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WHO WE ARE

Extraordinary, nothing less. That is what we ask of ourselves, and what we build together.
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About IE University

IE University is a leading international higher education institution founded in 1973 in Madrid, Spain, with a global vision and a commitment to fostering positive change. We offer undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and executive education programs across six schools, bringing together students, faculty, researchers, and industry partners from over 160 nationalities across locations and centers around the world.

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Our Story: Out of the Ordinary from the Start

IE University was founded in 1973 in Madrid by entrepreneurs who saw the gap between what education was delivering and what the world actually needed. They built something different: an education grounded in practice, connected to industry, and driven by the conviction that learning should be a catalyst for transformation: of ourselves, our systems, and our world. Faculty with real-world experience in the classroom. One of the first business schools globally to launch an online MBA.

Over fifty years, that founding logic has shaped everything. Six schools. A community bringing together over 160 nationalities. Programs and initiatives built around how people actually work and grow. Today, 85,000 alumni across 177 nationalities carry that purpose forward.

  • 1973
    Founded in Madrid, Spain
  • 160+
  • 85000+
    Alumni worldwide
  • 30
    Global hubs around the world
  • 300+
    University partnerships across 75 countries

Our Purpose: Fostering Positive Change

A speaker addressing an audience at an event, with a large screen displaying the message 'The world needs our extraordinary.'

Built to Transform People. And Through Them, the World.

Our purpose is to foster positive change. Rooted in a belief in human potential, we exist to shape extraordinary individuals who go on to transform their communities, their industries, and the world through education, research, and innovation. Extraordinary, to us, means going beyond the ordinary: a step further in thinking, in action, and in impact.

Extraordinary doesn't just happen. It's earned through effort, resilience, and courage. It breaks barriers, values knowledge, art, and creativity, and sees the full power of humanity. It takes action.

To tackle the challenges of today, and drive the progress of tomorrow. That is what we ask of ourselves, and what we build together.

How We Live Out Our Extraordinary

The four values that define how we think, teach, and lead.

Our Commitments: Lifting Each Other Up

When one person rises, our community rises with them. These are the commitments that shape who we are and how we show up, every day.

"It multiplies when we lift each other up."

Six Schools. One Community.

Our Leadership

Deans

Meet Our Students & Alumni

IE University brings together students and alumni from across the world, united by curiosity, ambition, and a shared belief that education should transform not just what you know, but who you become.

Our Spaces: Extraordinary Across the World

IE University is rooted in Madrid and Segovia, with a growing presence across the world, from New York City to Riyadh. Every location is a gateway to an extraordinary community. Our ecosystem includes IE New York College in SoHo, the IE Center for Learning and Innovation in Riyadh, and 30 global hubs connecting our community across the world.

A group of students gathered outside a college building in New York City.

IE NEW YORK COLLEGE: NEW YORK CITY IS YOUR CLASSROOM

At IENYC, the city itself is your classroom: every street, project, and partnership is a place to learn with real stakes and real outcomes. Master's programs in management, finance, marketing, business analytics, and sustainability, designed for enterprising, globally minded leaders ready to make it in NYC and anywhere.

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A diverse group of professionals standing and sitting together in a bright, minimalistic studio.

Extraordinary.

Nothing Less.