By Mark Scott

The Cream of the Crop

When the global economy was on the skids, demand for MBA programs soared. Yet even as the economy recovers from the worst downturn since World War II, students keep flocking to business schools in hopes of improving their skills and landing high-powered—and higher-paid—jobs after graduation.

Europe's top MBA programs continue to receive record numbers of applications of ever-greater quality. To cope, some schools have increased class size, while others now impose higher entrance standards, such as demanding more work experience or higher GMAT scores.

For those contemplating a European MBA, deciding on the right program remains a challenge. To help out, Bloomberg BusinessWeek teamed up this year with QS, the independent MBA experts and organizers of the annual QS World MBA Tour. The 23 MBA programs featured here were chosen in consultation with QS and represent an unranked selection of the top programs in Europe, presented alphabetically by country.

Click on to see which MBA program could be the right fit for you—and start packing your bags for the experience of a lifetime.

Source: Bloomberg BusinessWeek and QS, author of the QS Global 200 Business Schools: The Employers' Choice

Note: All currency exchange rates are as of Mar. 17, 2010, using the interbank rate.