Switzerland business schools ranking | Top 10 Swiss business schools

Switzerland is a business and financial hub in Europe. It’s no surprise then that the country hosts some of the top business schools in the continent and in the world. These institutions offer a wide range of MBA programs to choose from, many of them taught in English, leading towards a greater international opening. And beside the multiplicity of programs and specializations, some Swiss business schools even offer students to choose their learning format: in class or online. Here’s our ranking and review of the best business schools in Switzerland.

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Is Switzerland good for an MBA?

Those who decide to study business in Switzerland would get the opportunity to network with industry professionals and gain valuable insights into the Swiss economy. And with its excellent reputation and high quality of education, Switzerland is an ideal destination for those who want to pursue their MBA in one of the world’s most prestigious countries.

As a matter of fact, there are more than 100 MBA programs in Switzerland, offered at more than 10 business schools. The best of them have an AMBA, EQUIS, or AACSB accreditation. Moreover, the country’s central position and economic prosperity have made it possible for Swiss business schools to have ties with global corporations such as Nestle, McDonald’s, Yahoo!, etc.

Types of MBA programs and MBA requirements in Switzerland

There are 5 kinds of MBA programs you can study at business schools in Switzerland:

Regular MBA: for business students with no work experience yet want to further their studies. It lasts 2 years and requires the student’s GMAT scores to apply.
Executive MBA (EMBA): which is also a 2-year program. However, it requires for candidates to already have at least 5 years of experience in a managerial position.
Global MBA or international MBA: the particularity of this program is that it trains students to get the skill set needed to run businesses in an international setting.
Part-time MBA: is a program which intends to allow students to keep their job while studying only on weekends or online.
1-year MBA: is as mentioned in its name, an accelerated MBA program. It shares similarities with the regular MBA except for the duration and tuition fees.

How much does an MBA cost in Switzerland?

The annual tuition cost for an MBA in Switzerland falls between CHF 14,000 and CHF 115,000. The difference depends on the type of institution as well as the type of MBA program you choose.

MBA in Switzerland: requirements

Requirements for an MBA program application are the same as for a master’s program, unless you need to provide your GMAT scores. Moreover, you’ll need to provide a proof of your proficiency in the program’s language of instruction.

You can find out the details about master’s studies in Switzerland here.

Best business schools in Switzerland

Switzerland is home to some of the best business schools in the world. We’ve made for you a list of the top institutions. They not only offer high quality education. They also offer their students a lot of exposure. And that can only be beneficiary once they graduate and start looking for a job.

IMD Business school: International Institute for Management Development

IMD is an institution created by business leaders to train business leaders. This independent institute is Swiss by origin but with an international reach. With more than 70 years of existence, IMD has consistently ranked among the top 5 business schools in Switzerland for the last 15 years.

The institution has gained international recognition, being cited in the top rankings of notorious publications such as Forbes or The Economist. Moreover, their one-year MBA program has been ranked number one of its kind outside the US.

Besides, it has the “triple-crown accreditation”: AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA accreditations. This testifies in favor of the high-quality teaching and research the institution provides. They are committed to producing leaders able to transform businesses and provide significant contribution to society.

For international students, they offer various scholarships targeting specific groups (women, students from developing countries). The school’s aim in this is to give a chance to ambitious aspiring business leaders from any parts of the world to pursue an MBA degree in Switzerland.

Read more on this subject in our guide on the best scholarships in Switzerland.

Also, find out more by visiting IMD’s website.

School of Management of the University of St Gallen (HSG)

Another Swiss business school with a triple-crown accreditation, HSG also remained in the top 5 European business schools. But it also features as the top university in Switzerland and in all the German-speaking region in Europe. This says much about the school’s reputation. HSG’s School of Management is the largest school of the university, and prides to be its key pillar when it comes to education and research.

The business management program endorses a more holistic and integrative approach. Along with a Bachelor in Business Administration program, the school offers a broad range of programs at the graduate level. You can earn a master in as various subjects as accounting and corporate finance, business innovation, general management, management, organization studies and cultural theory, marketing management, strategy and international management.

Find out more about this business school by visiting their website.

Faculty of Business and Economics of the University of Lausanne (HEC Lausanne)

HEC Lausanne has been in the business of training future executives since 1911. With an EQUIS and AMBA accreditation, HEC Lausanne has built its success upon the synergy between teaching and research. Students in return maximize their societal impact as the school works closely with the community and external partners such as businesses, nonprofits and the government.

