Germany is well connected and, in particular, businesses in Munich often hire from schools in Baden-Wuerttemberg (south Germans think they share the best educational systems). I think it's fair to say that difference will be in the style of teaching rather than the quality. The state universities I have mentioned are successful. The Academic Ranking of World Universities ranks Erlangen, for example, on the same level as Brandeis University and Dartmouth College. But the style of teaching is very different in mainland Europe's state universities from the USA, with less classroom participation, more lecture time, and more self-directed study.
If you need small classes, then you have to get into either private universities or into English-language programmes that are small in state universities. However Furtwangen, for example, has a small MBA yet it's still very lecture based (see the videos of lectures on youtube). For a more participatory, US-style MBA you'll need to look elsewhere. I suggest either private business schools (like Munich Business School, which is increasingly accepted in the city, EBS, HHL and WHU) or at state universities with well-resourced English-language MBA degrees, like Reutlingen, Pforzheim and Esslingen (which are all in Wuerttemberg, a couple of hours away). A little bit closer than there is the MCI in Innsbruck, which impresses me.
PS The HSG in St Gallen is a serious option too: it is very well respected in Germany.
PPS It's also worth remember that some schools have AACSB accreditation, which makes their degrees more portable internationally.
[Edited by Duncan on Feb 26, 2016]
Germany is well connected and, in particular, businesses in Munich often hire from schools in Baden-Wuerttemberg (south Germans think they share the best educational systems). I think it's fair to say that difference will be in the style of teaching rather than the quality. The state universities I have mentioned are successful. The Academic Ranking of World Universities ranks Erlangen, for example, on the same level as Brandeis University and Dartmouth College. But the style of teaching is very different in mainland Europe's state universities from the USA, with less classroom participation, more lecture time, and more self-directed study.
If you need small classes, then you have to get into either private universities or into English-language programmes that are small in state universities. However Furtwangen, for example, has a small MBA yet it's still very lecture based (see the videos of lectures on youtube). For a more participatory, US-style MBA you'll need to look elsewhere. I suggest either private business schools (like Munich Business School, which is increasingly accepted in the city, EBS, HHL and WHU) or at state universities with well-resourced English-language MBA degrees, like Reutlingen, Pforzheim and Esslingen (which are all in Wuerttemberg, a couple of hours away). A little bit closer than there is the MCI in Innsbruck, which impresses me.
PS The HSG in St Gallen is a serious option too: it is very well respected in Germany.
PPS It's also worth remember that some schools have AACSB accreditation, which makes their degrees more portable internationally.