Students are looking to the future with optimism:
ESB Business School has once again achieved outstanding results in all three categories of the Universum Career Test: ‘Outstanding People & Culture’, ‘Outstanding Employability’ and ‘Outstanding Reputation & Offering’. The award therefore recognises the programme’s impact on students’ careers, as well as the environment in which it takes place and the reputation of ESB Business School.
“Does it even make sense to study business administration anymore?” As AI transforms the already tight labour market, this question is becoming increasingly relevant. Entry-level jobs are now harder to find in many sectors than they were a year ago, and global uncertainty is forcing companies to tighten their belts.
In the latest Universum Career Test, students at ESB Business School are optimistic about their career prospects: More than eight out of ten students are somewhat to very confident (84 per cent) about their career prospects. This puts ESB Business School above the average for participating German business schools in the ranking (76 per cent). Five per cent of students say they already have a job lined up whilst still studying.
High level of identification with the university
Significantly more often than at the other universities surveyed in Germany, respondents associate ESB with a wide range of opportunities to study abroad, high-quality programmes and successful alumni.
Around eight out of ten students would choose to study at ESB Business School again at any time, which is well above the average for all universities that took part in the survey.
The profile of the students
Cosmopolitan globetrotters, entrepreneurial trailblazers and high-achieving go-getters: this is how ESB students describe themselves. They have a strong international focus, drive innovation and aim to achieve a great deal. They see ESB as the springboard for their international careers. The comparison is also impressive when it comes to the students’ characteristics: ‘Ambition’ and ‘Proactivity’ are slightly above the level of other universities, whilst for ‘Leadership’ the figure is a clear 73 % compared to 65 %.
Starting a career: References, employer contacts and career services
There are specific reasons why ESB achieves top marks in terms of employability – that is, the career prospects of its graduates: seven out of ten students regard ESB as a strong reference on their CV for their future career, whilst almost as many value the good relationships with employers that are established whilst they are still studying. This makes the transition into working life easier.
The comprehensive range of career services also plays a part in this: nearly nine out of ten students make use of the services offered by the ESB Career Centre. At other colleges and universities, the average is only seven out of ten. ESB students most frequently attend the two on-campus career fairs, the IBF (International Business Fair) and FiFo (an exclusive career fair featuring ESB’s partner companies (link)), to engage directly with companies,
“The future belongs to those who embrace change, and that is exactly what our students are doing. They know that starting a career today demands more commitment than in previous years and that artificial intelligence is transforming the world of work,” says Prof. Dr Markus Conrads, Dean of the ESB Business School. “Our task is to prepare them for a world of work in which AI is part of everyday life, and to consistently tailor our range of courses accordingly.”
About the Universum Career Test
Universum is a data-driven employer branding agency. The company works with partners around the world to promote transparency in education and employability, and regularly surveys students and alumni globally. For the latest Universum Career Test, data was collected between January and May 2026 from 4,232 students at German universities and colleges specialising in business.
