Purpose: The objective of this work is to determine whether the effort of business schools in terms of sustainability policies improves student satisfaction through boosting the internationalization of the institution and its notoriety.Design/methodology/approach: The sample considered in this study consisted of 272 Spanish business school graduates. The data was collected via online survey during the first quarter of 2020.  To validate the hypotheses and the model, structural equations modelling was performed using robust method.Findings: A commitment of the business schools to sustainability not only has an ethical component but also improves their positioning, leading to greater competitiveness.Practical implications: The results obtained point to sustainability practices facilitating entry processes involving joint agreements among business schools and leading to clear accreditations and/or sustainability policies.Originality/value: The present research focuses on those variables included in the scarcely investigated external factors that should be considered to maintain high satisfaction among business school students.