Business Schools in Germany – Rankings, Requirements & Fees

Germany has become a major business hub over the last few years, mainly due to its thriving economy and the plethora of world-class institutions in the field. Even the top 3 business schools found a place in financial times 100 B-schools. Here is your guide towards finding some of the top universities in Germany for business courses. You will find these popular programs with diverse curricula at numerous institutions in the country.

Eligibility Criteria

• You will require either undergraduate/postgraduate degrees, depending on the course that you are applying for (BBA/MBA for example). 
• You will have to submit scores in standardized examinations like GRE or GMAT for example. 
• You will require scores in language proficiency tests (TOEFL/IELTS). 
• CV/Resume may be required in some cases along with SOPs and LORs.

Best universities in Germany for business programs

To acquaint you with the top business schools in Germany, here is a list of the foremost universities in Germany in the field: 

1. Universitat Mannheim

Year of Foundation: 1969

Rankings: 

• #756 in Best Global Universities
• Ranked 32nd and 42nd in THE World University rankings 2021 in Economics and Social Sciences
• Ranked 65th in Psychology globally as per THE World University rankings 2021
• University is ranked at the 165th position as per THE World University rankings 2022

Courses offered: MBA full-time

Entry Requirements: 

• University Entrance Qualification, CV, and Transcript of Records
• Relevant Academic qualification (Subject-Specific)
• GRE/GMAT
• German language proficiency Proof is not required
• English language proficiency required (TOEFL- 72)
• Letter of Motivation
• Resume/CV

Application Deadline: Mid March

Annual Fee: 1,000 USD/Year

2. Technical University of Munich

Foundation Year: 2010

Rankings:

49th rank in QS World University Ranking 2023, 19th in QS World Subject Ranking (Engineering & Technology), 28th in QS World Subject Ranking 2022 (Natural Sciences), 62nd in QS World Subject Ranking 2022 (Lifesciences & Medicine), 183rd in QS World Subject Ranking 2022 (Social Sciences & Management)

Courses offered:

Bachelor’s in Management & Technology, Bachelor’s in MBA full time, Bachelor’s in Sustainable Management & Technology, Master in Management & Technology, Master in Management, Management in Sustainable Management & Technology

Entry Requirements: 

• Documentation related to higher education entrance qualification
• Relevant Academic qualification (Subject-Specific)
• GRE/GMAT
• Fill the application form using uni-assist
• All relevant documents pertaining to previous education, or anything related to higher education
• Proof or certificate of proficiency in language skills
• CV/Resume
• Passport
• Letter of Motivation (if required)
• Work experience in case of MBA

Application Deadline: Applications are accepted around the year. Intakes are for Fall (October) and Spring (April)

Annual Fee: € 39,000

3. WHU- Otto Beisheim School of Management

Foundation Year: 1984

Rankings: Ranked 18th worldwide and 6th in Germany (Master in Management Financial times Rankings)

Courses offered:

Bachelors in International Business Administration, Bachelor in Business Psychology, Full-time MBA, Global online MBA, Masters in International Business, Masters in Entrepreneurship

Entry Requirements: 

• Higher education or undergraduate degree, whichever is higher
• Relevant Academic qualification (Subject-Specific)
• Minimum two years of experience in case of MBA
• Letter of recommendation
• GMAT or GRE in case of MBA
• TOEFL or IELTS equivalent

One can also review their eligibility by applying on Uni-Assist.

Commencement of the Program: April and September

Application Deadline: December 15 (April Intake Full-Time MBA) or May 31 (September Intake Full-Time MBA)

Annual Fee: 7,500€ per semester to € 40,500 (Annual). It varies depending on the chosen course.

4. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen

Foundation Year: 1472

Rankings: #59 in QS World University Rankings 2023

Courses offered: Masters in Management and Digital Technologies

Entry Requirements:

Resume/CV, German language proficiency, Relevant Academic qualification (Subject-Specific), TOEFL or IELTS equivalent, Letter of recommendation, GMAT or GRE in case of MBA

Application Deadline: 15 Jan & 15 July (Every Year)

Annual Fee:  258 EUR/year (on an average)

5. Freie Universität Berlin

Foundation Year: 1948

Rankings: #118 in QS World University Rankings 2023

Courses offered: Master of Business Marketing, European and International business

Entry Requirements:

Higher education entrance qualification or undergraduate (subject-specific), Minimum GPA of 3, English Proficiency requirement, GRE/GMAT

Application Deadline:  Mid of May, July, and January for the summer and winter semester

Annual Fee: €3,800 + Program fee differs with different programs

6. RWTH Aachen University

Foundation Year: 1870

Rankings: 147 in QS World University Rankings 2023

Courses offered: Business Administration (BSc), Executive Master of Business Administration MBA

Entry Requirements:

University entrance qualification certificate, Proof of language proficiency (German & English), GRE/GMAT, Relevant Academic qualification, LOR, SOP

Application Deadline: Winter Semester (Mid July), Summer Semester (Mid January)

Annual Fee: 1095 Euros (monthly basis)

7. Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main

Foundation Year: 1914

Rankings: Ranked 328th in QS World University Rankings 2023

Courses offered: MBA full-time, MSc. Business Administration, 

Entry Requirements:

Documents related to the Academic report, Valid Passport, Passport, Documents supporting your financial stability, Health cover, University entrance qualification certificate, Proof of language proficiency (German & English), GRE/GMAT, Relevant Academic qualification, LOR, SOP

