How many business schools are accredited worldwide?
A sourced count of the world's accredited business schools: 1,084 hold AACSB, 240 EQUIS, 305 AMBA, roughly 1,400 in total across 87 countries.
Last reviewed July 15, 2026 · By Tobias Plewka · How we research this
This report counts the business schools that hold one of the three major international accreditations: AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. The figures come from each accreditor's own public directory. Accreditation is a quality floor. The count below covers recognised business schools; the wider provider universe, including unaccredited schools, is larger.
Roughly ~1,400 business schools worldwide hold at least one of the three major international accreditations. AACSB accredits 1,084, EQUIS 240 and AMBA 305, across about 87 countries and territories. The United States accounts for more than 500. A much smaller group holds all three at once.
How many schools hold each accreditation?
Each body publishes its own list. AACSB, the oldest and largest, accredits 1,084 schools. EQUIS, run by the European Foundation for Management Development, accredits 240. AMBA, focused on MBA-level provision, accredits 305. The counts are taken from each directory and are exact as of the retrieval date in the sources below.
| Accreditation | Schools |
|---|---|
| AACSB | 1,084 |
| EQUIS | 240 |
| AMBA | 305 |
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How many schools are accredited in total?
Because many schools appear on more than one list, the three counts do not simply add up. Removing the overlaps leaves about ~1,400 unique accredited schools. We give this as an estimate rather than a single hard number: matching a school across three directories that each write names slightly differently carries a small margin, and our methods bracket the figure in a narrow range around ~1,400.
Where are the accredited schools?
The United States dominates, with more than 500 accredited schools, far ahead of any other country. No other single country comes close. The next tier includes the United Kingdom, mainland China (roughly 90), India, France and Australia. In total the accredited universe spans 87 countries and territories, so accreditation is genuinely global, but heavily concentrated in the United States.
How does Gradia's catalogue compare?
Gradia tracks 117 of these schools in detail, and 116 of them hold at least one major accreditation, so the catalogue is a deliberate top-slice of the accredited universe. Of those, 38 currently have published program prices, covering 2,747 executive programs. In other words, our pricing data reflects a curated, top-tier slice of the accredited universe. The full market is much larger.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- AACSB: AACSB Accredited Business Schools (accessed 2026-06-23)
- EFMD: EQUIS Accredited Schools (accessed 2026-06-23)
- AMBA: AMBA Accredited Business Schools (accessed 2026-06-23)