Top 10 Budget-Friendly Business Schools in Europe (2024 Edition)

Top 10 Budget-Friendly Business Schools in Europe (2024 Edition)
Photo by Christian Lue / Unsplash

Are you looking for a kick to climb the corporate ladder or want to pursue a quick career change that can be highly rewarding? If yes, then business studies can be one of your ideal choices. It is one of the most searched and popular courses, which has been adopted by millions of students to get that jump in their careers.

Now, honestly speaking, getting a business degree isn't a challenge anymore, thanks to the availability of thousands of colleges around you. And if a degree is not challenging, it also speaks volumes about its worth in the global market.

So, what's the catch here? The first thing to understand here is that a business degree gets its due worth when you come from top-tier colleges, especially renowned ones like Cambridge or Oxford. But again, studying at global universities in top European countries can be challenging for your budget.

A myth to burst here is that European colleges and business schools are no longer expensive, only if you know where to look. There is a long list of budget-friendly business schools in Europe that make no compromises with their quality education, faculty, or even internship programs. These universities offer globally recognized and high-ranking business courses for students from every corner of the world.

These top institutions are known for offering hassle-free travel, world-class education, and research while making education affordable for students with scholarships and financial support. If you prepare a list of the top universities in Europe offering such amenities, finding appropriate ways to lead an affordable life here is pretty simple. Some of the significant bills like rent and living expenses can be within your budget, provided you opt for the best European colleges and universities that offer lower tuition fees while offering you global exposure.

So, what do you mean by a budget-friendly business school? How to find the best institution offering internships and job opportunities while being easy on your pockets? Confused? Let’s find out!

#1: The University of Warsaw in Poland

The University of Warsaw in Poland

One of the finest places to live and pursue your dream career, The University of Warsaw in Poland is also known for being the top university for business studies as per the ranking given by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021. In addition, the University of Warsaw has also been ranked as one of the top 3% of the world’s universities as per the Quaquarelli Symmonds World University Ranking (QS), Times Higher Education World University Ranking (THE), Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

This one seems to be dominating this list regarding budget and quality education. One of the reasons this one is grabbing all the attention is its low fees, which start from €2,000 per year for business studies. The three-year course, Bachelor in Business Management or Bachelor in Human Resources Management or even Bachelor in Business Logistics, is offered for €2,900 per year. However, the management courses start from €2,900 per year, and MBA is €3,800 per year.

The living costs are budget friendly as the student residence halls are available at 60 – 150 EUR/month, an excellent networking zone for the students. However, the living conditions may vary depending on your selected stay. Also, shared flats are available for rent, starting from 80 EURO per month, a popular option among international students. If you choose the apartments in the city, the rent ranges around 300 – 465 EUR/month in Krakow and 350 – 650 EUR/month in Warsaw.

Founded year: The university was established in 1816 and is known for being the largest institution of higher learning. It offers courses from 37 different fields of study which over 100 specialisations in technical, humanities and natural sciences.

Address: The University of Warsaw is located in Krakowskie Przedmiecie 26/28, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland.

#2: Koç University – Graduate School of Business

Koç University – Graduate School of Business

If you want an EQUIS-accredited business school within your strict budget, consider pursuing business from Koç University – Graduate School of Business. It offers an Executive MBA program recently ranked in the Financial Times. It also offers PhD in Business Administration, MSc in International Management, Modular MBA, MSc in Finance, etc.

With widely-acclaimed programs, this institution offers quality education and an affordable fee structure. Koç University has implemented the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), aiming to educate responsible leaders for a better and sustainable world. It is the first institution to receive European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) Accreditation which is given by European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). Also, it is part of the CEMS Global Alliance in Management Education and received AACSB Accreditation alongside the AMBA Accreditation in 2021.

The full-time MBA courses are offered at 5,454.90 EURO for a duration of 12 months. The modular MBA course is available at 5,454.21 EURO for a period of 24 months. However, the executive MBA is offered at 5,702.13 EURO for a period of 17 months. No wonder this university is considered one of the cost effective business schools in Europe.

Founded year: The university was established in 1993 in İstanbul, Türkiye.

Website URL: https://unifyapply.com/explore/schools/138--ko-university-graduate-school-of-business

Address: The Koç University – Graduate School of Business is located in Rumelifeneri Campus in Sarıyer, İstanbul. The address is Koç Üniversitesi İşletme Enstitüsü Rumelifeneri Yolu 34450 Sarıyer Istanbul.

