Audencia
Audencia is a private French business school (founded 1900, Nantes) delivering management and communication education to 8,000+ students across 11 campuses in France, China, Brazil, Spain and Australia, with Triple Crown accreditation and a 49,000+ alumni network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1900
- HeadquartersNantes, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Audencia does
Audencia is a private French higher education institution (Ecole Sup\u00e9rieure de Commerce) founded in 1900 and headquartered in Nantes, delivering management and communication training across undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels. Its portfolio spans the flagship Programme Grande Ecole (Master in Management), Bachelor in Management and Global BBA, Masters of Science and Mast\u00e8res Sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9s, an MBA/DBA track, and the SciencesCom communication school, supplemented by the GAIA school of ecological and social transitions. The institution serves roughly 8,000+ students (including 1,500+ apprentices) across 11 campuses in France (Nantes, Paris, La Roche-sur-Yon), China (Shenzhen, Chengdu, Shanghai), Brazil (S\u00e3o Paulo), Spain (Barcelona), and Australia (Sydney), supported by 180 permanent faculty (60% international), 280+ university partnerships, and a 49,000+ alumni network.
Revenue is generated primarily through annual tuition fees (\u20ac10,250 per year plus \u20ac1,500 service fees at the Bachelor level, with higher-priced MSc, Mast\u00e8re and Executive Education tiers), corporate apprenticeship contracts, executive education programs (MBA, DBA, Executive Certificates), and corporate training partnerships. Distribution runs through direct on-campus enrolment, the French Parcoursup national platform for post-bac recruitment, dedicated admissions teams for international and apprenticeship cohorts, the Jobteaser platform for graduate placement, and corporate engagement through 900+ enterprise partners. Technology infrastructure is conventional for the sector: digital learning platforms, Bloomberg terminal access for finance students, and the Knowledge Hub digital research library; there is no proprietary AI/ML product stack documented in the source material.
Audencia is governed as a not-for-profit entity under the brand 'Audencia Business School,' with wholly-owned operating subsidiaries SciencesCom (communication), GAIA (ecological transitions), and Fondation Audencia (philanthropy). It holds Triple Crown accreditation (EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA), with EQUIS renewed in 2025 for the maximum 5-year term and the Bachelor in Management's grade de licence renewed in 2021 for the maximum 5 years. The school is ranked 25th globally for Master in Management (Financial Times 2025), 6th in France (l'Express-NextEdu 2026), and 7th in SIGEM 2025, and reports a 90% employment rate within six months of graduation.
Audencia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Audencia
- Legal name
- AUDENCIA
- Website
- https://audencia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1900
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Audencia is a private French business school (founded 1900, Nantes) delivering management and communication education to 8,000+ students across 11 campuses in France, China, Brazil, Spain and Australia, with Triple Crown accreditation and a 49,000+ alumni network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Audencia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education - Business School
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- University-Led Summer/Winter Schools (Credit/Non-Credit) (EDAIAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Real Estate, Appraisal & Mortgage (Agent/Broker CE, Appraiser CE) (EDAAALAI)
Keywords
Where Audencia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nantes
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Audencia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tuition Fees - Degree Programs: Annual tuition fees charged to students for Bachelor, Grande Ecole, MSc, Mastère Spécialisé, and other degree programs. Additional service fees apply. Scholarships and financial aid available including CROUS social scholarships, merit-based admission scholarships, and mobility grants.
- Executive Education: Continuing education programs for professionals, cadres and executives including Executive Certificates, Executive Programs, MBA, and DBA. Revenue from professional development and corporate training services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Bachelor in Management annual tuition |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Audencia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Audencia is a French business school offering management and communication education across degree levels (Bachelor, Programme Grande Ecole, MSc, Mastère Spécialisé) plus executive education (MBA, DBA, Executive Certificates & Programs). It operates through 11 campuses in France, China, Brazil, Spain, and Australia, with specialized sub-schools SciencesCom (communication) and GAIA (ecological transitions). Revenue is generated through student tuition fees and corporate executive education services.
Product overview
Audencia is a business school offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs from undergraduate to doctoral level. The portfolio includes the Programme Grande Ecole (Master in Management), multiple Bachelor programs (Bachelor in Management, Global BBA, Bachelor in Design and Communication Management, Double degree in Public Policy), specialized Masters (Mastères Spécialisés® and MSc programs), executive education (MBA, DBA, Executive Certificates and Programs), and specialized communication programs through SciencesCom. GAIA serves as a dedicated school for ecological and social transitions. The school operates across 11 campuses in France, China, Brazil, Spain, and Australia, with triple accreditation (EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SciencesCom: School of Communication and Media offering bachelor and master programs in communication
- GAIA
Products and services
- Programme Grande Ecole Flagship Master in Management program offering general management education, accessible after preparatory classes or bac+3, leading to a Master grade.
- Bachelor in Management A 3-year post-baccalaureate bachelor program in management, visaed by the Ministry with licence grade, offering specializations in international development, commercial development, marketing, finance, communication, and entrepreneurship. Annual tuition: €10,250 plus €1,500 service fees.
- Global BBA A Bachelor of Business Administration program providing generalist management education with international focus.
- Bachelor Management de projet en Design et Communication A bachelor program combining project management, design, and communication skills.
- Double diplôme Politiques publiques et Management des organisations A 5-year double degree program combining public policy and organizational management, offered in partnership.
- Mastères Spécialisés® Specialized Master programs at bac+5 to bac+6 level offering intensive specialization in current business topics.
- Masters of Science (MSc) Post-bac+3 Master of Science programs with international focus and specialized curricula across various business domains.
- MBA - Master of Business Administration Executive MBA program for experienced professionals seeking advanced management education.
