5 best business schools in Spain for international students

Discover the 5 best business schools in Spain based on rankings, tuition fees, diversity and employability.

Ivandzhelin

6 minute read

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Updated on 4 Aug 2023

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Studying

Spain is one of the top destinations international students choose to pursue a university degree. But how do you pick from the 84 universities that offer a business degree in Spain? The choice is hard since Spain has the highest number of top-ranking universities out of any other European country.

To help you make an informed decision, we’ve come up with a list of the 5 best business schools in Spain for Bachelor, Master and MBA degrees. We included Spanish universities with full-time English-taught programs based on the university rankings, level of internationality, tuition fees, location, and employment rate.

Located in Madrid, the IE Business School is one of the highest-ranking universities in Europe for business. Financial Times ranks the school at the 10th position in their ranking of European Business Schools and their MBA program is ranked in 7th place by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

The campus of the university hosts people from over 165 nationalities.

Top programs

All courses are focused on innovations in the field of business through the practical implementation of theories. Core principles are tech immersion, a culture of innovation, diversity, and an entrepreneurial mindset.

IE offers business programs at the Bachelor, Master and MBA levels. You also have the opportunity to pursue a dual degree. Here’re some programs you can choose from:

• BA (4 years): Business Administration (BAA), Behavioural and social sciences, Communications and digital media
• Dual BA (5 years): BAA & Data and business analytics, BAA & International Relations, BAA & Law, etc.
• MA (10-15 months): General Management, Finance, Marketing, Business tech and analysis, etc.
• Dual MA: The university offers a list of dual degrees which are a combination of their general MA degrees
• MBA (11, 15, 19 months): International MBA

Tuition fees

The tuition fees vary based on the level of education and complexity of the study you choose. For the 2023–2024 academic year, the tuition fees are:

• BA: €25,000
• Dual BA: €30,000
• MA: between €34,000 and €43,300
• Dual MA: approximately €69,750
• MBA (only for 11 or 15 months): €82,300

Employment opportunity after graduation

Statistics from the IE Business School show that 95% of their 2019 graduates found a job within 3 months of graduation. Graduates work in companies like Chanel, Philips, BP, Societe Generale, and BBVA.

If you think IE Business School is the one for you, be sure to explore rental homes in Madrid before moving to the big city.

Located in Barcelona, Esade ranks as the 17th best business school in Europe according to Financial Times. Over 38% of the students are international and it was ranked 1st by The Economist for international experience.

Top programs

Esade applies innovative learning methods to develop professional and managerial skills. Their academic activity is focused on 3 areas: training, research and social debate.

Some of the top-ranking programs are:

• BA (4 years): Business Administration (BBA) or Transformational leadership and social impact
• Dual BA (5 years): BBA and Law or BBA & AI for Business
• MSc (1 year): Marketing, Business Analytics, International Management, Finance, etc.
• Dual MSc (2 years): a combination of 2 MSc degrees of your choosing
• MBA (12, 15, or 18 months)

At Esade you can opt for bilingual programs and do part of your study in Spanish or Catalan.

Tuition fees

The tuition fees are based on the study of your choosing and the academic year. The prices for the 2023–2024 academic year are:

• BA: €18,500–€21,300
• Dual BA: €19,900–€21,300
• MSc: €33,500–€36,000
• Dual MSc: €52,000–€57,000
• MBA: €76,500

Employment opportunities

93% of graduates were employed within 3 months and 37% found a job outside their home country. Salary statistics for MBA graduates show an average yearly salary of $143,721 after 3 years. Some of the companies recruiting at Esade are BCG, McKinsey, Tesla, Microsoft, Alfa Consulting, and Google.

Esade is one of the most popular business schools in Europe, so don't hesitate to find houses for rent in Barcelona if you decide to study here.

IESE Business School is one of the highest-rated business schools according to Financial Times, which ranks it in 6th place in Europe. Their MBA program is ranked 10th worldwide by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

IESE Business School has campuses worldwide and the ones in Spain are located in the 2 largest cities: Madrid and Barcelona. Diversity and internationalisation are some of the key values of the university. 85% of the students in their current MBA class are international coming from over 50 nationalities.