#3: Berlin School of Business and Innovation

Berlin School of Business and Innovation

Berlin School of Business and Innovation, a reputed institution, is run by a private, for-profit education company named Global University Systems in Berlin, Germany. If you are a business aspirant that aims to find one of the top affordable business schools in Europe that can offer practical experience and groom you to get your dream job, then BSBI is the best option. It provides business degrees with attractive scholarships and internship programs that help students to gain work opportunities while completing their courses within their budget.

BSBI is known for the school's strong reputation, virtual learning environment, free language support for students, free legal support, free pre-enrolment services, and many more. With high-quality education, Berlin is also known for being one of the most affordable European cities in the world. Therefore, it is highly recommended for students looking to complete their business studies within a strict budget without compromising their aspirations of getting hired by the top companies globally.

The courses offered here are BA in Economics and Business Administration, BSc (Hons) International Business and Management, BSc (Hons) Digital Marketing and Social Media, BSc in Psychology - Psychosocial Disciplines, MA in Energy Management, MA Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management, BA (Hons) Tourism and Hospitality Management, MA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, MA in International Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management, MSc Digital Marketing, MSc Finance & Investment, MSc in International Health Management, MSc in Psychology - Cognitive Processes and Technologies, Global MBA, MBA, DBA Doctorate in Business Administration.

The institution is known for its world-class education system while offering an affordable fee structure to international students. Depending on the high school's average score, the school also reduces the annual fee to 50%. International students studying in Hamburg can save till 33% on tuition fees. The tuition fees for BSc (Hons) International Business & Management for 3-4 years is around €9,450 per year. The Global MBA is offered at € 14,150 for 18 months.

Founded year: Netherlands-based for-profit education establishment Global University Systems (GUS) founded the Berlin School of Business and Innovation in 2018.

Website URL: https://unifyapply.com/explore/schools/17--berlin-school-of-business-and-innovation-bsbi

Address: The university, Berlin School of Business and Innovation GmbH, is located at Alte Post Karl-Marx-Straße 97-99 12043 Berlin, Germany.

#4: EU Business School

EU Business School

EU Business School is known for offering business education programs majorly taught in English. The programs offered include bachelor's, master's, MBA, and doctorate degrees in business studies. In addition, it has foundation programs as well as Executive BBA. Furthermore, other graduate and undergraduate programs are available in diverse business disciplines like Leisure & Tourism Management, Communication & Public Relations, International Relations, Business Finance or Blockchain Digital Business, Sports Management, Design & Innovation, etc.

The fee structure for these courses is affordable, and a part of it can be waived off depending on scholarships and internship programs. Depending on the location, the course fees differ. In Barcelona, the bachelor's program tuition fees are around €6.750 per semester, a course comprising 6-7 semesters. The tuition fee for MBA here is €6.950 per term for a one-year full-time and €3.475 per term for a two-year part-time course.

One of the USPs of this school is that it enables the students to attend joint programs with state-accredited universities like Pace University, New York, Fisher College, Boston University of California, Riverside, or Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, which will award two distinct bachelor's degree. And all these programs are accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education- IACBE.

Founded year: EU Business School was established in 1973.

Website URL: https://unifyapply.com/explore/schools/76--eu-business-school

Address: EU Business School is located in Geneva & Montreux (Switzerland); Barcelona (Spain); Munich (Germany).

#5: Athens University of Economics & Business

Athens University of Economics & Business

Athens University of Economics and Business is the oldest university, which was also known as the Supreme School of Economics and Business before 1989. The institution comprises three schools along with eight academic departments. These are:

  • Department of Business Administration (1955)
  • Department of Marketing and Communication (1989)
  • Department of Accounting and Finance (1999)
  • Department of Management Science and Technology (1999)
  • Department of Economics (1955)
  • Department of International and European Economic Studies (1991)
  • Department of Informatics (1985)
  • Department of Statistics (1989)

Students get access to these departments from the undergraduate level and can complete their master's degree as well as Doctoral one, which leads to the PhD Degree. There are around 29 master's programmes available at this school, including full-time, part-time, and joint courses. Typically, the duration of graduate studies is between 15 to 27 months.

Students need to satisfy the admission criteria with results like GRE or GMAT tests, English proficiency, and work experience that might be required for MBA courses. Plenty of scholarships and funding programmes are available for students to waive the fees for these courses.

