University of Applied Sciences - HTW Berlin vs European School of Management and Technology - ESMT Berlin vs IU International University of Applied Sciences vs GISMA Business School vs Open School of Management

Side-by-side comparison from 218 verified student reviews. Scan one row at a time — winners are highlighted

Quick verdict
Higher overall rating: Forward College (4.90)
University of Applied Sciences - HTW Berlin: wins 0/5 categories
European School of Management and Technology - ESMT Berlin: wins 0/5 categories
IU International University of Applied Sciences: wins 0/5 categories
GISMA Business School: wins 0/5 categories
Open School of Management: wins 0/5 categories
Forward College: wins 2/5 categories
Catalyst – Institute for Creative Arts and Technology: wins 3/5 categories
Comparing
Best programme: Applied Computer Science
Best programme: Business Administration in Management
Best programme: MBA
Best programme: International Marketing
Not rated
Read more reviews
0 reviews
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Paris, France
4.90
Top
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16 reviews
×
Best programme: Politics and International Relations
Best programme: Music Production and Sound Engineering
Category ratings
Facilities
3.91
4.33
3.69
3.71
Not rated
4.47
4.75
Win
Location
4.00
5.00
3.87
4.14
Not rated
5.00
4.25
Professors
4.00
4.33
4.43
4.21
Not rated
5.00
Win
3.88
Internationality
4.19
4.50
4.44
4.29
Not rated
4.75
5.00
Win
Student life
4.04
4.33
3.62
4.08
Not rated
4.73
4.75
Win
Value
3.98
4.50
4.32
4.00
Not rated
4.63
Win
4.13
Accommodation
3.88
4.33
3.11
3.77
Not rated
4.33
2.25
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • +Supportive environment and academic resources
  • +Vibrant campus life and social engagement
  • +Opportunities for personal growth and development
  • +Passionate, knowledgeable professors and engaging teaching
  • +Practical, real-world-focused curriculum
  • +Dynamic community and vibrant atmosphere
  • +Flexible online study for work-life balance
  • +Modern, intuitive digital platform for easy access
  • +Relevant, high-quality educational content
  • +Supportive professors and quality curriculum
  • +International focus and career relevance
  • +Friendly faculty and good learning environment

Nothing to show

  • +Engaging learning environment with interactive methods
  • +Diverse and international student community
  • +Unique multi-city European study experience
  • +Hands-on learning and practical experience
  • +Access to professional gear and facilities
  • +Supportive and collaborative environment
Cons
  • -Poor quality instruction and unhelpful teachers
  • -Lack of administrative and management support
  • -Outdated facilities and resources
  • -Administrative and management issues are a frequent source of frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and a lack of modern resources are a common complaint.
  • -The curriculum is often perceived as irrelevant or poorly delivered.
  • -Slow and unresponsive administrative processes, including grade processing and student support.
  • -Poor staff attitude and lack of accountability for errors in student records and applications.
  • -Inadequate support and guidance for online students.
  • -Administrative and management issues cause significant frustration.
  • -Lack of refund processing and poor communication are major concerns.

Nothing to show

  • -Administrative & management issues cause frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and equipment are a concern.
  • -Lack of transparency and communication is prevalent.
  • -Administrative and management issues cause frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and equipment are a recurring problem.
  • -Lack of clear communication and support is a major concern.
Rating summary
What students say

Overall, the university garners positive feedback with its strongest area being **Internationality**, scoring 4.19. Student life also performs well at 4.04. Areas with slightly lower, though still respectable, ratings include **Facilities** at 3.91 and **Accomodation** at 3.88. Professors, location, and value all received a solid 4 or close to it, indicating a well-rounded student experience.

Remarkably high scores characterize this university's performance. Its location stands out with a perfect 5.0 rating, marking it as its strongest area. Areas such as facilities, professors, student life, and accommodation all received excellent scores of 4.33. Internationality and value were also strong, both earning 4.5. No significant weaknesses were identified, with all categories receiving positive feedback.

This institution garners notable praise in several key areas, with **Internationality** and **Professors** receiving particularly high scores. The **Value** proposition is also well-regarded. Conversely, **Accomodation** stands out as the lowest-rated aspect. Other aspects like Facilities, Location, and Student Life fall within a more moderate range of positive feedback.

This institution performs strongest in Internationality, with a rating of 4.29. Professors and Location also receive high marks, both above 4.14. Conversely, Facilities and Accomodation are the weakest areas, scoring 3.71 and 3.77 respectively. Student Life and Value are rated solidly around 4.

Nothing to show

This university garners excellent reviews, particularly excelling in its **professors and location**, both achieving perfect scores. Student life and internationality also stand out with scores above 4.7. Areas with slightly lower, though still strong, ratings include **facilities and accommodation**. Overall, the university presents a well-rounded positive student experience with high marks across most aspects.

