How to get into Esade: an application guide for UK students
At Esade in Barcelona, your student can study business or global governance in English. The application runs on a different clock from UCAS, with one rolling cycle that is open now for September 2027 entry. Your counsellor helps your family choose the degree and test route, then plans an early application. Everything here is about undergraduate entry, as Esade's MBA and executive education have their own process.
Key takeaways
- Apply early in Year 13, as places can run out before the cycle closes in June 2027.
- Your student gets one attempt at the Esade Admission Test.
- The Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) and the Business Administration and Law double degree also accept the SAT or ACT.
- At least four degrees are taught fully in English, all at Sant Cugat, about 40 minutes from the city centre.
- There are no minimum entry grades, but the A-level reference range is AAB to A*A*A*, and some degrees require Mathematics.
Esade Business School admission at a glance
Why UK students choose Esade Barcelona
Esade is a private institution in Barcelona, with undergraduate degrees in business, global governance, business with artificial intelligence and law. There is no grade cut-off, and admissions look at the whole student.
Without Spanish, your student still has at least four degrees taught fully in English.
- The BBA's English section
- The Bachelor in Global Governance, Economics & Legal Order
- The Bachelor in Business and Artificial Intelligence
- The Double Degree in Business Administration + Global Governance, Economics & Legal Order
If you are comparing Esade with IE University, start with the city. Esade is in Barcelona, and IE teaches in Madrid and Segovia. For the wider picture, see our guides to Spanish universities and universities in Madrid.
Esade application deadline: when to apply for 2027 entry
Esade runs one rolling admissions cycle, which opens each September and has no fixed application deadline. We've used England and Wales school years below, so adjust if you're elsewhere in the UK.
How to apply to Esade: step by step
Step 1: Choose the degree and campus
Your student's degree sets the teaching language and the campus, so we settle it first. The BBA comes in bilingual and English sections. The Bachelor in Law is mainly in Spanish, with English-taught subjects rising to 40% by graduation. The Law and Global Governance double degree mixes Spanish and English, and so does Business Administration and Law, which adds English-taught subjects from the second year.
Pedralbes has the Bachelor in Law, the Law and Global Governance double degree and the first three years of Business Administration and Law. Everything else, including every fully English degree, is at Sant Cugat, about 40 minutes from the city centre.
Step 2: Decide the test route
The Esade Admission Test lasts three hours. It covers logic, numerical reasoning and problem solving, and it tests English too. There is no pass mark, and Esade reads the result alongside the school record and application. Your student can sit it only once, and sittings run several times a week from October to June.
The BBA and the Business Administration and Law double degree also accept an SAT or ACT score. For either of these, we recommend the SAT. It gives your student more to prepare with and more control over which scores to submit. A score from US applications can be used here too. For the other degrees, including Global Governance, plan on the Esade Admission Test. Only the Bachelor in Transformational Leadership and Social Impact adds an interview.
Step 3: Prepare the school record
Predicted grades and transcripts are enough to apply. Esade's reference range for A-level applicants runs from AAB to A*A*A*, with As and Bs expected at (I)GCSE. Some degrees require Mathematics among the three A-levels. Critical Thinking, General Studies and BTEC are not accepted. We check these rules, or the IB equivalents, before your student settles on a degree.
Step 4: Apply in the rolling cycle
Esade asks students to apply in their final year of school or shortly after. In a rolling cycle, the sooner you apply, the better, and we agree a submission date with you in the autumn of Year 13. Your student applies online and uploads their documents. On the Esade test route, they sit the test too.
Step 5: Check the English evidence
If your student sits the Esade Admission Test, an English certificate is not mandatory, especially if they were taught in English for A-levels or the IB. Esade may still ask for one. On the fully English track, a score below the minimums in the table can mean a preliminary English course first. On the SAT route, the English requirement depends on the degree.
Step 6: Decision, reserving the place and funding
To reserve a place, Esade asks for 25% of the first year's tuition in advance. That is a real commitment, so we help you weigh the offer against any others first. If your student is going for the Esade Talent Scholarship Program, we fit it into the same timetable as the main application.
Esade acceptance rate, grades and SAT scores
The realistic targets are Esade's average scores, 1350 on the SAT and 30 on the ACT. Admitted IB students currently average a final score of 36 out of 42, excluding TOK, EE and CAS. Meeting the A-level reference range doesn't guarantee an offer.
Esade fees and scholarships
Tuition fees at Esade vary by degree and change each year. Double degrees cost more. The fee covers teaching and language learning, plus the academic side of educational activities outside Esade. Travel, accommodation and living costs are on top.
The Esade Talent Scholarship Program is both need- and merit-based, covering from 60% to 100% of tuition fees or accommodation costs. Students need an outstanding academic record, and Esade also assesses your family's finances. For a family of four, gross income must be no more than €118,000 a year. On the SAT route, your student needs at least 1300 to qualify, above the 1200 admission minimum.
Mistakes to avoid in your Esade application
- Working to the June 2027 close. Places can run out before then, so aim for the autumn of Year 13.
- Missing the Mathematics requirement. In our experience, many students drawn to Esade don't realise some degrees need A-level Mathematics.
- Treating the Esade Admission Test as a practice run. It counts, and your student can sit it only once.
- Assuming the SAT works for every degree. The SAT route is for the BBA and the Business Administration and Law double degree.
How Guidewell Global supports your Esade application
Our counsellors guide UK families applying across Europe and have visited many European campuses. For Esade, your dedicated counsellor stays with your family from choosing the degree to reserving a place.
- Discover and define goals. We get to know your student's ambitions in a complimentary consultation.
- Build a balanced shortlist. The Esade degree comes first, then any IE, Bocconi, UK or US options around it.
- One master timeline. The test sitting and English evidence fit around an early submission date.
- Every application, done properly. We check the A-level subjects and help your student settle the test route.
- Decisions and next steps. We help you compare offers, reserve a place and keep any scholarship on track.
Esade application questions, answered
There is no official Esade acceptance rate, so treat any percentage you see quoted with caution. We advise aiming for the SAT average of 1350 and A-levels within the reference range of AAB to A*A*A*.
Esade has no fixed application deadline. The cycle for September 2027 entry closes in June 2027, or earlier if places run out, so the autumn of Year 13 is the time to submit.
An English certificate is not mandatory if your student sits the Esade Admission Test, especially if they have studied in English for A-levels or the IB. Esade can still ask for one. On the SAT route, the requirement depends on the degree.
Esade sets tuition per degree, and double degrees cost more. Travel, accommodation and living costs are on top. For strong students with financial need, the Esade Talent Scholarship Program can cover from 60% to 100% of tuition fees or accommodation costs.
Esade teaches its undergraduate degrees in Barcelona only, on the Pedralbes and Sant Cugat campuses. Esade Madrid is for postgraduate study.
Plan your Esade application with us
Esade's cycle is already open, and places can run out before it closes. Book a complimentary consultation to talk through the right Esade degree and test route, in London and online.