Some courses offered here are MSc in Economics, MSc in Business Analytics, MBA International, MSc in Financial Management, MSc in International Shipping, Finance and Management, MSc in Marketing and Communication, MSc in Data Science, and MSc in Statistics. As a result, the Athens University of Economics and Business has gained a ranking from 601st-800th in the THE or The Times Higher Education annual list while being 101st-150th in QS World University Rankings in Business and Management Studies.

The fee structure of the i-MBA Program here is currently around €9,700. It is broken down as follows:

  • €1,700 upon acceptance
  • €3,000 end of December
  • €3,000 end of March
  • €2,000 end of May

The part-time program tuition fee is around €9,900. Apart from this, the living expenses vary greatly and can amount to 500-800 EURO monthly. However, with the ample opportunities of internship programmes, scholarships and funding, one can save a lot while grabbing the best chances to establish a business studies career.

Founded year: The Athens University of Economics and Business was established in 1920.

Website URL: https://unifyapply.com/explore/schools/12--athens-university-of-economics-and-business-aueb

Address: The Athens University of Economics and Business is located in Athens, Greece. The contact information is Patision 76, TK 104 34 Athens.

#6: Gdansk University of Technology

Gdansk University of Technology

The Gdansk University of Technology comes with a unique combination of the most international, youngest and business-oriented faculty to offer the best education to the students. In addition, it imparts knowledge to managers, economists, engineers, and business leaders to understand and devise strategies to change the challenges of the modern business world. The faculty has IQA CEEMAN accreditation along with AMBA (for master in Management, spec.: International Management and postgraduate programme: International MBA in Strategy, Programme and Project Management).

This one is the right pick for business aspirants globally because it allows students to participate in double degree programmes. One can get a diploma from one of their prestigious partner universities from France, China and Italy. Also, it helps students to explore new places and study for up to a year at any of their 100 partner universities worldwide.

The greatest reward of studying in this place is the supervision of mentors from the top Polish companies. In addition, the institution offers Bachelor in Management, whose tuition fee is around 1,823.82 EURO per semester. It is taught in English and can be completed in 3 years.

Founded year: The Gdansk University of Technology was established in 1904.

Website URL: https://unifyapply.com/explore/schools/83--faculty-of-management-and-economics-gdansk-univers

Address: The Gdansk University of Technology is located in Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk Wrzeszcz, Gdańsk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland.

#7: University of Applied Sciences, Munich, Germany

University of Applied Sciences, Munich, Germany 

The Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM) is one of the largest and most affordable business schools in Europe. The university is known for its amalgamation of seven colleges of technology and offers fantastic career opportunities to its students. It also collaborates with 200 partner universities in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Did you know that international students comprise around 13% of the total student body here?

If you are looking for a challenging career in international business, this university offers the best courses, like Bachelor in International Management and MBA General Management program. Both are prestigious offerings which rank globally and aim to place all their students in the finest companies worldwide. Students can get scholarships to reduce their semester fees by 50 percent, depending on multiple factors. Around €4,000 scholarship is available for MBA aspirants.

German global companies like Allianz and Siemens, BMW, and tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Intel, and IBM, are ready to give golden opportunities to the students pursuing their higher studies in business administration from this university. So, along with its mesmerising location, this place also offers you affordable, world-class education to fulfil your dreams of pursuing a higher career in business.

Founded year: The Munich University of Applied Sciences was established in 1971.

Address: The Munich University of Applied Sciences is located in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The contact information is Elsenheimerstraße 61, 80687 Munich, Germany.

#8: Zagreb School of Economics and Management

Zagreb School of Economics and Management

The Zagreb School of Economics and Management has been voted the best business school for five consecutive years in Croatia. It offers diverse career opportunities to business studies aspirants while offering various degree courses and financial aid to help students fulfil their career aspirations.

The business school was voted the best in Croatia consecutively in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Under Eduniversal's ranking system of B-schools, this institution holds four palms of excellence, making it one of the top business schools with significant international influence. It was also declared the 3rd best B-school in Eastern Europe at the Eduniversal World Convention held in Dubai in 2017.

It offers undergraduate degrees in Management and Economics, with specialisations available in Accounting, Management, Economics, Finance, Marketing, etc. It also maintains graduate programs, including MBAs in Marketing, Management, and Human Resource Management, along with Master of Arts in Economics program. Some of the programs include Business Mathematics and Economics, MBA in Accounting, Auditing, Taxes concentration; MBA in Finance and Banking concentration; MBA in Human Resource Management concentration; MBA in Management concentration, MBA in Marketing concentration, MBA in Supply Chain Management concentration; MBA in Tourism, Hospitality, and Events concentration, Global Executive MBA, Executive MBA, etc.

