QUALITY LABELS FOR TRAINING EXCELLENCE
IAE Aix, the management school of Aix-Marseille Université, will be re-accredited for 5 years in 2024 by EQUIS, the most demanding international management accreditation. The IAE Aix is thus one of only 24 business schools in France to be EQUIS accredited, and an even smaller circle of schools re-accredited for 5 years, among the 220 accredited business schools worldwide.
EQUIS (EFMD Quality Improvement System) accreditation is granted by the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development), an association dedicated to promoting information, research and best practice in management.
The accreditation process is based on a series of reports and audits. EQUIS awards accreditation for a period of 3 or 5 years, depending on the strength of the guarantees provided. Accreditation considers the institution as a whole, its strategy and programs, but also all its other activities: research, international policy, corporate policy and social responsibility.
EQUIS accreditors have highlighted 3 aspects of the school that set it apart internationally:
- The school's strategy and the Mission, Vision, Values triptych
- Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability across all facets of the school
- The professionalization of students through the acquisition of strong managerial skills.
" I'm very proud of this achievement, which is the result of superb teamwork. EQUIS is not just a quality label, it's also a goal that helps us to improve our school, enhance the value of our faculty and staff, and generate positive energy for all our stakeholders ". Antonin Ricard, Director of IAE Aix
" We are one of the only public institutions in France to be EQUIS accredited, and it's a real challenge to offer the same quality in the public sector as the major private management schools. It's a source of great pride for all our teams. Kiane Goudarzi, Associate Director of Quality at IAE Aix, in charge of EQUIS accreditation.
The IAE Aix was one of the world's pioneers in EQUIS accreditation, having received the label in 1999.
EQUIS accreditation enables the IAE Aix to be recognized as one of the world's top business schools, and to assert itself as a center of excellence in the international management education market. It guarantees its academic and pedagogical excellence.
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About EQUIS
EQUIS (EFMD Quality Improvement System) is awarded by the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development), based in Brussels. The purpose of this association is to promote information, research and good practice in management.
It has almost 900 members - schools, companies and public services - in over 80 countries.Schools applying for the label are audited by an international committee, which examines them on :
- their programs,
- their research activities,
- their ability to prepare students for the world of work,
- distance learning,
- continuing education,
- their internationalization,
- social responsibility...
Two committees are involved in the accreditation process:
- the EQUIS Committee, which draws up the criteria, policy and labelling procedure, and determines the admissibility of applications for accreditation;
- the independent EQUIS Accreditation Board, which is the accreditation body itself.
All schools are required to submit substantial reports, and are subject to several audits. A team of auditors made up of professors and deans from international business schools draws up a visit report and recommendations. The EQUIS Accreditation Board then makes the final decision on whether or not to award the label.
EQUIS awards the label for a period of 3 or 5 years, depending on the strength of the guarantees provided. The label is awarded to institutions that demonstrate a high level of academic quality, close links with the business world and solid research potential. All these activities must have a strong international dimension.
The demanding EQUIS standards guarantee the very best in management education. When students enter an EQUIS-accredited school, they are assured of a large number of top-level teaching staff, renowned university partners and access to some of the world's leading companies.
IAE AIX HAS FEATURED IN THE FINANCIAL TIMES RANKINGS SINCE 2008
The IAE Aix is ranked 21th among the top French Grandes Ecoles represented in the Financial Times' ranking of the world's best Master's programs in management, published in September 2025. It ranks 71th out of 100 international academic institutions.
The IAE Aix still TOP 1 Value for Money in France: What sets the IAE Aix apart above all is its MSc in Management, which gives as many people as possible access to excellent training. According to the FT, this diploma offers the best return on investment of all French schools, and it cuts across all the specialties chosen by students.
IAE Aix is the only university business school in France to be ranked by the Financial Times.
It has been ranked for 17 years without interruption, testifying to its solid reputation worldwide.
These results echo the pedagogical model developed by the IAE Aix, which places the highest priority on students' academic progress, the irrigation of teaching by research and relations with companies, and respect for diversity.
This ranking is a source of pride for IAE Aix, a university school of management imbued with values, whose ambition is to train responsible managers in the service of humanist leadership. It is the result of a formidable collective effort by the school's teams, who support students throughout their studies at Aix-Marseille University. It also testifies to the success of France's university business schools, which are grouped within the IAE France network, and which constitute a public space that has succeeded in combining equal opportunity and the role of social elevator, in a competitive environment.
Antonin Ricard, IAE Director
EDUNIVERSAL 2026 RANKING: IAE AIX GRADUATES AMONG THE TOP 10 BEST MASTERS PROGRAMS IN FRANCE
Our 11 Master's / MSc and MBA programs rank in the top 10 in France by category!
Find out more about the rankings by category and program.
- MSc 2 internal audit and risk management: 1st (4th in 2025)
- MSc 2 Finance, Management, Control & Reporting: 4th (2nd in 2025)
- MSc 2 International Finance: 15th (9th in 2025)
- MSc 2 Communication and Change Management: 5th (10th in 2025)
- MSc 2 International Business: 4th (3rd in 2025)
- MSc 2 Human Resources Management: 8th (7th in 2025)
- MSc 2 General Management: 6th (6th in 2025)
- MSc 2 Management, speciality Marketing & Brand Management: 8th (4th in 2025)
- MSc 2 Service Management and Marketing: 1st (1st in 2025)
- MSc 2 Information Systems & Digital Business Consulting: 3rd (6th in 2025)
- Executive MBA (part-time): 8th (7th in 2025)
- Executive MBA (full time): 4th (4th in 2025)
- IMMIT - International Master in Management of Information Technology: 12th (10th in 2025)
As in previous years, the Eduniversal ranking is based on 3 objective criteria:
- reputation of the program
- Graduation salary
- Student satisfaction feedback
