In parallel, these business schools promise to adapt to new requirements: use of artificial intelligence, integration of climate and social issues into teachings, attempts to strengthen social justice among students. However, they are not immune to criticism. They are notably accused of favoring social reproduction and offering low-quality courses for exorbitant tuition fees, as acknowledged by Emmanuel Métais, Director General of EDEC: “It’s a problem in a general way of the training of elites which tends to ultimately perpetuate itself, indeed for someone in responsibilities like me, now it’s about how do we stop things.” Furthermore, concerns persist about their economic functioning and potential bankruptcy. Do business schools actually keep their promises? Do these programs still have legitimacy in the landscape of higher education?
The evolution of pedagogical models in business schools
French business schools are undergoing a profound transformation, seeking to integrate contemporary issues such as artificial intelligence and ecological transition while preserving their academic legitimacy. While school management emphasizes the increasing importance of scientific research in their programs, some analysts point out a persistent disconnect between the theory taught and the practical reality of management, often acquired through involvement in associative life.
The persistent issue of social reproduction
These establishments face the structural challenge of elite reproduction, where family background influences both access to top schools and later success in the job market. Despite social mobility programs and scholarships, the high cost of tuition and the inherent social codes in these institutions create barriers that remain difficult to overcome for students from modest backgrounds, as sociologist Marianne Blanchard highlights: “In business schools, we actually have a double barrier, since we have the academic barrier, which is the one we find in top schools like Polytechnique, because we know how much it has been shown and proven, academic success is intimately linked to social origin.”
To go further:
– Marianne Blanchard, “Les Ecoles supérieures de commerce : Sociohistoire d’une entreprise éducative en France”, Classiques Garnier, 2015 – Maurice Midena, “Entrez rêveurs, sortez manageurs – Formation et formatage en école de commerce”, La Découverte, 2021
Sound references from the program:
– Hélène recounts the reasons that led her to join a business school – France Culture – Feet on the Ground – February 11, 2021 – Isabelle, the first in her family to pursue higher education, shares her feelings of impostor syndrome at HEC – Extract from the documentary “HEC, admitted without the codes” by Camille Poulain and Jules Giraudat (2025)
