This guide is written for international applicants researching HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management（莱比锡管理学院）, a private business school in Leipzig, Germany, where all degree programs are taught entirely in English. Every figure below was checked against the school’s official website (hhl.de) on 5 August 2026; where the website publishes no unified figure, this guide says so plainly instead of inventing a number.
What HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management is
HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management traces its origins to 1898, when Leipzig business leaders founded the Handelshochschule Leipzig, described by the school as the first faculty of business administration in German-speaking Europe; after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the school was re-founded in 1992. The website describes HHLas the first private German business school to earn AACSB accreditation, with the right to award doctoral and habilitation degrees. School statistics cited on the site: 842 students in September 2025, around 37% international (September 2024 figure), 57 nationalities on campus, roughly 4,200 alumni (May 2026 figure) across 26 chapters, more than 550 startups founded by alumni and over 40,000 jobs created. For an international applicant the practical picture is a compact, English-taught school in central Leipzig with entrepreneurship and leadership at the core of its teaching. These are the school’s own statements and are used here only to describe HHL itself.
Programs: Master and MBA tracks
HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management offers Master of Science, MBA and doctoral programs, and the website is explicit about the dividing line: the M.Sc. tracks target graduates at the start of their career, typically with up to three years of work experience, while the MBA tracks target professionals with several years of experience. The full-time Master in Management carries 120 ECTS, runs 21–24 months and starts each September, with a flexible structure that allows up to three internships and a term abroad; the same family includes dedicated Finance and Strategy and Business Consulting tracks, a 15-month full-time Master in Finance and a full-time Master in Entrepreneurship. The full-time MBA offers a Fast Track (90 ECTS, 15 months including a 3-month thesis) and an Advanced Track (120 ECTS, up to 21 months), open to any bachelor background, with a Finance variant and a part-time MBA also available. The doctoral program leads to a Dr. rer. oec. over 36 months with rolling admission.
Entry requirements and English standards
For the full-time Master in Management, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management publishes these criteria: a bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field such as business informatics, business psychology, business law, economics or industrial engineering, with a minimum of 180 credits of which 40–60 in business-related subjects; above-average academic performance in high school and the bachelor; a valid HHL Entry Test, GMAT or GRE score; proof of very good English (the site cites TOEFL iBT 90 or 5 on the new scale, IELTS 7.0, or a bachelor completed in English); and at least 3 months of professional experience by the program start. Required documents: CV, letter of motivation, copy of the high school diploma, bachelor transcript and passport photo. The full-time MBA requires a bachelor in any discipline from an institution recognised by the German Central Office for Foreign Education, at least 2 years of post-graduate work experience, a competitive test score and English proof (the site cites TOEFL 90+ iBT, IELTS 7+ among others). Two points matter specifically for international applicants: non-German degrees should be checked for H+ status in the Anabin database, and applicants from China, India and Vietnam need an APS certificate to study at a German university, with a Digital Master Test (dMAT) additionally required for some Indian applicants within the APS process.
Tuition, instalments and early bird reductions
HHL publishes tuition per program. The full-time Master in Management costs EUR 38,500 for the complete program, covering all tuition and examination costs and including the fees for one term abroad at a partner university; admitted students pay a EUR 3,000 down payment, with the rest in four instalments on 1 October and 1 March of the first study year and 1 September and 1 March of the second. The full-time MBA costs EUR 42,500, including one term abroad, with a EUR 3,500 down payment and the remainder in three instalments at the start of Terms 1, 3 and 5. Both programs offer early bird reductions for complete applications submitted by 30 November (EUR 4,500 for the M.Sc., EUR 6,000 for the MBA), 31 January (EUR 3,000 / EUR 4,500) and 31 March (EUR 1,500). On scholarships, HHLlists program-specific awards plus the national Deutschlandstipendium of EUR 300 per month for 12 months, financed half from public funds and half from HHL sponsors, with an application window of 1–30 June. The doctoral study fee is EUR 19,800 from 1 January 2024, including a EUR 1,000 examination fee. All amounts are as published on 5 August 2026 and change with each academic year.
Deadlines and the visa timeline
The M.Sc. and MBA at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management share the same deadline rhythm: 30 November (Early Bird 1, largest discount, admission test due by 31 January), 31 January (Early Bird 2), 31 March (Early Bird 3), 31 May as the final deadline for international non-EU applicants, and 30 June for EU applicants and non-EU applicants who do not require a German visa. The MBA charges no application fee. The process runs in five steps: submit the online application, school review, an interview with an HHL academic (for the MBA, 30–45 minutes with the academic director or another professor), a decision within 7–10 days, then signing the contract and paying the commitment fee within 2 weeks. HHL strongly recommends that visa-required international applicants apply as early as possible so the visa process fits before the September start; admitted international students receive free basic access to the VisaFlow platform with step-by-step visa and relocation guidance. Even after the official deadline there may still be opportunities to join in the same year, to be confirmed against the latest website version.
Practical application support
Planning around HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management involves more than the application form. First, eligibility mapping: compare your degree, credits and grades against the published 180-credit and 40–60 business-credit thresholds to decide between the M.Sc. and MBA lines. Second, test and language timing: the GMAT/GRE or HHL Entry Test and the English score are hard requirements, and early bird discounts depend on complete documents by the relevant date, so preparation should start well ahead. Third, the APS and visa sequence: applicants from China, India and Vietnam complete APS before the visa application, and the 31 May international deadline exists precisely to leave room for that process. Fourth, proof of funds: the financing page states that foreign students must show financial resources of about EUR 853 per month for a German student visa, while the MBA page estimates living costs in Leipzig at around EUR 800 per month including accommodation, below the German average of about EUR 934. Visa amounts and eligibility are set by German official rules, and the school’s figures are only a reference. If you would like to map these steps onto your own timeline, our advisers can help you line up documents, deadlines and pre-departure arrangements against the school’s published requirements.
Quick answers
What is HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management? A private, state-approved business school in Leipzig, Germany, founded in 1898 and re-founded in 1992, with English-taught Master, MBA and doctoral programs and AACSB accreditation (school’s own description).
What do I need to apply? For the M.Sc.: a business-related bachelor (minimum 180 credits, 40–60 in business subjects) and at least 3 months of work experience; for the MBA: a bachelor in any discipline and at least 2 years of post-graduate work experience; both require an English score and a GMAT/GRE or HHL Entry Test, and Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese applicants need an APS certificate.
How much does it cost? The full-time Master in Management is EUR 38,500 in total and the full-time MBA EUR 42,500, each including one term abroad, with deposits and instalments after admission; early bird submissions before 30 November, 31 January or 31 March qualify for reductions.
When should I apply? Non-EU applicants needing a visa should target the 31 May final deadline or earlier, EU applicants 30 June; the early bird windows of 30 November, 31 January and 31 March bring the largest tuition reductions.
All figures in this guide come from the official website of HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, accessed 5 August 2026; tuition, scores and deadlines change every academic year, so the official site remains the reference for current information. For help working through how these programs and requirements apply to your own background and schedule, our advisers can map the options with you.