HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management - HHL gemeinnützige GmbH

About HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management is a private, state-approved business school with roots going back to 1898, when the Handelshochschule Leipzig was founded as Germany's first business administration faculty in the German-speaking world. After German reunification the school was re-established in 1992 and today operates as a non-profit GmbH (gemeinnützige GmbH) with doctoral and habilitation rights.

HHL is a specialist management school — it offers exclusively business and management programmes at master's, MBA, and doctoral level — and does not operate a broad multi-faculty structure. As of 2025 it enrolls approximately 842 students, of whom 37 per cent are international, representing 57 nationalities. It was the first private German business school to receive AACSB accreditation and ranks #3 among Europe's best business schools for return on investment (Financial Times 2025). Alumni have founded more than 530 startups that together created over 30,000 jobs, underpinning HHL's position as Germany's #1 entrepreneurial university for seven consecutive years.

All degree programmes are taught in English, and the school maintains exchange and double-degree arrangements with more than 140 partner universities worldwide. Campuses operate in Leipzig (main), Cologne, and Munich, enabling part-time students to combine study with professional careers in Germany's major business centres.

Key facts

Founded: 1898
Students: 842
International: 37% (57 nationalities, as of 2025)

Founded 1898 — Germany's first business administration faculty

AACSB accredited — first private German business school to achieve this

#1 Entrepreneurial University in Germany (seven consecutive years)

#3 in Europe for ROI, Financial Times 2025

All programmes taught in English; 57 nationalities on campus

530+ alumni-founded startups and 140+ global partner universities

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

HHL is a private institution and charges tuition fees for all programmes. The Full-time Master in Management costs EUR 38,500 in total (covering tuition, examinations, and one term abroad). Early-bird discounts of EUR 1,500–EUR 4,500 are available for early application. The MBA and specialist master's programmes carry comparable fees — see individual programme pages for current figures. There is no semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag) in the public-university sense; the quoted fees are all-inclusive programme costs.

Admission requirements

HHL admits students to master's and MBA programmes on the basis of a relevant bachelor's degree, a minimum of three months of work experience (for most programmes), a GMAT/GRE score or the HHL Entry Test, and a personal/personality assessment. All instruction is in English; no German language certificate is required. APS certificate is not required by HHL itself but Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese applicants must obtain their APS certificate separately before applying for a German student visa. There is no Studienkolleg or foundation-year pathway — HHL is a postgraduate-only institution. Non-EU applicants should confirm blocked-account (Sperrkonto) and visa requirements with the German consulate in their home country.

Application deadlines

For the Full-time Master in Management starting in autumn: non-EU applicants should apply by 31 May; EU applicants by 30 June. Early-bird fee-reduction deadlines run on 30 November, 31 January, and 31 March. Deadlines for other programmes vary — check the relevant programme page on hhl.de.

Languages of instruction

All degree programmes are taught entirely in English. No German language requirement for degree students.

Campuses & locations

Leipzig

Main campus, headquarters

Cologne

Part-time and executive programmes

Munich

Part-time and executive programmes

Living in Sachsen

Leipzig is Saxony's largest city (population ~620,000) and one of Germany's fastest-growing metropolitan areas. It combines a lively creative and start-up scene with affordable living costs by German standards. The city is home to a thriving arts and music culture, a compact historic centre, extensive cycling infrastructure, and strong rail links to Berlin (75 min), Frankfurt, and Dresden. For international students it offers a manageable, English-friendly environment while remaining distinctly German.

Student life & support

HHL's small size (under 900 students) fosters an intensive community culture. Student-led initiatives include Women in Business, the Female Founders Initiative, diversity and inclusion programmes, and the New Leipzig Talents social project. The school runs an active entrepreneurship ecosystem and alumni network with 13 global chapters. Career support includes on-campus recruiting partnerships and consulting projects. The Leipzig campus is the social hub; Cologne and Munich campuses serve primarily part-time and executive students.

International Office: [email protected] International students page →

Accredited Programmes

Master