Application Deadline: Deadlines vary with different business and masters’ programs

Annual Fee: No Tuition fee is charged, however, an administrative fee of ~700€ is charged annually

8. University of Cologne

Foundation Year: 1388

Rankings: #335 in QS World University Rankings 2023

Courses offered: Executive MBA and Master Business Analytics & Econometrics

Entry Requirements:

Documents related to the Academic report, Valid Passport, Passport, Documents supporting your financial stability, Health cover, University entrance qualification certificate, Proof of language proficiency (German & English), GRE/GMAT, Relevant Academic qualification, LOR, SOP etc

Application Deadline: 14 Aug for Executive MBA, 15 June for Master Business Analytics & Econometrics

Annual Fee: 13250 €

9. Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin 

Foundation Year: 1810

Rankings: #131 in QS World University Rankings 2023

Courses offered: BSc in Business Administration

Entry Requirements: 

• Documents/Certificates related to Academic qualification(degree in business in case of MSc. Business Administration)
• Language proficiency scores (German and English)
• GRE/GMAT in case of MBA
• LOR
• SOP
• Passport and other miscellaneous documents

Application Deadline: March End/September End

Annual Fee: 160 EUR

10. Westfälische Wilhelms-Universitat Munster

Foundation Year: 1780

Rankings: 384 in QS WUR 2023

Courses offered: BSc/MSc Business Administration

Entry Requirements: 

• Previous transcripts translated in German or English
• Academic documents/Certificates
• Entrance qualification (if required)
• Health Insurance Proof
• Passport
• Language Proficiency scores
• Visa requirements

Application Deadline: First week of June and July

Annual Fee: € 316.03 per semester

11. EBS Business School 

Foundation Year: 1971

Rankings: #401-450 QS WUR Subject Rankings 2022 (Business & Management Studies)

Courses offered: Bachelors in Business Studies, MBA full-time (Specialization in Management, Finance, Automotive Management, Real Estate or semester abroad) & Executive MBA

Entry Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree with at least 180 ECTS or an equally acknowledged degree (in case of MBA)
• Proof of at least 3 years of practical experience (Only in case of MBA)
• English language Proficiency certificate (TOEFL iBT, IELTS or equivalent)
• Valid GMAT or GRE Scores

Application Deadline: No deadline

Annual Fee: 10,660 euros per semester (in MBA) & 7,340 euros per semester (Bachelors in Business Administration)

12.  Technische Universitat Dresden

Foundation Year: 1828

Rankings: –

Courses offered: BSc in Business and Economics, Masters in Business Management, Masters in Business & Economics education

Entry Requirements: 

• General high school graduate certificate or equivalent
• All academic related documents
• German language requirements
• Bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics with a major in the field of Business Management

Application Deadline: 

Winter semester:  1st June until 15th September

Summer semester: 1st December until 15th March

Annual Fee: No tuition fee

13. Technische Universitat Hamburg

Foundation Year: 1978

Rankings: #1085 in Best Global Universities

Courses offered: BSc in Business Administration,MA in international business and sustainability

Entry Requirements:

Bachelor’s or equivalent degree from a recognized university in any of the discipline (engineering, science and technology, business engineering, business administration (including business informatics, business mathematics and business geography) or economics alongwith a stellar academic performance.

English Language proficiency skills ( TOEFL – 577 (paper-based) / 90 (internet-based) or IELTS with a minimum score of 6.5)

Application Deadline: 

1 June to 15 July (Winter Semester)

1 December to 15 January (Summer Semester)

15 February to 31 March (Masters Programs)

Annual Fee: No Tuition Fee

14. Technical University of Darmstadt

Foundation Year: 1877

Rankings: #275 in QS World University Rankings 2023

Courses offered: BSc/MSc in Business Administration

Entry Requirements: 

• School-leaving certificate in the original language, and a certified translation list of grades and subjects in the original language, and a certified translation 
• Certified copies of university entrance examination/certificate in the original language, and a certified translation 
• Copy of your passport ID page
• Proof of your language proficiency skills (IELTS 6.5, TOEFL Paper 550, TOEFL iBT 95)

Application Deadline: Mid-July 

Annual Fee: No Tuition fee. However, registration fees, administrative fee,s and other charges apply

These were some of the top business schools in Germany with their requirements.

DAAD Scholarships

Founded in 1925, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst or German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is responsible for the internationalization of German education, which it does through several measures, including providing grants and scholarships. Most foreign DAAD scholarship recipients are master’s students or doctoral candidates. Only very few scholarships are awarded at the bachelor’s level (to top students at German schools

abroad). In order to avail of the DAAD scholarship, you need to complete the following steps:

• Create an account on the DAAD portal
• Select the Scholarship program 
• Complete the documentation process and submit

Career Prospects 

Source: Payscale

Top Recruiters

Some of the top recruiters in Germany for Business studies graduates include Siemens, Volkswagen, Bosch, BMW, Mercedes, Merck, and Bayer.

upGrad Abroad Recommendations

The program recommendation by UpGrad is Master in International Management. Following are the benefits if same:

• Cost savings up to INR 20 lakh on the course. 
• Average salaries of INR 45 lakh in Germany after course completion. 
• Two year course where you will study online in the first year at IMT Ghaziabad. 
• Tuition fees will be roughly INR 2.75 lakh (all-inclusive) for the first year of study. 
• The second year will revolve around on-campus study at IU Germany, with tuition fees standing at 8,788 Euros. You will also need roughly 10,332 Euros in food and living costs.