Summary:
Alternis Business School in Bordeaux secures its first Palme of Excellence in the 2025 Eduniversal rankings. This article explores the award, Eduniversal’s methodology, and the school’s practical and employment-oriented approach to business education.

The Palme of Excellence: An Academic Milestone for Alternis

Alternis Business School, located in Bordeaux, France, has been awarded its first Palme of Excellence in the prestigious 2025 Eduniversal Best Business Schools Ranking. With Eduniversal evaluating over 1,000 institutions in 154 countries, the recognition highlights Alternis's growing impact on management education and employer-aligned curricula.

The ranking system continues to profile academic institutions globally, including markets such as Argentina and Australia, offering insights into regional business education strengths.

Understanding Eduniversal’s Palme System and Rankings Methodology

Eduniversal uses a comprehensive Palme classification to categorize schools based on global influence and educational quality. Schools are ranked from 1 to 5 Palmes, with criteria such as national economic indicators, education expenditure, and institutional reputation. Select institutions then undergo a rigorous Deans' Vote, an international peer-based evaluation involving global deans who recognize, on a yearly basis,  institutions for their "universal influence."

In 2025, the 100 institutions awarded 5 Palmes included globally dominant leaders such as Harvard and MIT Sloan.  Within Europe, institutions like Sorbonne Business School (5 Palmes) and Ferrières (4 Palmes) continue to rise. 

Why This Palme Matters: Practical Learning at the Core

Alternis Business School’s award is particularly significant due to the institution’s commitment to practical, immersive education. Programs at Alternis are closely integrated with industry, merging RNCP Level 6 and Level 7 certified degrees with experiential learning. With a 95%+ program success rate and a competitive admissions ratio of roughly one-in-three, the school emphasizes small class sizes, mentor-led teaching, and agile business instruction.

The school's modernized Bordeaux campus supports this mission with advanced digital infrastructure and enhanced student engagement spaces, advancing its mission to provide practice-driven and employability-focused learning outcomes.

Specialized Excellence and Sector-Specific Innovation

Alternis’s success also follows a broader shift toward sectoral expertise in education. New Eduniversal “Schools of Excellence” initiatives aim to spotlight 100 top institutions in areas such as finance, supply chain, and sustainability by 2025, expanding to 400 by 2028. Alternis’s Supply Chain MBA, ranked in France’s national top 10, is one example of this growing niche-based excellence.

Similarly, Sorbonne Business School’s 5 Palme upgrade cites its “lifelong commitment to excellence,” while Ferrières’s Audace 6.0 drives innovation in the luxury and hospitality sectors. In a parallel stream, leadership programs in Thailand and Uganda are expanding capacity for ESG leadership and digital transformation.

Institutional Leadership, Collective Triumph and Forward Vision

The recognition of Alternis is not just an institutional win but a showcase in educational strategy and execution. Notable contributors include Quentin Guiette (founder and CEO), Cedric Rays, Alice Lemoine, and Salomé Bunel, alongside an inspired Scientific Committee led in Western Europe by João Amaro de Matos (Nova School of Business & Economics). It reinforces Alternis’s commitment to cultivating global-ready graduates with intellectual curiosity and operational know-how.

The school’s commitment is ongoing. Future milestones include upcoming events such as the World Convention in November 2025, which further celebrates international achievements in academic excellence.

This Palme of Excellence is not merely an award; it’s a signal. A signal to students to seek experiential learning. A signal to educators to drive innovation. And a signal to institutions to value agility, relevance, and purpose.