Triple accreditation


Triple accreditation or triple crown accreditation is the simultaneous accreditation of a business school by the three major international accreditation organisations: the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business in the US, the Association of MBAs in the UK, and EFMD Quality Improvement System in Belgium.

Criteria

Each of the three institutions assesses a business school according to different criteria and scope:
  • AACSB accreditation looks at the whole business school and is intended to "signify a business school's commitment to strategic management, learner success, thought leadership, and societal impact". There has been a greater emphasis on diversity and inclusion since the 2020 revision.
  • AMBA accreditation examines the Master of Business Administration programme portfolio and is intended to show that this "demonstrates the highest standards in teaching, learning and curriculum design, career development and employability, student, alumni and employer interaction".
  • EQUIS accreditation also looks at the whole business school, and is intended to "signal the school’s overall quality, viability and self-improvement commitment".

    Accreditation in the US

Most business schools in the United States chose to only pursue AACSB accreditation. The structure of United States business schools' MBA programs often does not align with European standards. For example, AMBA accreditation criteria require all MBA students to have a minimum of three years of postgraduate work experience. This is a requirement that the vast majority of top United States business schools do not meet, as their MBA programs also admit applicants with a bachelor's degree and no work experience.

By country

A total of 141 business schools from around the world were triple-accredited as of 2025.

Argentina