Excelia Business School

What Excelia Business School does

Excelia Business School is the management school of Excelia Group, a private French higher education institution founded in 1988 (formerly ESC La Rochelle) and structured as an association under the 1901 French Association Law. Excelia Group operates four schools — Excelia Business School, Excelia Hotel & Tourism School, Excelia Communication School, and Excelia International Institute — across four campuses in La Rochelle, Paris-Cachan, Tours, and Orléans. The institution serves prospective undergraduate and postgraduate students, international exchange students, and corporate employers, delivering a portfolio of more than 30 programmes spanning bachelor, master, MSc, MBA, doctoral, executive education, language, and short programme formats in business, hospitality, tourism, communication, and languages.

Excelia's core technology stack comprises web-based learning management systems, digital accessibility infrastructure, and student-facing platforms including XL Connect, WEBGAIA, and Get Ready for Excelia. The platform is complemented by digital learning innovation for faculty-developed simulations such as the 2026-launched Blue Market Challenge. The school is triple-crown accredited (AACSB since 2013, EQUIS since 2020, AMBA since 2020) and holds a dense cluster of French state credentials (VISA, Grade de Licence, Grade de Master, EESPIG, Bienvenue en France, FLE Qualité, SD&RS), making it one of fewer than 140 French management schools to hold the Bienvenue en France label. It ranked #33 globally in the Financial Times Master in Management ranking and #54 overall in the FT Business Schools ranking in 2023.

The business model is tuition-driven (B2C), organised across three revenue streams: degree programme tuition for BBA, Master in Management, MSc, MBA, bachelor and doctoral programmes charged annually; continuing and professional development via the Executive Education Centre; and shorter-format summer and winter school programmes priced as one-time fees. Tuition is not publicly disclosed, requiring direct admissions inquiry, and varies by programme level, format, and residency status. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through an online application portal, regional international offices, dedicated corporate relations for graduate recruitment, and exchange pipelines from 200+ partner universities via Erasmus+ and bilateral agreements. The institution is governed as a not-for-profit, co-founded by the La Rochelle Chamber of Commerce and Industry, La Rochelle Conurbation, the Conseil Général of Charente-Maritime, and the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council.

Name

Excelia Business School

Legal name

EXCELIA Group

Website

https://excelia-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Excelia Business School is a triple-crown-accredited (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) French grande école operating as the management arm of Excelia Group, delivering undergraduate to doctoral business programmes across campuses in La Rochelle, Paris-Cachan, Tours, and Orléans to domestic and international students, and serving corporate recruiters via dedicated employer engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Business School

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN), Marketing, Sales & Brand Management Schools (EDAHAHAE), Consortia & Network Exchange Programs (EDAIABAF)

Keywords

• Business school education
• Management degree programmes
• Hospitality tourism school
• Communication degree programmes
• Executive professional education

Headquarters

HQ city

La Rochelle

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Degree Programme Tuition: Revenue from undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes including BBA, Master in Management, MSc, and MBA programmes. Tuition fees charged per academic year with variation based on programme level and format.
2. Professional Development: Continuing education and professional development courses for working professionals seeking skill enhancement or career transition.
3. Summer and Winter School Programmes: Short-term intensive programmes for international students seeking academic credit or professional certificates during vacation periods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Excelia Business School is a French triple-accredited higher education institution offering degree programmes (Bachelor in Business, BBA International, Master in Management Grande École, MSc specialisations, and Doctorate in Business Administration), executive education, language programmes, and short Summer/Winter schools. Programmes are delivered across four campuses in La Rochelle, Paris-Cachan, Tours, and Orléans, with work-study and international exchange options through 200+ partner universities. The broader Excelia Group also encompasses the Excelia Hotel & Tourism School and the Excelia Communication School.

