ESSEC occupies a particular position in the Paris grande école landscape: it is the most specialisation-friendly of the three, with a curriculum designed around genuine depth in areas like luxury, social enterprise, and real estate — rather than the broad generalist model at HEC.
Luxury Management
The Centre for Luxury Management at ESSEC is without peer. Alumni lead marketing and strategy divisions at LVMH group companies, Kering, and Richemont. If luxury is your target sector, ESSEC is the natural starting point.
The Apprenticeship Route
Like HEC, ESSEC offers an apprenticeship pathway (contrat d’apprentissage) that allows students to alternate between studies and paid work at a French company. This route is underused by international students and represents significant financial relief.