Mannheim Business School

Age: 7, but the University of Mannheim is more than a century old.

History: Considered the leading institution in Germany, Mannheim Business School (MBS) is the umbrella organisation for management education at the University of Mannheim, which was originally founded in 1907 as a municipal college of commerce. These roots are still evident today: The University has a clear focus on business administration, economics and the social sciences.

Address: Right in the centre of Mannheim, close to the main railway station. Just look for the castle.

Ambience: Studying at Mannheim is a truly unique experience, since some of the courses are held in one of Europe's largest baroque castles. Others take place in the new Dalbergplatz Education Centre, so it's a mixture of ancient and modern. All of the facilities are bang up-to-date.

Vital statistics: It is the only institution in the German-speaking countries to have triple accreditation from AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS, and its programmes frequently appear on European top 10s.

Added value: The school is especially well-known for its close connections to leading companies: more than 60 per cent of Germany's top 500 companies are based within 200 miles.

Easy to get into? Mannheim Business School typically receives as many as 10 applications for each of the currently 60 places available on the full-time MBA. The ideal candidate will have a first degree, at least three years' relevant work experience, be fluent in English and have a decent GMAT score.

Glittering alumni: Bernd Beetz, CEO, Coty Inc. Alan Hippe, Board Member ThyssenKrupp, Luka Mucic, CFO SAP Germany

Gurus: Professors Christian Homburg, management, marketing organisation, strategic marketing; Martin Weber, banking, behavioural finance, asset pricing and decision theory; Alfred Kieser, cross-cultural management, decision-making.

International connections: The school has an international community and works in partnership with schools such as Warwick Business School in the UK, Queen's in Canada and ESSEC in France.

Teaching: The Economist Intelligence Unit says: “The school has an excellent record in research and teaching.” According to internal surveys, student satisfaction with courses is extremely high.

Student profile: The average age of the Mannheim MBA students is 29, with work experience of five years on average. The current intake has 58 students hailing from 20 different countries.

Cost: The Mannheim MBA is €29,000 (£25,600 approx). The modular executive MBA is €47,000.

Return on investment: All last year's full-time MBAs received at least one job offer during their studies. Seventy per cent signed a contract before graduation. According to survey conducted by Wirtschaftswoche, Mannheim MBA alumni have nearly doubled their salary in less than three years after graduation.

Who's the boss? Professor Dr. Jens Wüstemann is the president of the school.

Prospectus: +49 621 181 37 24, www.mannheim-business-school.com, info@mba-mannheim.com