- DBA - Doctorate in Business Administration Doctoral program in business administration for advanced scholarly research.
- Executive Certificates & Courses Short-term professional development programs for executives and managers seeking targeted skill development.
- Executive Programs Diploma-granting executive education programs for cadres, employees, and executives.
- SciencesCom - Bachelor en Communication Communication bachelor program at the SciencesCom school, part of Audencia, preparing students for media and communication careers.
- SciencesCom - Grade de Master Communication et Médias Master-level communication and media program at SciencesCom, recently awarded the 'grade de master' recognition.
- GAIA - L'école des transitions écologiques et sociales A dedicated school within Audencia focusing on ecological and social transition education and research, integrated across programs.
Companies that use Audencia
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Audencia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Audencia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Centrale NantescoreAlliance between Audencia, Centrale Nantes, and ENSA for collaborative academic programs and research initiatives
- ENSAcoreAlliance between Audencia, Centrale Nantes, and ENSA for collaborative academic programs and research initiatives
- Linköping UniversityminorInternational university partner for double degree programs - Sweden
- Nagoya University of Commerce and BusinessminorInternational university partner for double degree programs - Japan
- University of LimerickminorInternational university partner for double degree programs - Ireland
- Université internationale de RabatminorInternational university partner for double degree programs - Morocco
- CUNEF UniversidadminorInternational university partner for double degree programs - Spain
- Groupe Supdeco DakarminorInternational university partner for double degree programs - Senegal
- BRIO ProgramminorEducational equality program partnership with BRIO-Nantes network supporting diverse student access
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Audencia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ESSEC Business School: French Grande Ecole founded 1907 with Triple Crown accreditation, offering Grande Ecole Programme, BBA, MSc, MBA, and executive education across campuses in France (Cergy, La Défense, Singapore, Morocco, Switzerland). Directly comparable in program mix, accreditation stack, and ranking tier to Audencia.
- EDHEC Business School: French Grande Ecole with Triple Crown accreditation, headquartered in Lille with campuses in Nice, Paris, London, and Singapore. Comparable to Audencia in program portfolio (Grande Ecole, BBA, MSc, MBA), accreditation, and mid-tier French rankings (5th-7th in domestic rankings).
- EM Lyon Business School: French Grande Ecole with Triple Crown accreditation, operating across Lyon, Paris, Saint-Étienne, and Shanghai. Direct competitor to Audencia with similar Grande Ecole, BBA, MSc, and Executive Education offerings and equivalent rankings tier (consistently top 5-7 in France).
- NEOMA Business School: French Grande Ecole formed from the merger of Reims Management School and Rouen Business School, with Triple Crown accreditation and campuses in Reims, Rouen, and Paris. Comparable program portfolio and rankings tier to Audencia, with similar apprenticeship and international mobility offerings.
- KEDGE Business School: French Grande Ecole with Triple Crown accreditation, headquartered in Bordeaux/Marseille with international campuses. Comparable to Audencia in Grande Ecole, BBA, MSc, and Executive Education programs and serves a similar mid-tier French rankings segment.
- TBS Education: Formerly Toulouse Business School, French Grande Ecole with Triple Crown accreditation, campuses in Toulouse, Paris, Barcelona, Casablanca, and London. Closely comparable to Audencia across program portfolio, ranking tier, and target student segments.
- IESEG School of Management: French Grande Ecole with Triple Crown accreditation, operating from Lille and Paris (La Défense). Direct competitor to Audencia in Grande Ecole Programme, Bachelor, MSc, and Executive Education with comparable mid-tier French rankings.
- Grenoble Ecole de Management: French Grande Ecole with Triple Crown accreditation, headquartered in Grenoble with campuses in Paris and international locations. Comparable to Audencia in Grande Ecole, BBA, MSc, and Executive Education, with similar technology and innovation positioning.
Broad incumbents
- HEC Paris: Top-tier French Grande Ecole, consistently ranked #1 in France and top 5 globally for MiM/MBA. Operates a broader portfolio at significantly higher scale than Audencia, but shares the same regulatory and competitive context. Provides the aspirational benchmark for mid-tier peers like Audencia.
- INSEAD: Global business school with campuses in France (Fontainebleau), Singapore, and Abu Dhabi. Operates at materially larger scale than Audencia with globally dominant MBA and Executive Education brands; competes with Audencia primarily in the executive and corporate training segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Audencia social profiles
Digital presenceAudencia compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Audencia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Audencia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Audencia subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Audencia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Audencia M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Audencia
What does Audencia do?
Audencia is a French business school offering management and communication education across degree levels (Bachelor, Programme Grande Ecole, MSc, Mastère Spécialisé) plus executive education (MBA, DBA, Executive Certificates & Programs). It operates through 11 campuses in France, China, Brazil, Spain, and Australia, with specialized sub-schools SciencesCom (communication) and GAIA (ecological transitions). Revenue is generated through student tuition fees and corporate executive education services.
Is Audencia a public or private company?
Audencia is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Audencia founded?
Audencia was founded in 1900. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Audencia based?
Audencia is headquartered in Nantes, France, in the Europe region.
How does Audencia make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Tuition Fees - Degree Programs are the primary driver. The others are executive Education.
Who are Audencia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ESSEC Business School, EDHEC Business School, EM Lyon Business School, NEOMA Business School, KEDGE Business School, TBS Education, IESEG School of Management and Grenoble Ecole de Management. Broad incumbents are HEC Paris and INSEAD.
Does Audencia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Audencia.
What industry is Audencia in?
Audencia's product category is Higher Education - Business School. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAIAA, University-Led Summer/Winter Schools (Credit/Non-Credit), with a secondary code of EDAAALAI, Real Estate, Appraisal & Mortgage (Agent/Broker CE, Appraiser CE). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.