According to Meelis Kitsing, Rector of the Estonian Business School (EBS), the growth in applications can be attributed to three main factors: the strong performance of European schools in international rankings, more affordable tuition fees compared to top US programmes, and increasing interest in European education due to the unpredictability of the US political environment.
“EBS has a clear opportunity to capitalise on these trends,” Kitsing noted. “Our strength lies in combining academic excellence with practical, entrepreneurship-focused education. Our alumni have founded several successful start-ups, including Bolt. Startup Wise Guys, an accelerator affiliated with EBS, is also ranked among the leading hubs in Europe.” According to Kitsing, EBS is especially suited to those who embrace innovation, entrepreneurial thinking and hands-on action – rather than rigid strategic planning. “As Peter Drucker famously said, ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’ – a sentiment that truly reflects the spirit of EBS,” he added. Kitsing also highlighted the success of the school’s short-format programmes, especially the summer school on digitalisation and sustainability, which in 2024 attracted 75 participants from four continents.
The EFMD blog also features insights from leaders of other top European institutions: WU Executive Academy (Austria), Mannheim Business School (Germany), BI Norwegian Business School (Norway), Frankfurt School of Finance & Management (Germany), Corvinus University of Budapest (Hungary), Norwich Business School (United Kingdom), and Porto Business School (Portugal). Collectively, they emphasise that the rising popularity of European business schools is driven by factors such as cultural diversity, simplified work visa procedures, flexibility of programme types, and an increasing focus on sustainability and responsible leadership.