Product overview

Excelia Business School is a group of dynamic, responsible and international schools offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programmes. The school operates as a multi-brand institution comprising Excelia Business School (management programmes), Excelia Hotel & Tourism School (hospitality and tourism programmes), and Excelia Communication School (digital communication programmes). The programme portfolio spans undergraduate to doctoral levels across Business & Management, Tourism, Communication, and Languages and Cultures disciplines. The school offers over 30 outstanding study programmes including Bachelor degrees (Bachelor in Business, BBA International, Bachelor in Hospitality tracks), Master programmes (Master in Management Grande École, MSc specializations), doctoral programmes, executive education, and short programmes including Summer/Winter schools. The institution is triple-accredited (EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA) and ranks among the best business schools globally according to the Financial Times.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master in Management (Programme Grande École) A 5-year postgraduate qualification in high-level management offered in La Rochelle, Tours, and Paris-Cachan campuses. The last 3 years constitute the core Master in Management programme, designed for high school graduates seeking the French Grande École pathway.
• Bachelor in Business A 3-year undergraduate qualification in general business management and administration offered across La Rochelle, Tours, Paris-Cachan, and Orléans campuses, with specialisations in Digital Marketing, Sales Management, Banking & Insurance, International Business, Entrepreneurship, and Management tracks.
• BBA International A 4-year undergraduate qualification in international management offered in La Rochelle (Year 2 and Year 4) and Paris (Year 2 and Year 3), designed for students seeking a strongly internationalised bachelor's pathway.
• Master of Science (MSc) MSc programmes offering specializations in Marketing, Management, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Purchasing & Supply Chain, Digital Marketing, Sustainable Finance, International Corporate Finance, Sustainable Global Supply Chain Management, and Sustainable Luxury & Brand Management.
• Doctorate in Business Administration Doctoral programme offered by Excelia Business School for advanced business research, designed for candidates pursuing academic or high-level practitioner research at the doctorate level.
• Bachelor in Hospitality - Hotel Management Track A 3-year undergraduate qualification in hospitality and hotel management offered by the Excelia Hotel & Tourism School.
• Bachelor in Hospitality - Tourism Management Track A 3-year undergraduate qualification in tourism management offered by the Excelia Hotel & Tourism School in La Rochelle and Tours campuses.
• MSc in International Hospitality Master of Science in International Hospitality Management offered by the Excelia Hotel & Tourism School.
• MSc in International Event Master of Science in International Event Management offered by the Excelia Hotel & Tourism School.
• MSc in Tourism Products and Project Development Master of Science in Tourism Products and Project Development offered by the Excelia Hotel & Tourism School.
• Bachelor in Digital Communication & Strategy A 3-year undergraduate qualification in digital communication and strategy offered by the Excelia Communication School.
• MSc in Digital Communication & Visual Design Master of Science in Digital Communication and Visual Design offered by the Excelia Communication School.
• MSc in Digital Communication, Influence Marketing & New Realities Master of Science in Digital Communication, Influence Marketing and New Realities offered by the Excelia Communication School in Tours and La Rochelle.
• MSc in Digital Communication & Audiovisual Production Master of Science in Digital Communication and Audiovisual Production offered by the Excelia Communication School.
• MSc in Digital Communication & Event Strategy Master of Science in Digital Communication and Event Strategy offered by the Excelia Communication School in Orléans.
• International Foundation Programme Foundation programme for international students to prepare for higher education studies at Excelia.
• French Intensive Programme Intensive French language programme for international students delivered by the IEF French Language Institute within Excelia.
• English Intensive Programme Intensive English language programme offered by Excelia's International Institute.
• Summer & Winter School Short study programmes offered during summer and winter breaks, including Corporate Social Responsibility & Event Management, Fashion Design & Luxury Industry Management, French Language Culture & Gastronomy, User Experience & Web-Design, and Family Business & Entrepreneurship, for international students seeking academic credit or professional certificates.
• Excelia Business School Executive Education Centre Executive education programmes for working professionals offered by Excelia Business School for skill enhancement and career transition.
• Blue Market Challenge (immersive learning simulation) An immersive learning experience simulation for Year 3 Bachelor in Business students at Excelia Business School. Students take on the role of consultants analysing regional markets across Brittany, Occitania, and Île-de-France to identify weak signals, assess risks, and make trade-offs under uncertainty, with a focus on water management issues to train students to identify risks before a crisis arises. Designed by faculty member Ludivine Destoumieux with support from Excelia's Digital Learning & Innovation team.

