OVERALL SCORE
9.2/10
EU RANK
#24
OVERALL SCORE
9.2/10
EU RANK
#24
Next admission deadline
Bachelor of Business · Parcoursup main phase
About
ESSEC Business School is a leading French grande école of management, founded in 1907 and internationally recognised for the quality of its programmes and its strong ties to the professional world. With four campuses — in Cergy (greater Paris), Paris La Défense, Singapore, and Rabat (Morocco) — the school trains over 8,500 students from more than 100 nationalities each year.
ESSEC stands out for its distinctive educational model, built around experiential learning: internships, company projects, international exchanges, and personal engagement are at the heart of every student’s journey. The school upholds four core values — humanism, innovation, excellence, and openness to the world — and prepares its students to become responsible leaders, capable of addressing today’s major economic, social, and environmental challenges.
With over 79,000 graduates active worldwide, 240 partner universities across 50 countries, and more than 1,000 corporate partners, ESSEC offers an exceptional network for career development and international opportunities. The school provides a broad range of programmes, from undergraduate Bachelor degrees to the flagship Master in Management (Grande École Programme), alongside specialised MSc degrees, advanced specialised master’s degrees (Mastères Spécialisés), MBA, and Executive Education programmes.
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ESSEC Business School
Accreditation
ESSEC Business School is nationally and internationally recognised as one of Europe’s top business schools. It holds the prestigious triple international accreditation — EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA — awarded to fewer than 1% of business schools worldwide, guaranteeing the highest standards in teaching, research, and institutional governance.
Check the official recognition of ESSEC’s degrees with our Degree Checker
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The key figures
1200+
Alumni members worldwide
8500+
Students enrolled
in full-time programmes
6
in 6-month insertion
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ESSEC Business School
Admissions
For students educated in France
ESSEC’s programmes are highly selective and accessible through several routes depending on your academic background.
Students coming from two-year post-secondary preparatory classes (classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles, CPGE) sit the national competitive entrance examinations to join the Grande École Programme at undergraduate level. Students who hold a French university degree (bachelor’s or above) may apply through a portfolio-based selection process (Admission sur Titre), assessed on academic record, a management aptitude test (TAGE-MAGE), English proficiency, and a motivational interview. Some undergraduate programmes are also accessible through Parcoursup, France’s national higher education admissions platform.
For international students
International applicants apply directly online through ESSEC’s admissions portal. Selection is based on academic excellence, leadership potential, English proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent), and — for postgraduate programmes — a standardised test score (GMAT or GRE). A motivation essay and letters of recommendation are required for most programmes. No prior knowledge of French is required for the majority of ESSEC’s programmes, which are taught in English.
ESSEC offers merit-based scholarships for outstanding international candidates across its programmes, awarded as part of the admissions process with no separate application required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Salaries upon graduation from ESSEC Business School vary depending on the programme and industry. For the Master in Management (Grande École Programme), the average gross annual starting salary is generally between €45,000 and €55,000. For specialised MSc degrees (Finance, Marketing, Data, etc.), it ranges between €40,000 and €55,000 depending on the specialisation. Graduates entering capital markets or investment banking roles often exceed these averages from their very first job. The MS DAIM (International Business Law) reports an average starting salary of €64,300, according to the 2024 Career Services survey.
ESSEC Business School consistently ranks among Europe’s top business schools across several major reference rankings: 7th best European business school (Financial Times 2025), 10th Master in Management worldwide (Financial Times 2025), 4th Master in Finance worldwide (Financial Times 2025), #1 Global BBA in France (Challenges, Le Point, Le Figaro Étudiant, Parcoursup — since 2020), #3 Master in Management in Asia (QS 2025), #2 MSc Marketing Management and Digital worldwide (QS 2025), #3 Master in Data Sciences & Business Analytics worldwide (QS 2025).
Tuition fees vary by programme. The Global BBA is accessible through the national admissions platform and the SÉSAME competitive examination, with annual fees listed directly on the school’s website. The Master in Management (Grande École Programme) involves multi-year tuition fees. Need-based scholarships exist, including ESSEC’s commitment to covering the full tuition fees of the Grande École Programme for students receiving the highest level of means-tested government grants. Financing through work-study contracts (alternance), student loans, and financial aid is also possible depending on the programme. For exact and up-to-date figures, visit essec.edu.
ESSEC graduates access an exceptionally wide range of careers thanks to the diversity of specialisations on offer. The most common career paths include: Strategy Consultant, Financial Analyst, Product Manager, Digital Marketing Manager, Data Scientist, Sales Director, Supply Chain Manager, and Entrepreneur. According to the 2024 Career Services survey, 91% of Master in Management graduates find employment within 3 months of graduation, and 88% hold a role with an international dimension.
A word from the Dean
Vincenzo Vinzi, Dean and President of ESSEC Business School
In a period of accelerating skills obsolescence, ESSEC prepares its students to be future-fit — highly oriented towards the future — for careers that are undergoing profound transformation or that do not yet exist, drawing on our core values: humanism, innovation, excellence, and openness to the world.
Vincenzo Vinzi, Dean and President of ESSEC Business School
Campuses
ESSEC Business School is nationally and internationally recognised as one of Europe’s top business schools. It holds the prestigious triple international accreditation — EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA — awarded to fewer than 1% of business schools worldwide, guaranteeing the highest standards in teaching, research, and institutional governance.
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ESSEC Business School
Programmes at ESSEC business school
Undergraduate entry (from secondary school)
Applying from secondary school / after your A-levels or equivalent? Discover ESSEC’s undergraduate programmes.
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Global Master
About The ESSEC Global BBA may be the right fit for you if you are looking for an international, broad-based, and hands-on undergraduate business degree at one of…
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ESSEC Business School
Which sectors are open to me after ESSEC Business School?
As an ESSEC graduate, you can target roles in finance, digital marketing, strategy consulting, data and artificial intelligence, luxury, and international trade. The school opens doors to numerous high-growth sectors through its recognised, professionally-oriented programmes.
Sectors :
Banking & Insurance · Finance · Marketing & Advertising · Sales & Commerce · Luxury · Artificial Intelligence
Example roles
Strategy Consultant · Business Developer · Financial Analyst · Business Analyst
