Why students prefer LVMH, Hermès and Chanel… but not all profiles
LVMH, Hermès and Chanel once again dominate the Universum 2025 ranking for business schools.
But this success does not extend to all student profiles, according to a study revealed by Les Echos.
Luxury still a favorite among business profiles
LVMH remains in the lead for the 21st year running among business school students. With Hermès in 3rd place and Chanel in 5th, the luxury houses confirm their status as aspirational brands. These brands appeal through their image, financial strength and the prestige their name brings on a CV.
The Top 5 is completed by L’Oréal Group and JP Morgan, a sign that the world of luxury is now rivaling finance in the imagination of future executives.
GAFAM down, banks up
One of the highlights of this 2025 edition is that the GAFAMs are losing ground. Google is down 4 places, Apple 3. Conversely, banks (BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs) are on the rise, confirming the comeback of a long-ignored sector.
But it’s the absence of luxury goods in the engineering rankings that is particularly striking.
Lack of appeal to scientific profiles
No luxury goods company features in the Top 10 preferences of engineering students, largely dominated by Thales, Airbus and Safran. The same applies to future IT engineers, where Google, Microsoft and Apple make up the top three.
However, the luxury industry is trying to attract these technical profiles. Hermès is now involved in schools such as ITECH and EFREI, but this is not yet reflected in the rankings.
Remuneration, life balance, career development: what young talent wants
The students surveyed aspire to a monthly salary of 3,265 euros on graduation. But money isn’t everything: career development opportunities, brand recognition on the CV and a good work/life balance have become key criteria.
Read also: Why beauty is set to change its face by 2027
