculty, and the success of our graduates, thus enhancing our global reputation.

ESMT Berlin and its programs are accredited nationally and internationally. We have the prestigious Triple Crown of accreditations from AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS – a title shared by less than one percent of the world’s business schools. In 2024, the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat) reaccredited ESMT for another 10 years with no conditions. The council’s decision is based on our exceptional academic performance and globally recognized excellence in research and teaching, confirming our right to award PhDs and eliminating the need for future reaccreditation. 

Financial Times rankings

The Financial Times (FT) rankings are regarded as the gold standard for business schools. ESMT participates in the FT rankings of full-time MBA, executive MBA, master’s in management, and open and customized executive education programs, as well as the composite ranking of European business schools.  

ESMT first entered the FT executive education ranking as a very young school in 2009. Three years later, our EMBA program was ranked, followed by our full-time MBA in 2014. These showed our growing reputation and solidified our position in the global business education landscape. Finally, in 2019, our master’s in management program entered the FT rankings, showcasing our dedication to delivering top quality education across all experience levels.  

A decade after our first FT ranking, we achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first German business school to join the elite ranks of the European top ten. We were the highest-ranked German business school for five consecutive years. Our master in management program climbed to #10 globally in 2022. Our programs have been consistently recognized for their excellence, each milestone reflecting our strategic efforts to enhance our programs.  

For the Financial Times rankings alumni are surveyed three years after graduation with significant emphasis on their success, including career progression, salary increases, and overall satisfaction with the program. The quality and impact of the research produced by the institutions also play a crucial role in the rankings. Read more about the ranking methodology of the Financial Times 

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Financial Times rankings

European Business Schools

Rank in 2024

  • #2 in Germany 
  • #19 in Europe  

Global MBA

Rank in 2022 

  • #88*. 

*We made a strategic decision to extend our full-time MBA program, enhancing it for our students by including internships, exchange programs, and other opportunities. As a result of this extension, ESMT does not appear in the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking for 2023 or 2024. Despite demonstrating our ability to run a sustainable, sizeable program each year, the technicality of having no graduates in 2020 led to our exclusion from the ranking. We will be back in the FT Global MBA Ranking stronger than ever in 2025! 

 

Master in Global Management

Executive MBA

Rank in 2023

  • #38  
  • Top 10 in Europe among stand-alone programs 

Executive Education - Custom

Rank in 2023

  • #8 globally 
  • ESMT remains in the top ten globally for three consecutive years and continues to be the highest-ranked business school in Germany.  

Executive Education - Open

Rank in 2023

  • #17 globally 

Bloomberg Businessweek

The ranking evaluates more than 100 full-time MBA programs worldwide with a focus on US- based business schools. The survey measures satisfaction with learning, networking, career opportunities, skills development, and more. 

Best Business School Ranking

Rank in 2024 

  • #16 in Europe 
  • ESMT Berlin excels in learning, compensation, and entrepreneurship 

Corporate Knights

The ranking uniquely evaluates business schools on their commitment to sustainability, social responsibility, and ethical practices. It emphasizes the integration of these values into MBA programs and assesses how well schools prepare graduates to lead responsibly in a sustainable world, aligning with our mission.  

Better World MBA ranking

Rank in 2024

  • #1 in Germany
  • #7 in Europe  

Poets & Quants ranking

The Poets & Quants rankings are unique due to their comprehensive and holistic approach of evaluating business schools and programs. They combine data from multiple sources, including surveys of schools, students, and alumni, to assess various aspects such as academic experience, employability, faculty quality, and career outcomes.   

European Business Schools

Rank in 2024

#19 in Europe 

Best MBA Programs for Entrepreneurship

Rank in 2025

  • #1 in Germany 
  • #8 globally  

Master's in Management

Rank in 2022

#6 in the world 

QS World University ranking

These rankings evaluate universities across various metrics to provide a comprehensive assessment of their performance emphasizing sustainability, employability, and international research collaboration.  

Master's in Management

Rank in 2024

  • #6 in Germany  
    #63 worldwide
  • ESMT Berlin excels in value for money and diversity  

International Trade Ranking

Rank in 2024 

  • #3 in Germany  
    #70 globally for the master in global management 
  • ESMT Berlin excels in innovative teaching and graduate outcomes