Top programs

IESE offers Master's and MBA programs with only 2 full-time English-taught programs:

• Master in Management (MiM) is a 11 month course in Madrid
• Master in Business Administration (MBA) is a 15–19 months course in Barcelona (with overseas modules)

Tuition fees

The fees for the 2023–2024 academic year are:

• MiM: €44,550
• MBA: €39,750

Employment opportunities

IESE offers multiple career services to help its students find a job after graduation. The business school organises career forums, company presentations and recruitment events throughout the academic year where students can network with representatives. Global leaders such as Amazon, Bank of America, Deloitte, and Google are some of the companies which offer internships or full-time positions to IESE graduates.

Located in Barcelona, Eada Business School ranks 27th among best Business Schools in Europe according to Financial Times.

The environment at the university is quite diverse, with students from over 87 nationalities studying at Eada. Compared to the previous universities, Eada has the lowest tuition fees.

Top programs

Overall, the programs of this business school focus on business, social responsibility and global sustainability.

• BA (4 years): Global Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA)
• Dual BA (4 years): Global BBA + BA AI for Business
• MSc (9–10 months): Management, Finance, Marketing, Tourism Biotechnology management, Fintech, Business management, etc.
• MBA (10–14 months): Global executive MBA or International MBA

Keep in mind that Eada’s MBAs require 3+ years of working experience.

Tuition fees

The tuition fees for the 2023–2024 academic year are:

• BA: €15,500
• Dual BA: €19,000
• MSc: €19,000–€29,000
• MBA: €42,000–€43,000

Employment opportunities

91% of their BBA graduates successfully found a job within 6 months of graduation, with an average salary of almost €90,000. 93% of MSc graduates find work within 3 months.

This internationally-acclaimed business school has campuses throughout Europe, with their Spanish school located in Madrid. Students from over 122 nationalities learn at ESCP Madrid. The university ranks 3rd on Financial Times’ best Business Schools in Europe list.

Top programs

Their courses are focused on multiculturalism and interdisciplinarity through international mobility. This allows their students to work in diverse environments and collaborate with a large number of people.

• BSc (3 years): Bachelor in Management (with only your 2nd year at the campus in Madrid)
• MA (2 years): Master in Management
• MSc (12–15 months): Tourism management, Marketing, Real estate, Digital project management and consulting, etc.
• MBA (10–34 months): International Management

What’s unique about the programs at ESCP is that you can follow each year at a different campus. For example, their BSc degree is 3 years and each of these years is in a different country.

Tuition fees

ESCP is the only business school in this list where the tuition fees for Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees vary for EU and non-EU citizens. The tuition fees for the 2023–2024 academic year are:

• BSc: €16,920 (EU), €23,250 (non-EU)
• MA: €20,800 (EU), €24,600 (non-EU)
• MSc: between €21,900 and €27,300 (for both EU and non-EU)
• MBA: €51,500 (for both EU and non-EU)

Employment opportunities

The internships and placements at some of the top companies in Europe allow ESCP graduates to create a vast network of contacts before graduation. 99% of the Master’s and 96% of MBA graduates found a job within 3 months of graduation.

To apply for an undergraduate at some Spanish business schools, you need to get a UNED certificate, which recognises your secondary education diploma. The only university that requires a UNED certificate from this list of top 5 business schools is Esade.

Keep in mind that requirements may vary and we advise you to always check the admission requirements for your chosen study.

The tuition fees at high-ranking business schools in Spain are quite steep. To soften the financial responsibility, universities offer payment plans, scholarships, and partner with banks which give out student loans. Most scholarships can cover up to 40% of your yearly tuition fees, depending on your study. In some cases, there’re early application discounts which allow you to pay significantly less.

Cost of living in Barcelona and Madrid

All of the internationally-acclaimed universities in this list are located in the 2 biggest cities: Barcelona and Madrid. The cost of living in these cities is relatively high for Spain but low compared to other big Western European cities. On average, the cost of living in Madrid would be around €1,520 including rent for a private room. The cost of living in Barcelona would be around €1,351 per month if you live in shared accommodation. Opting for a studio or an apartment will be more costly but it’ll give you the luxury of privacy.

Explore the best student neighbourhoods in Barcelona.

Learning Spanish

On the English proficiency index, Spain ranks in 33rd place, meaning that you can get by with just English in the bigger cities. Yet, it’s beneficial to learn Spanish if you want to remain in the country after your studies or if you want to branch out of the international bubble. So why not take advantage of the free Spanish courses your university offers?

Now that you know about the best business schools in Spain, get ready for a new chapter in your life with the complete guide to studying in Spain.

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