ESADE Barcelona (Spain)
- Sara Cavalieri
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
In 1958, a group of entrepreneurs and Jesuit priests set out on a mission to train future business leaders with a strong moral compass and global perspective, and thus, ESADE was born.
Since its inception, the Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas (ESADE) has been committed to a holistic approach to business education, blending academic rigor with practical experience and a strong emphasis on social responsibility.
Nowadays, it's one of the world's top ranked business schools, has the Triple Crown accreditation and was rated number two in the world for student satisfaction (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2019).
Best of all, it's located in one of the world's most fascinating cities -- Barcelona.
Here are some of the highlights from my visit!
City of Barcelona
The capital city of the Catalonia region, Barcelona is one of Europe's most visited destinations in one of Europe's most important countries.
In fact, Spain itself is the second largest country in the EU, the second most visited country in the world, and Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world.
This makes for a really interesting and important place to study, especially when it comes to business.
As a city, Barcelona is perhaps best known for its unique architectural heritage, most notably the works of renowned architect Antoni Gaudí.
His masterpieces, including the Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (La Pedrera), are iconic symbols of the city's artistic and architectural prowess.
It's also a very young and international city, attracting ex-pats from all over.
And it's easy to see why; located right on the Mediterranean Sea with a mild Mediterranean climate, it draws beachgoers and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
In a way, it has a kind of 'California' vibe -- but with a Spanish twist.
In 1992, Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympics, and to me, one of the city's coolest places is a bar and restaurant called Salts, which overlooks the site of the springboard diving competition up in the hills of Montjuïc.
And you definitely can't visit Barcelona without hearing or seeing something related to the FC Barcelona team, one of the most popular teams in the world.
As a testament to the international diversity, my favorite cafe is a chain called Honest Greens, which was started in 2017 by a group of friends from the U.S., Denmark and France.
If I moved to Spain, I would absolutely choose Barcelona.
I love the fact that it is so international, so unique, home to picturesque beaches and super easy to get from here to anywhere in Europe.
Campus and academics
ESADE is located in Sant Cugat, a northern suburb of Barcelona and a 23-minute train ride followed by a 10-minute walk from the station.
And just like Barcelona, its student body is very international, too -- roughly 6,900 students are international out of 15,500 total students.
ESADE is also not interested in growing its overall student numbers -- because to them, it's about the student experience and not the bottom line.
For example, it's recently invested in doubling the number of counseling staff, instituted immersion rooms in library where students can rest during exam weeks and offers ESADE Well-Being Days.
ESADE has a strategic partnership with Ramon Llull University, so all ESADE degrees are accredited through it.
And as a private, non-profit institution, ESADE is focused on giving back; for example, all students can participate in ESADE Sud, which works with initiatives and institutions from around the world to promote equitable and fair development.
Their exchange partners give an indication of their academic quality: University of San Diego, University of Pennsylvania, McGill, Stanford, Georgetown, University of Sydney, The University Edinburgh, Bocconi, Trinity College Dublin, London School of Economics, Sciences Po and much more.
ESADE offers four degree programs taught fully in English (4 years): the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA); Global Governance, Economics & Legal Order; Law; and Transformational Leadership and Social Impact.
There are also a number of 5-year double degrees, such as the double degree in business administration and law.
Every course, however, is multidisciplinary and offers around 50 different electives to choose from, including Spanish, French, German, Chinese or Arabic.
The BBA has 300 spots and has an international focus, offers a variety of minors and a professional development program.
In this program, students are required to learn Spanish and must learn either French or German, too.
The fourth year is made up of study abroad, an internship and final project.
The Global Governance, Economics & Legal Order degree is a smaller program of 40 students.
This offers tracks in either Global Economics or Global Politics, and students choose electives to become experts in a particular region, such as the U.S./UK/Australia/Canada or Latin America, etc.
There are more language options available in this degree and lots of group projects and presentations.
There is also an exchange program in Paris or Washington D.C. for three weeks, as well as a study tour in Brussels.
ESADE's Transformational Leadership & Social Impact degree is super unique; students study business for 60% of the time, humanities for 25% and technology for 15%.
This course is fully project-based, with challenges in international environments to give students the opportunity to interact with local businesses and learn cultural cues (Berlin in Year 2 and Shanghai in Year 3).
The culmination of the program is for students to create their own start-up with a full business plan.
Lastly, the other program worth highlighting is the double degree in business administration and artificial intelligence for business, which leaves graduates with a professional profile currently in high demand.
Students benefit from internships in top tech companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, as well as activities such as hackathons, datathons, bootcamps and more.
All of the degrees at ESADE employ a 'learning by doing' methodology, involving participatory classes, real case studies, outdoor experiences, research projects, management and startup simulations, business competitions and games.
Because it's so participatory, there is a mandatory attendance requirement of at least 80 percent.
There are also loads of graduate programs and MBA.
Overall, ESADE has a whopping 60,000 alumni around the world and the second largest alumni network in Europe.
With a number of job placement recruitment activities on campus, about 97 percent of students are employed within three months.
Approximately 10 percent of bachelor graduates go into master's.
So where do students live?
ESADE offers an on-campus residence in the Roberto de Nobili residence, with 180 rooms.
This is normally just first-year students; after that, students tend to live in the Barcelona city center and commute.
There are really nice lockers though for people who need to store their items for the day.
One thing I noticed was that the facilities have lots of natural light and various courtyards.
This is despite the fact that ESADE purposely built its facilities underground so as not to have an imposing tall building.
Elsewhere on campus, there is also a student cafeteria with really affordable menu options as well as a gym.
ESADE Admissions
The admissions process for ESADE opens in October of every year; students can apply directly from their site or via the Common App.
As it is rolling admissions, it's best to apply early; however, if admitted, students must put a 25 percent tuition deposit down to save their spot since it's so competitive.
Students applying for a business program should expect to have studied pre-calculus as a minimum, but those who have studied calculus will be more competitive.
It's a holistic admissions process, but students must demonstrate testing.
For example, the 2023 average SAT was 1240, and a competitive IB score was 36.
Uniquely, if a student's SAT or ACT is not deemed suitable, they will be invited to take the ESADE test as well.
Finally, a personal interview is also an important part of the process.
ESADE Scholarships
ESADE is a private institution, so its fees are no doubt higher than the public institutions.
However, there are generous scholarships on offer, which are both merit and need-based.
Merit-based scholarships can look like a discount of 25, 50 or 75% off tuition for Year 1 or Years 1 and 2.
Every year, about 10-15 percent of students receive a merit scholarship.
Scholarship calls are held every month, another reason to apply early.
Summary: ESADE Barcelona
To me, Barcelona is one of the most unique places in the world.
With its distinct architectural features, it sometimes makes you feel you're walking around in a Disney wonderland.
It's vibrant, it's international, it's cool -- and it's also home to ESADE, a small campus and community making a big impact on societies.
I particularly loved that one of ESADE's hallmarks is a focus on experiential learning.
Moreover, its strong ties with industry leaders provide students with unparalleled networking opportunities and access to internships and job placements worldwide.
ESADE's motto is: Do Good. Do Better.
And for students interested in business and law with a social justice focus, they are one of the best.
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