Quantifiable outcome

• Financial Times #33 ranking for Master in Management (2023)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered founding and core.

• La Rochelle Chamber of Commerce and IndustryfoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding co-originator of Excelia Business School alongside other regional public entities, establishing the institution's roots in the local business community and providing ongoing institutional support and industry connections.
• La Rochelle ConurbationfoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding co-originator representing the metropolitan area of La Rochelle, contributing to the establishment and regional development of the business school.
• Conseil Général of Charente-MaritimefoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental council that co-founded Excelia as a public-private initiative, providing regional government support and institutional backing for the business school's mission.
• Poitou-Charentes Regional CouncilfoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council that co-founded Excelia, contributing regional development funding and policy support for the establishment of higher education in the Poitou-Charentes region.
• Erasmus+ Partner UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean exchange programme partnerships enabling student mobility within the Erasmus+ framework, allowing exchange students to study at Excelia for one or two semesters and earn academic credits toward their home degree programmes.
• International Partner Universities (200+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of over 200 universities worldwide offering bilateral exchange agreements, double degree programmes, and collaborative academic initiatives for international student exchanges and faculty mobility.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TBS Education (Toulouse Business School): Triple-accredited French business school with campuses in Toulouse, Paris, Barcelona, Casablanca, and London. Direct peer on accreditation, programme mix (BBA, MSc, MBA, DBA), and FT ranking tier.
• ESSCA School of Management: AACSB and EQUIS-accredited French business school (pursuing AMBA) with campuses in Angers, Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, and Budapest. Comparable size and programme portfolio, particularly on undergraduate BBA and Master in Management offerings.
• ICN Business School: Triple-accredited French business school (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) based in Nancy with Paris and Berlin campuses. Comparable scale, programme mix, and mid-tier positioning in the French business school market.
• NEOMA Business School: French triple-accredited (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) business school with campuses in Reims and Rouen, offering BBA, Master in Management, MSc, and MBA programmes. Most directly comparable to Excelia on size, accreditation profile, programme mix, and FT ranking tier (#30s-#40s in MiM).
• EM Normandie: Triple-accredited French business school with campuses in Caen, Le Havre, Paris, Dublin, Oxford, and Cork. Very comparable to Excelia in size, programme portfolio, regional footprint, and mid-tier French positioning.
• SKEMA Business School: Triple-accredited French business school with multi-continent campuses (France, China, US, Brazil, South Africa, UAE, India). Direct peer on programme portfolio and accreditation; differs in having larger international footprint and higher FT rankings (#3 MiM in 2023).
• Grenoble Ecole de Management: Triple-accredited French business school (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) with strong technology management focus and Paris/Singapore/Berlin/Morocco campuses. Comparable on size, accreditation, and BBA/MSc programme mix.
• IESEG School of Management: Triple-accredited French business school (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) based in Lille and Paris, part of Université Catholique de Lille. Comparable size and programme mix, especially BBA, Master in Management, and MSc specializations.
• KEDGE Business School: Triple-accredited French business school formed from the merger of Euromed and Bordeaux Management School, with campuses in Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Toulon, and Suzhou (China). Comparable scale, similar programme portfolio, and competing in the same FT ranking tier.

Broad incumbents

• EDHEC Business School: Triple-accredited French business school headquartered in Lille/Nice with global campuses. Larger and higher-ranked than Excelia (#7 FT MiM 2023), operating as a broader incumbent in the same French management education market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ExceliaGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/ExceliaGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/excelia-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/exceliagroup
• TikToktiktok.com/@exceliagroup
• Xx.com/ExceliaGroup

Compliance16 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Excelia Business School