Comparison · Trading schools
HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management vs ESMT Berlin: which trading school is better?
As of October 28, 2026, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management leads ESMT Berlin by 3.0 points in the 2027 trading school ranking: #78 internationally against #127. The gap comes mainly from the Recognition and employability pillar. ESMT Berlin does better on Student reviews and Teaching. On Trust and Visibility, they are level.
2027 edition · updated October 28, 2026 · next updates planned for December 2026 and January 2027 · Ranking methodology
All 25 criteria, side by side
| Criterion | HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management | ESMT Berlin |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 100 | 63.1 | 60.1 |
| International rank | #78 | #127 |
| Rank in Germany | #3 of 12 | #5 of 12 |
| Trust · 10 % | 3.57/5 | 3.57/5 |
| 1. Regulator warnings | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2. Registered company and age | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 3. Transparency: price, refunds, legal notice, contact | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| 4. Named, verifiable instructors | 1/5 | 1/5 |
| 5. Honest marketing, no promise of profit | 4/5 | 2/5 |
| 6. Secure website | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 7. Protected domain (SPF, DMARC, headers) | 2/5 | 4/5 |
| Teaching · 20 % | 1.50/5 | 1.75/5 |
| 8. Curriculum coverage | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| 9. Real practice | 2/5 | 1/5 |
| 10. Mentoring and support | 1/5 | 3/5 |
| 11. Cost per training hour | 1/5 | 1/5 |
| Student reviews · 20 % | 4.00/5 | 4.50/5 |
| 13. Student rating (Trustpilot and Google) | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 14. Number of reviews | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| 15. Suspicious review warning | n/a | n/a |
| 16. 12-month trend | n/a | n/a |
| Recognition and employability · 30 % | 3.67/5 | 2.67/5 |
| 12. Degree-granting program | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 18. Degree recognized by a state or the profession | 4/5 | 1/5 |
| 25. Employability and career outcomes | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| 17. Institutional accreditation | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| 19. Labels and awards | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| 20. Official partners | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Visibility · 20 % | 3.00/5 | 3.00/5 |
| 21. Domain age | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 22. Websites linking to it | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| 23. Press mentions, Wikipedia page | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| 24. Social media audience | 2/5 | 1/5 |
In green, the better of the two scores. “n/a”: not applicable, the criterion is left out of its pillar. “–”: criterion not yet assessed. The evidence and source for each score are on each school's listing.
HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management: full listingESMT Berlin: full listing