The school thus has over 130 international partnerships and welcomes more than 400 exchange students every year. And to improve graduates’ employment rate, a Career Center works to connect students with companies. Lastly, degree programs at HEC Lausanne focus primarily on management, economics & finance and technology.

Learn more about HEC Lausanne, the programs available as well as the admission process on the institution’s website.

University of Geneva – Geneva School of Economics & Management

The Geneva School of Economics and Management comes from the merger of the departments of economics of HEC Genève and the University of Geneva. The institution has more than 100 years of history behind it. And it enjoys the strong international reputation and quality of research from the University of Geneva.

When it comes to accreditation, the school has the quality assurance system from the Swiss Agency of Accreditation and Quality Assurance (AAQ). Moreover, its Executive MBA as well as its International organizations MBA programs have the AMBA accreditation. Lastly the school welcomes more than 2’000 students, in all their degree programs (bachelor’s, master’s, MBA & EMBA, PhD, etc.)

Find out more by visiting the school’s website.

ETH Zurich – Department of Management, Technology, and Economics

Being a high-profile university in Switzerland, ETH Zurich also features business management and economics courses and degrees. This takes place at the institution’s department of management, technology and economics whose unique focus is to combine natural sciences, technology, management and economics.

Moreover, this business school offers diverse degree programs from a master of science in management, technology and economics to advanced studies masters and certificates in various subjects related to their fields of focus. Besides, the school’s MBA is a co-joint program with the University of St. Gallen.

Find out more on ETH Zurich’s website.

Read also our review of the best universities in Switzerland in our article on the subject.

University of Zurich – Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics

The University of Zurich is the fourth-best university in Switzerland, and it offers the widest range of study programs in the country. Some of the best specializations in the university are provided at its department of Business Administration. As a matter of fact, this department is one of the top research and facilities in the German-speaking world, featuring all aspects of business administration. This includes: accounting, entrepreneurship, marketing, management, operations research, organization and strategy.

The purpose is to foster the development of their student’s creative thinking, ethical reflection, scientific skills among other capabilities. Graduates from the institution are fully-equipped specialists and executives, ready to face all the challenges of today’s global market.

Find out more on the institution’s website.

Geneva Business School

Geneva Business School has offered top-notch Swiss-quality education for more than 25 years now. Being in the top 60 business schools in the world, it aims to prepare students to face everything awaiting them on the modern job market. They offer business study programs in English, at bachelor, master and doctoral level at 3 campuses: in Geneva, Barcelona and Madrid. This international campus network comprises 85+ nationalities.

Moreover, the school’s MBA program focuses on a learning-by-doing approach. The students therefore will work on a business project or problem of their choice. This intends to equip future graduates with academic knowledge, practical skills and mindset that are crucial to business leaders of today.

Find out more about Geneva Business School.

EU Business School Geneva

The EU Business school is another network of business schools with 2 campuses in Switzerland (Geneva and Montreux), 2 others in Barcelona and Munich, as well as an online campus. The institution came into existence in 1973. And it has since grown to get a 4-star rating in business school excellence by the world QS Stars Rating. Their online MBA program has been ranked number one by CEO Magazine while their in-class program also features in the top global and European MBA programs.

Moreover, EU Business School offers its programs in English at bachelor, master, MBA and doctoral levels. Study areas focuses are business administration, international business, marketing, finance, among others. Besides, the school hosts a diverse student population from more than 100 nationalities.

Learn more about the EU Business School.

Rushford Business School

The Business School of James Lind Institute operates under the name Rushford Business School. It’s a 4-star institution by the QS Star Rating System with a Swiss EduQua certification. This attests the cutting-edge education that the school offers. And on that matter, Rushford Business School offers various degree programs along with an online MBA, open to students worldwide.

Moreover, the institution’s degree programs cover most business-related areas such as accounting, finance, marketing, and management. Students then receive the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in today’s rapidly changing market.

Learn more about Rushford Business School along with the programs and degrees they offer.

International Institute in Geneva (IIG)

The last institution in our list is the International Institute in Geneva, formerly International University in Geneva. It has earned its spot among the top business schools in Switzerland thanks to its unique undergraduate program format, offering students to earn a double degree after 3 years of study. This groundbreaking degree option allows students to earn 2 international bachelor’s degrees: one from IIG and another from the University of Plymouth in the UK.

As for the study subjects, the International Institute in Geneva offers courses in business administration, communication and digital media, computer science, as well as international relations and international trade.