What is the legal status of Business Schools in France?

Not all business schools have the same status or the same method of financing.

Private companies

Some business schools are simplified joint stock companies. They are 100% privately funded and pay profits to their shareholders. Conversely some rare schools are public institutions financed by the State and/or the Chambers of Commerce. 

Not-for-profit associations

Other schools opt for the status of "non-profit association under the 1901 law" because they choose to reinvest all of the revenue they receive exclusively for the benefit of their students in order to offer them access to knowledge and quality services and to guarantee them maximum employability. 

Some of these schools also hold the EESPIG label - which recognises them as non-profit higher education establishments of general interest contributing to the public service missions of higher education and research. It is issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR). 

EM Normandie is both a non-profit association under the 1901 law and a holder of the EESPIG label.

 

In order to receive this label the institution must demonstrate the quality of its training - its research activity - its social openness (number of students with grants - widening of access routes - etc.) and its disinterested management in financial terms.