Skema Business School

What Skema Business School does

SKEMA Business School is a French grande école de commerce operating as a private non-profit institution under Association Loi 1901 status, headquartered in Lille, France. Founded in 2013 through the merger of CERAM Business School and ESC Lille, SKEMA delivers higher-education programs across 10 global campuses in 7 countries (France, China, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates), enrolling approximately 11,000 students from 130 nationalities and supported by a 63,000-strong alumni network.

The school's product portfolio spans the flagship Programme Grande Ecole (Master in Management), Masters of Science, Mastère Spécialisé, the four-year Global BBA, the Global Executive MBA, and Executive Education, complemented by four specialized sub-branded schools launched in 2022: AI School for Business, Design School for Business, Law School for Business, and School of Geopolitics for Business. SKEMA holds triple-crown accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS, EFMD) held by less than 1% of business schools globally, along with French EESPIG recognition. Research is organized through dedicated centers, including the SKEMA Centre for Artificial Intelligence and the SKEMA Centre for Global Risks, with strategic academic partnerships spanning Sorbonne Université, Stellenbosch University, Ifri, and others.

SKEMA generates revenue primarily through degree-program tuition (undergraduate, graduate, doctoral), Executive Education programs including the Global Executive MBA and BADGE® certifications, summer schools, and research/consulting via the SKEMA Publika think tank. Go-to-market combines direct campus admissions, online application portals, international recruitment partners, and academic-partner recruitment through double-degree structures. Specific tuition figures are not publicly disclosed; pricing varies by program, campus, and student nationality. The institution is led by a Board of Directors chaired by Jean-Philippe Courtois (SKEMA 1983 alumnus), with Patrice Houdayer as Vice President responsible for Programs, International, and Student Life.

Name

Skema Business School

Legal name

SKEMA Business School

Website

https://skema-bs.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SKEMA Business School is a French grande école operating 10 global campuses across 7 countries, delivering degree programs (BBA, MSc, Grande Ecole), executive education, and four specialized schools (AI, Design, Law, Geopolitics) to 11,000 students from 130 nationalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Business School

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Business & Global Management Schools (EDAHAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA), Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN), Marketing, Sales & Brand Management Schools (EDAHAHAE), Professional & Executive Short Courses (Non-Degree, International) (EDAIAIAH)

Keywords

• Business school education
• Graduate management programs
• Executive education
• Undergraduate business degrees
• Grande ecole programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Degree Program Tuition: Revenue from undergraduate (BBA/Bachelor), graduate (MSc, Mastère Spécialisé, Grande Ecole), and doctoral programs. Tuition varies by program and nationality status.
2. Executive Education Programs: Revenue from Global Executive MBA, professional certificates (BADGE), and custom corporate training programs for businesses.
3. Summer Schools: Intensive one-week programs combining business modules with cultural events and company visits.
4. Research and Consulting: Research publications, think tank activities (SKEMA Publika), and industry expertise generating intellectual property and consulting revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SKEMA Business School is a French grande école de commerce delivering higher education programs across undergraduate (Global BBA), graduate (MSc, Mastère Spécialisé), flagship Master in Management (Programme Grande Ecole), doctoral, and Executive Education levels. The school operates 10 campuses in 7 countries with multilingual instruction, and integrates specialized disciplines (AI, Design, Law, Geopolitics) within business education, supplemented by research centers and corporate training programs.

Product overview

SKEMA Business School is a grande école de commerce offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products: the flagship Programme Grande Ecole (Master in Management), Masters of Science (MSc), Mastère Spécialisé® programs, Global Executive MBA, Global BBA undergraduate programs, and Executive Education. The school has established specialized SKEMA Schools including AI School for Business, Design School for Business, Law School for Business, and School of Geopolitics for Business, which operate alongside traditional business education. Additional offerings include Summer Schools, doctoral programs, School of Professional Studies, and research initiatives like the Youth Talks Observatory. The institution also produces the Makes Sense? podcast series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AI School for Business: Acquiring fundamentals in AI applied to management and understanding the major challenges posed by data and AI.
• Design School for Business
• Law School for Business
• School of Geopolitics for Business
• SKEMA Schools

