HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management - HHL gemeinnützige GmbH
Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany
- Founded
- 1898
- Students
- 842
- International
- 37%
- Programmes
- 12
- Taught in English
- 12
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.
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
Key facts
- Type
- Universitäten
- Founded
- 1898
- Students
- 842
- International
- 37% (57 nationalities, as of 2025)
- Faculties
- 1
- Programmes
- 12
Study programmes
12 accredited degrees at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, 12 of them taught in English.
Showing 1–12 of 12 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
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.
How international applicants apply
Direct application - no uni-assist. Applications are submitted online through the HHL application portal (apply.hhl.de): CV, motivation letter, high-school diploma and bachelor transcript uploaded at first step; GMAT/GRE/HHL Entry Test score and English proof can follow later; selection interview with an HHL professor. APS certificate required for applicants from China/India/Vietnam. Rolling review with early-bird deadlines 31 Jan / 31 Mar / 30 Jun and a non-EU visa deadline of 31 May for the September intake.
Languages of instruction
All degree programmes are taught entirely in English. No German language requirement for degree students.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Scholarships at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management
2 schemes run or administered by the university. Always confirm current amounts and deadlines on the official page.
Deutschlandstipendium at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management
National Scholarship Program administered at HHL for admitted and enrolled students, financed 50% by federal funds and 50% by priv...
Amount: EUR 300 per month
Deadline: June 1 - June 30 annually
master, mba, doctorate
Expatrio Scholarship (listed via HHL financing page)
Support package for international students pursuing studies in Germany, promoted on HHL's official financing and scholarships page...
Amount: Varies (monetary award plus service package)
Deadline: Per Expatrio announcement cycle
bachelor, master, mba
Campuses & locations
Main campus, headquarters
Part-time and executive programmes
Part-time and executive programmes
Living in Leipzig
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.
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