L'Etudiant has published its 2026 ranking of business schools with direct entry after high school. Out of 15 institutions listed, EM Strasbourg takes 3rd place, just two years after launching its undergraduate-entry Grande École Program.
A remarkable rise
In the article accompanying the ranking, L’Étudiant highlights EM Strasbourg’s “remarkable” rise. In just two years, the School has gone from 0 to 100 students recruited directly after high school, reaching 98% capacity.
Strong foundations
For the academic profile of admitted students, L’Étudiant places EM Strasbourg 2nd in the ranking. The only university-based school in the ranking and triple accredited, it also received the highest possible score, 5/5, for social openness, and ranks among the best schools for student support.
Post-high school or after preparatory classes: What is the difference?
Whether students join EM Strasbourg’s Grande École Program directly after high school or after two years of preparatory classes, the degree awarded is the same: a Master’s-level qualification. Preparatory classes allow students to strengthen their academic foundations — general knowledge, mathematics and languages — while taking time to refine their study plans before entering business school. The post-high school program, meanwhile, offers earlier immersion in the professional world, through internships, international experience, and early exposure to a multicultural environment.
"There is no hierarchy between these two pathways. It is a choice that depends on each student’s working methods, interests and study plans", underlines Charlotte Massa, Director of Programs at EM Strasbourg.
Growing international recognition
This 3rd place is part of a broader momentum. The Grande École Program recently entered the Financial Times global top 50, confirming that EM Strasbourg’s trajectory is now being recognized well beyond France’s borders.