Products and services

• Programme Grande Ecole (Master in Management)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sorbonne UniversitécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual-degree partnership allowing SKEMA Grande Ecole students to earn both the Master in Management and Master 2 Geoint (Geospatial Intelligence) from Sorbonne Université. Includes joint student recruitment, shared courses, and collaborative research in geopolitics and geographic information systems.
• Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSKEMA was the first business school to sign a convention with Ifri, one of the world's most influential think tanks. Partnership includes student invitations to Ifri conferences, integration of Ifri research into geopolitics courses, and joint events.
• Institut Jacques DelorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Europe's leading think tank on EU governance and integration issues. Provides master classes, expert encounters, and research content for students studying European affairs and geopolitics.
• Asia CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Paris-based think tank specializing in Asian political and economic affairs. Covers training programs, mentorship, executive education, and public colloquia with recognized experts.
• IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Études de Défense Nationale)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing access to national defense and security education content, anchoring geopolitics training in concrete and operational approaches.
• IHEMI (Institut des Hautes Études du Ministère de l'Intérieur)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'Economic Security' specialization (MSc Business Consulting & Decision Intelligence) providing practical security training content.
• RexecodecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with Rexecode (Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques) for economic studies and analysis. Joint research on French export competitiveness published in 2025-2026.
• Fondation Higher Education for GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSKEMA is co-founder of the Foundation Higher Education for Good. The Youth Talks initiative is a global observatory consulting youth aged 15-29 on their aspirations for sustainable education and society.
• Université Côte d'AzurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create the first French observatory for medical access (medical deserts). Joint research initiative between SKEMA Publika think tank and the university.
• Université de StellenboschcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the SKEMA South Africa campus, enabling degree programs in partnership with the University of Stellenbosch.
• UTC (Université de Technologie de Compiègne)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance to explore the future of project management education, combining engineering and business perspectives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ESSEC Business School: French grande école holding the same triple-crown accreditation (AACSB/EQUIS/EFMD), with parallel undergraduate, MSc, and EMBA programs and a multi-campus footprint that includes Singapore and Morocco. Most direct strategic analogue to SKEMA.
• HEC Paris: Leading French grande école with the same Grande Ecole, MSc, and EMBA product taxonomy and triple-crown status. Operates a campus in Doha and offshoots in Africa; competes for the same international applicant pool SKEMA targets.
• emlyon Business School: Triple-accredited French grande école (Lyon/Paris/Saint-Etienne/Shanghai) offering Grande Ecole, MSc, EMBA and executive education programs serving identical degree and program types as SKEMA.
• KEDGE Business School: French grande école created by the merger of Euromed and ESC Bordeaux (similar post-merger consolidation story to SKEMA), with campuses in France, China, Senegal and Mauritius, triple-crown accredited.
• IESEG School of Management: French grande école based in Lille with Paris campus, AACSB/EQUIS accredited, offering Grande Ecole, MSc, BBA and Executive MBA programs targeting similar international cohorts. Comparable in size and program mix.
• EDHEC Business School: Tri-accredited French business school headquartered in Lille (SKEMA's home city) with campuses in Nice, Paris, London and Singapore, offering Grande Ecole, MSc, BBA and EMBA. Same program structure and northern-France heritage.
• ESCP Business School: Pan-European grande école with a six-country multi-campus model (Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid, Turin, Warsaw). Closely comparable model of operating multiple national campuses under one brand and triple-crown accreditation.
• NEOMA Business School: French grande école formed through a merger (Reims/ESC Reims + ESC Troyens) with triple crown, campuses in Reims, Paris and Rouen. Closely analogous post-merger pedigree and program catalogue to SKEMA.
• IE Business School: Spanish-founded business school with multi-campus presence (Madrid, Segovia, Barcelona, Dubai, Singapore, NY) and triple-crown accreditation, offering IBE, MBA, EMBA and a digital-native portfolio. Closely comparable platform-based global model.

Broad incumbents

• INSEAD: France-rooted global business school with campuses in Fontainebleau, Singapore and Abu Dhabi and a flagship one-year MBA plus EMBA. Competes for the same international executive and master-level talent pool at the top end of the market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/3cCpCdMdQQUXYByiNJfyvD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skema-business-school-2

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Skema Business School