ISBA Freiburg

What ISBA Freiburg does

ISBA Freiburg is a private dual higher education institution (Berufsakademie) located in Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, founded in 2009 and operating under the legal entity ISBA gGmbH – Internationale Studien- und Berufsakademie, registered in Saarbrücken. The institution delivers a single core degree program, the state-recognized Bachelor of Arts in International Business Management, structured as a 3-year (6-semester, 180 ECTS) dual study with a 3-month alternating theory-practice model. Students choose one of six specialization tracks (Event- und Gastronomiemanagement, Hotelmanagement, Immobilienwirtschaft, Marketing, Sportmanagement, Logistikmanagement) and complete practical phases at partner companies. A separate ausbildungsintegriertes Studium in Physiotherapie (B.Sc.) is offered in cooperation with ANGELL Akademie.

The underlying technology stack is a conventional educational platform: standard learning management systems, seminar rooms equipped with presentation technology, computer rooms, and a networked library — no proprietary technology, AI capabilities, or differentiated digital infrastructure is disclosed. Accreditation is held from ACQUIN (2009, initial) and AHPGS (2015, re-accreditation), with state recognition under the Saarländisches Berufsakademiegesetz via the Staatskanzlei des Saarlandes.

The business model is tuition-driven: €625 per month per student (typically paid by partner companies sponsoring the dual arrangement), a one-time €250 registration fee, and a pass-through €206 annual Studierendenwerk fee. The institution serves two distinct customer segments — prospective students (German Abiturienten/Fachhochschulreife holders aged 18–25) and partner companies seeking trained junior talent — and acquires students through a sales-led, event-driven GTM combining online applications, on-campus and online info sessions, social media, and a referral program. With ~300 students and 55 employees, ISBA Freiburg operates as a small, steady-state private education provider anchored by its partner-company network and regulatory accreditation.

Name

ISBA Freiburg

Legal name

ISBA gGmbH – Internationale Studien- und Berufsakademie Studienort Freiburg

Website

https://isba-freiburg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ISBA Freiburg is a private dual university in Freiburg, Germany, offering a state-recognized B.A. in International Business Management across six specialization tracks via a 3-month theory-practice alternating model, serving approximately 300 students annually through partner companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Higher Education Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Private higher education
• Dual study programs
• Business administration degree
• Vocational academy programs
• Professional bachelor programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Freiburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Monthly tuition fees of €625 are charged to students. These fees are typically covered by partner companies as part of the dual study arrangement, or paid directly by students if no company sponsorship is arranged.
2. Registration Fee: One-time registration fee of €250 charged upon admission.
3. Studierendenwerk Fee: Annual fee of €206 for student services, mandatory for all students in Freiburg.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ISBA Freiburg is a private, state-recognized Berufsakademie offering dual study programs that combine academic instruction at its Freiburg campus with practical workplace training at partner companies. It delivers bachelor-level programs, notably International Business Management (B.A.) with six specializations, and a Physiotherapie (B.Sc.) offered in cooperation with ANGELL Akademie. The institution serves approximately 300 enrolled students through a vocational/academic pathway leading to recognized degrees.

Product overview

ISBA Freiburg operates as a private dual university (Berufsakademie) offering a single, unified core program: the state-recognized International Business Management (B.A.) degree. This program spans 3 years (6 semesters, 180 ECTS) using a 3-month alternating model between theory at the Freiburg campus and practical training at partner companies. Students choose one of six specialization tracks — Event- und Gastronomiemanagement, Hotelmanagement, Immobilienwirtschaft, Marketing, Sportmanagement, or Logistikmanagement — each representing a distinct study focus area within the same degree. A separate ausbildungsintegriertes Studium (combined training and degree) for Physiotherapie B.Sc. is offered in cooperation with the ANGELL Akademie. The institution also provides supplementary services including info events, counseling, student administration, and campus facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Business Management (B.A.)
• Physiotherapie (B.Sc.)

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of dual study graduates are hired by their partner companies or other companies immediately after graduation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Roche (Basel Headquarters)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2025Corporate Real Estate Management company visited by Real Estate students for field trip. Gained insights into strategic aspects of corporate real estate management and AI applications in project development.
• Kieser Training FreiburgcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner company providing practical training placements for dual study students in the Sport Management specialization. Jointly recruits students for the International Business Management B.A. program.
• Püstell LogisticscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner company for Logistics Management specialization of the dual study program. Provides practical training placements for students.
• Mount7comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner company for Sport Management specialization. Offers practical training opportunities for dual study students.
• ANGELL AkademiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for integrated Physiotherapy study program (ausbildungsintegriertes Studium). Students apply simultaneously for the physiotherapy training and integrated degree program.
• Studierendenwerk FreiburgminorOthersStudent services organization providing cafeteria, housing assistance, and other student support services. ISBA students can access all Studierendenwerk services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• International School of Management (ISM): Private German university with multiple locations offering English-taught business bachelor's and master's. ISM's international orientation and broader program portfolio overlap with ISBA's positioning on international business management.
• Hochschule Fresenius: Private German university group with business, health, and design programs including dual/cooperative bachelor tracks. Competes with ISBA for the same Abiturient pool in Baden-Württemberg, with broader program portfolio and multiple locations.
• IU Internationale Hochschule: Germany's largest private university, offering business management bachelor's (including dual variants) at massive scale with strong online and remote delivery. While not a pure dual-study specialist, IU overlaps ISBA's business bachelor target market and outscales it on geography and digital infrastructure.
• SRH Hochschule Heidelberg: Private, state-recognized university in the Upper Rhine region offering business, engineering, and social work programs. Geographic proximity and overlapping business bachelor offerings make it a direct regional competitor for ISBA Freiburg's applicants.

Direct peers

• Hochschule der Wirtschaft für Management (HdWM): Private management university offering dual and part-time bachelor's programs with a strong practice-partner concept. Closely comparable to ISBA in scale (~few hundred students per cohort) and dual-study positioning.
• FOM Hochschule: Germany's largest private university with a strong focus on dual and part-time business bachelor's and master's programs, including locations in the Southwest. FOM competes directly with ISBA Freiburg for working students seeking accredited business degrees with employer integration.
• FHDW (Fachhochschule der Wirtschaft): Private dual-focused business university with practice-integrated bachelor's programs in cooperation with regional companies — closely comparable to ISBA's model, though operating in different German regions with different partner networks.
• FHM (Fachhochschule des Mittelstands): Private German university specializing in dual and part-time business programs targeted at working professionals and SME employers — directly comparable in dual-study positioning to ISBA Freiburg.
• Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW): The largest state dual university in Germany, offering three-year dual bachelor's programs that alternate theory and practice phases at partner companies — the same core model as ISBA Freiburg. DHBW competes for the same Abiturient applicants and regional employer partners across Baden-Württemberg.

Emerging players

• ANGELL Akademie: Cooperation partner that runs the vocational physiotherapy training integrated with ISBA's Physiotherapy B.Sc. program. Although a partner rather than competitor, ANGELL operates in the same Freiburg private-education ecosystem and adjacent health-professions training market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/isbafreiburg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/isba-freiburg

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 ISBA Freiburg