The Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) was established in 1909 by representatives of Sweden's business community. It was one of the first private business schools. Over 20,000 students have now received degrees from SSE. SSE offers internationally competitive business and economics education at the bachelor's, master's, and PhD levels. It prides itself on having a research-based curriculum and close ties to the business community. SSE aims to be a leading European business school by attracting top students and faculty and providing outstanding academic programs.