This institution achieves outstanding scores in several key areas, notably Internationality (5.0) and Facilities and Student Life, both at an impressive 4.75. However, Accomodation presents a significant challenge, receiving the lowest rating at 2.25. Professors and Value also received solid, above-average scores.

Reviews summary
Highlights

Approximately 98% of reviews are positive, highlighting enjoyable campus life, supportive environments, modern facilities, and ample opportunities for social engagement and personal development. A small amount of negative feedback points to inconsistent teaching quality and interpersonal issues.

All six reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.33/5. Students highlight passionate professors, engaging classes, and exceptional education quality. There is no negative feedback.

~95% of reviews are positive, praising flexibility, modern platforms, and accessible materials. A small percentage (~5%) mention issues with grading delays and slow administrative support.

With an average rating of 4.14/5, ~86% of reviews are positive, praising quality education and helpful faculty. Approximately 14% of feedback mentions administrative issues.

Nothing to show

Students highly praise the interactive learning, international community, and opportunities for academic and personal growth. There are no negative reviews.

University reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with ~88% of feedback being 4-5 stars. Students praise hands-on learning, creative freedom, and access to professional-grade equipment. There is virtually no negative feedback.

Rating distribution
5★
4%
33%
63%
57%
0%
94%
25%
4★
85%
67%
27%
21%
0%
6%
63%
3★
9%
0%
6%
7%
0%
0%
13%
2★
0%
0%
2%
7%
0%
0%
0%
1★
2%
0%
3%
7%
0%
0%
0%
Most useful review
Most liked
A university that takes away its student's spirit

Project management teacher fails people and tells them straight into their face it’s because she doesn’t like them. The Law teacher had us do presentations and didn’t even do one single class in a year. Ethics teacher claims that women deserve to get sexually assaulted if their dress is an inch too short. The Economics teacher does not speak English even though the major is taught in it. Half the students are internationals without German coming to Berlin to study, yet most “International” subjects are talking only about Germany and giving presentations in German. There is nothing applied about this university, it is all old theory. Marketing classes did not even include advertising, social media, digital media or anything more relevant in the past decade. Same for other subjects. The administration is disorganised. The international student office is always on holidays and never replies. The administration does not answer at all until you send your e-mails to their bosses. Due to the error OF THE ADMINISTRATION, they did not want to count my two semesters abroad until I fought them for seven months and emailed everyone at school when suddenly it was a matter of one document. One thesis supervisor steals his students' work for his own publications and has plenty of lawsuits. The other master’s supervisor did not answer any of the e-mails during the writing, except for one which said ‘I don’t know, google it”. There is so much more I could say. This school is a disaster and if you are reading this review DO NOT GO HERE, they really don’t care about their students. Neither does the school administration, nor the teachers. If at least one person decides not to go there due to this review I already did a good deed. Try HWR, Free University, Humboldt, or anything else. It was a horrible experience that made me not want to continue educating myself for at least a few years until I can forget all those horrible moments and people (except some single people and students)

Well qualified professors and great connectons with the industry

Well structured programs, great facilities and very good career development team. The alumni relations with the school are great and well maintained and fostered. Overall a great school right in the middle of Berlin.

The best university in the world

My experience with IU is very wonderful and exceptional. The learning process is smooth and easy especially for online students and the exams are well tailored to test your knowledge on what you have been learning. It is quite great indeed.

Msc international business management

The MSc in international business management has the main subject like finance and risk management. International economics, and research methods and scientific work, which helps students in business.

Nothing to show

Great modern university approach

I am currently a 3rd year student at Forward College and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend it to other students. The interactive approach of Forward where questions, debate, and discussion were encouraged enhanced my learning so much and I feel like I genuinely enjoyed every class. Having the experience of living in 3 different cultures, surrounded by people from all over the world made this experience even more special and helped me develop and grow in so many ways. Another aspect I have loved are the professors. Speaking with friends at other university I am so grateful to have teachers that actually know us, are excited to teach and interact with us, and will always take the time to help you.

The Challenge

I'm a Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering graduate. My experience at Catalyst was generally positive. It had a culture of friendliness, kindness and helpfulness from the staff, professors and students. The classes are not the typical classes but are more so akin to workshops. You get introduced to a subject, technique or idea and you are very quickly thrown in the deep end to get your hands dirty in experimentation and practice, which I prefer. You get access to studios and a lot of fancy audio gear. One downside I experienced is the limited studio time. I loved working in the big studios but they increasingly over the years kept getting harder to book due to limited availability. What I found to be the most impactful experience was how challenging the projects were. There were no exams, fun fact. Instead of exams, we had big projects that spanned the entirety of each semester with hard milestone deadlines in between. Since these projects span the whole semester, you can begin to imagine the scale of work involved in completing them. The challenge in handling all the projects pushed me to achieve more than I could have imagined. I needed an environment like that. In conclusion, my time at Catalyst was great. Through all the hard work my skills increased exponentially in a short period of time. The staff and teachers are amazing and always ready to help.

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