The graduate MBA program tuition fee typically is around 10.400 Euro. In addition, the executive MBA students need to pay an additional fee of 2.000,00 Euro while the global executive MBA charges around 7.600,00 Euro. However, additional charges are levied for the tailored executive of the exchange program for Italy, Luxembourg, and Singapore.

Founded year: Zagreb School of Economics and Management was established in 2002.

Website URL: https://unifyapply.com/explore/schools/251--zagreb-school-of-economics-and-management

Address: Ulica Filipa Vukasovića 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, VAT ID: HR96760515998 is the contact address for the Zagreb School of Economics and Management.

#9: University of Göttingen

University of Göttingen

The University of Göttingen is also officially known as the Georg August University of Göttingen. It is a public research university which is located in the city of Göttingen, Germany. George II, the King of Great Britain, founded 1734 the oldest university in Lower Saxony.

It has some notable alumni globally and represents Germany's history and traditions. Did you know around 44 Nobel Prize winners had been affiliated with the university alumni in 2002? It has one of the largest libraries in this country. Here is a glimpse of its global ranking for reference:

  • ARWU World: 101–150 (2021)
  • CWUR World: 89 (2022-23)
  • QS World: 215 (2023)
  • THE World: 119 (2022)
  • USNWR Global: 149 (2022)

The university offers a wide range of courses and facilities to help students fulfil their aspirations and grab the best opportunities for a successful career. Some of the courses offered are Master of Business Administration, Business Education and Human Resource Development, Development Economics, European and Transnational Law of Intellectual Property and Information Technology, Finance, Accounting and Taxes, Global Business, History of Global Markets, International Economics, Marketing and E-Business, and more. On average, the cost of studying here for international students is around 644.05 Euros per year. However, the charges fluctuate depending on the course type and duration.

Founded year: University of Göttingen was established in 1734.

Address: University of Göttingen is located in Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany

#10: HEC Paris

HEC Paris

HEC Paris is a reputed business school and is also one of the most prestigious institutions offering MBA and EMBA programs, Master in Management, specialised MSc's, MSc International Finance, PhD's, and executive education. It is the founding member of CEMS - Global Alliance in Management Education and is also known for holding triple accreditation from AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS. The international ranking of this institution for reference:

  • FT – European Business Schools: 2nd [2018], 1st [2019], 1st [2020], 1st [2021], 1st [2022]
  • QS (by Subject) – Business & Management Studies: 12th [2018], 11th [2019], 9th [2020], 9th [2021]
  • QS (by Subject) – Accounting and Finance:36th [2018], 17th [2019], 19th [2020], 20th [2021]

Here, the higher education courses are organised into three levels, facilitating international mobility. It is divided into Licence/Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees. HEC Paris doesn't offer any bachelor's degrees but Master's in Management and Doctorate degrees. It also provides MSc in International Finance, MSc Consulting, and Coaching for Change (with Oxford University), MSc Innovation and Entrepreneurship (delivered, in part, via Coursera), MSc International Finance, MS/LL.M International Law and Management, MSc Managerial and Financial Economics, MSc/MS Marketing, MSc/MS Media Art and Creation, MSc Strategic Management, MSc Sustainability, and Social Innovation, MSc X-HEC Data Science for Business (with École Polytechnique), MSc X-HEC Entrepreneurs, Executive MBA, TRIUM Global Executive MBA and more.

The tuition fee is around €87,000, while the accommodation cost is € 898.95 for a one-bedroom apartment and € 649.35 for an individual room. The estimated expenses in 16 months are approximately € 24,825. However, ample opportunities are available here for funding and scholarships, which can reduce the costs to a greater extent.

Founded year: HEC Paris was established in 1881.

Website URL: https://unifyapply.com/explore/schools/97--hec-paris

Address: HEC Paris is located in Paris (Jouy-en-Josas), France; Doha, Qatar.

Conclusion

These are the best budget-friendly business schools in Europe that offer you the perfect combination of affordable and quality education. But, of course, the best part about pursuing your higher studies in European universities is that you can travel and explore new places while grabbing the best job opportunities from tech giants worldwide.